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{{AFI}} |
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{{short description|American computer hardware company}} |
{{short description|American computer hardware company}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
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|name = 3dfx Interactive, Inc. |
|name = 3dfx Interactive, Inc. |
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|logo = 3dfx logo.svg |
|logo = 3dfx logo.svg |
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|founded = {{start date and age|1994|08|24}}<ref name="casos">{{cite web|title=Business Entity Detail |
|founded = {{start date and age|1994|08|24}}<ref name="casos">{{cite web|title=Business Entity Detail – RetrievePDF|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=01911087-3178893|work=Business Search database – PDF document|publisher=[[California Secretary of State]]|access-date=October 9, 2019|archive-date=September 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915000125/https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=01911087-3178893|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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|founders = Ross Smith, Scott Sellers, Gary Tarolli |
|founders = Ross Smith, Scott Sellers, Gary Tarolli |
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|defunct = {{end date and age|2002}}<ref name='sec'/> |
|defunct = {{end date and age|2002}}<ref name='sec'/> |
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|fate = Bankrupt;<ref name='sec'>[[United States Securities and Exchange Commission|SEC]] filings, [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1010026/000095013402012752/d00519e8vk.txt Form 8-K: Bankruptcy or receivership], updated October 21, 2002, retrieved August 17, 2007</ref> Acquired by [[Nvidia|NVIDIA Corporation]] |
|fate = Bankrupt;<ref name='sec'>[[United States Securities and Exchange Commission|SEC]] filings, [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1010026/000095013402012752/d00519e8vk.txt Form 8-K: Bankruptcy or receivership] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827131751/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1010026/000095013402012752/d00519e8vk.txt |date=August 27, 2017 }}, updated October 21, 2002, retrieved August 17, 2007</ref> Acquired by [[Nvidia|NVIDIA Corporation]] |
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|location=[[San Jose, California]], U.S. |
|location=[[San Jose, California]], U.S. |
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|key_people = |
|key_people = |
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==== First chips ==== |
==== First chips ==== |
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The company was founded on August 24, 1994, as 3D/fx, Inc.<ref name=casos/> Ross Smith, Gary Tarolli and Scott Sellers, all former employees of [[Silicon Graphics]] Inc. They were soon joined by Gordie Campbell of TechFarm.{{Sfn|Hodge|2013|p=2}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.igromania.ru/article/5122/Rassvet_i_zakat_imperii._Istoriya_o_tom_kak_Voodoo_izmenil_mir.html|title=Рассвет и закат империи. История о том, как Voodoo изменил мир|language=Russian|trans-title=The dawn and decline of the empire. The story of how Voodoo changed the world|last=Guslenko|first=Aleksandr|work=[[Igromania]]|date=2006-05-31|access-date=2021-12-05}}</ref> 3dfx released its first product, the Voodoo Graphics 3D chip, to manufacturing on November 6, 1995. The chip is a [[Video Graphics Array|VGA]] 3D accelerator that features rendering methods such as [[Nearest-neighbor interpolation|point-sampled]] [[texture mapping]], [[Z-buffering|Z-]] and [[double buffering]], [[Gouraud shading]], [[Subpixel rendering|subpixel correction]], [[alpha compositing]], and [[anti-aliasing]]. Alongside the chip came 3dfx's [[Glide API]], designed to take full advantage of the Voodoo Graphics' features.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_electronic-news_1995-11-06_41_2090/page/n85|url-access=registration|title=Startup 3Dfx Eyes 3D Graphics Arena|last=MacLellan|first=Andrew|magazine=[[Electronic News]]|date=1995-11-06|access-date=2021-12-05|volume=41|issue=2090|page=84}}</ref> The company stated that Glide's creation was because it found that no existing APIs at the time could fully utilize the chip's capabilities. The [[DirectX]] 3.0 was deemed to be lacking, and the [[OpenGL]] was regarded as suitable only for [[CAD/CAM]] workstations.<ref name=GS-Glide>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-open-sources-glide/1100-2447156/|title=3dfx Open Sources Glide|last=Ajami|first=Amer|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-05}}</ref> The first graphics card to use the chip was [[Orchid Technology]]'s Righteous 3D, released on October 7, 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=ORCHID SHIPS RIGHTEOUS 3D |
The company was founded on August 24, 1994, as 3D/fx, Inc.<ref name=casos/> Ross Smith, Gary Tarolli and Scott Sellers, all former employees of [[Silicon Graphics]] Inc. They were soon joined by Gordie Campbell of TechFarm.{{Sfn|Hodge|2013|p=2}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.igromania.ru/article/5122/Rassvet_i_zakat_imperii._Istoriya_o_tom_kak_Voodoo_izmenil_mir.html|title=Рассвет и закат империи. История о том, как Voodoo изменил мир|language=Russian|trans-title=The dawn and decline of the empire. The story of how Voodoo changed the world|last=Guslenko|first=Aleksandr|work=[[Igromania]]|date=2006-05-31|access-date=2021-12-05|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205083752/https://www.igromania.ru/article/5122/Rassvet_i_zakat_imperii._Istoriya_o_tom_kak_Voodoo_izmenil_mir.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 3dfx released its first product, the Voodoo Graphics 3D chip, to manufacturing on November 6, 1995. The chip is a [[Video Graphics Array|VGA]] 3D accelerator that features rendering methods such as [[Nearest-neighbor interpolation|point-sampled]] [[texture mapping]], [[Z-buffering|Z-]] and [[double buffering]], [[Gouraud shading]], [[Subpixel rendering|subpixel correction]], [[alpha compositing]], and [[anti-aliasing]]. Alongside the chip came 3dfx's [[Glide API]], designed to take full advantage of the Voodoo Graphics' features.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_electronic-news_1995-11-06_41_2090/page/n85|url-access=registration|title=Startup 3Dfx Eyes 3D Graphics Arena|last=MacLellan|first=Andrew|magazine=[[Electronic News]]|date=1995-11-06|access-date=2021-12-05|volume=41|issue=2090|page=84}}</ref> The company stated that Glide's creation was because it found that no existing APIs at the time could fully utilize the chip's capabilities. The [[DirectX]] 3.0 was deemed to be lacking, and the [[OpenGL]] was regarded as suitable only for [[CAD/CAM]] workstations.<ref name=GS-Glide>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-open-sources-glide/1100-2447156/|title=3dfx Open Sources Glide|last=Ajami|first=Amer|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-05|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205083752/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-open-sources-glide/1100-2447156/|url-status=live}}</ref> The first graphics card to use the chip was [[Orchid Technology]]'s Righteous 3D, released on October 7, 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=ORCHID SHIPS RIGHTEOUS 3D – BRINGS ULTIMATE 3D EXPERIENCE TO PC USERS|publisher=Orchid Technology|url=http://www.orchid.com/products/righteous/r3d.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970213022030/http://www.orchid.com/products/righteous/r3d.html|date=October 7, 1996|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 13, 1997|access-date=September 4, 2019}}<br />"Righteous 3D is the first retail product to market based on 3Dfx Interactive Voodoo Graphics chipset."</ref> The company manufactured only the chips and some [[reference design|reference]] boards, and initially did not sell any product to consumers; rather, it acted as an [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] supplier for graphics card companies, which designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold their own graphics cards including the Voodoo chipset.<ref name=NAG>{{cite web|url=https://www.nag.co.za/2013/02/08/oldie-but-goodie-3dfx/|title=Oldie But Goodie: 3DFX|last=Fick|first=Wesley "CataclysmZA"|work=New Age Gaming|date=2013-02-08|access-date=2021-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211005355/http://www.nag.co.za/2013/02/08/oldie-but-goodie-3dfx/|archive-date=2021-12-11|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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3dfx gained initial fame in the arcade market. The first arcade machine that 3dfx Voodoo Graphics hardware was used in was a 1996 baseball game featuring a bat controller with motion sensing technology called ''ICE Home Run Derby''. Later that year it was featured in more popular titles, such as [[Atari]]'s ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush]]'' and ''[[Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey]]''.<ref name=NAG/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132517/the_rise_and_fall_of_the_dreamcast.php?page=2|title=The Rise And Fall Of The Dreamcast|last=Perry|first=Douglass C.|work=[[Gamasutra]]|date=2009-09-09|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824032012/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132517/the_rise_and_fall_of_the_dreamcast.php?page=2|archive-date=2021-08-24|url-status=live}}</ref> 3dfx also developed [[MiniGL]] after [[id Software]]'s [[John Carmack]] released a 1997 version of ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' that used the OpenGL API. The MiniGL translated OpenGL commands into Glide, and gave 3dfx the advantage as the sole consumer chip company to deliver a functional graphics library driver until 1998.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0S3LhwKd2EC&q=%22Mini-GL%22|title=Building the Ultimate Game PC|last=Case|first=Loyd|publisher=[[Que (publisher)|Que]]|date=1999|access-date=2021-12-11|page=19|isbn=0-7897-2204-6}}</ref> |
3dfx gained initial fame in the arcade market. The first arcade machine that 3dfx Voodoo Graphics hardware was used in was a 1996 baseball game featuring a bat controller with motion sensing technology called ''ICE Home Run Derby''. Later that year it was featured in more popular titles, such as [[Atari]]'s ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush]]'' and ''[[Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey]]''.<ref name=NAG/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132517/the_rise_and_fall_of_the_dreamcast.php?page=2|title=The Rise And Fall Of The Dreamcast|last=Perry|first=Douglass C.|work=[[Gamasutra]]|date=2009-09-09|page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824032012/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132517/the_rise_and_fall_of_the_dreamcast.php?page=2|archive-date=2021-08-24|url-status=live}}</ref> 3dfx also developed [[MiniGL]] after [[id Software]]'s [[John Carmack]] released a 1997 version of ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]'' that used the OpenGL API. The MiniGL translated OpenGL commands into Glide, and gave 3dfx the advantage as the sole consumer chip company to deliver a functional graphics library driver until 1998.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0S3LhwKd2EC&q=%22Mini-GL%22|title=Building the Ultimate Game PC|last=Case|first=Loyd|publisher=[[Que (publisher)|Que]]|date=1999|access-date=2021-12-11|page=19|isbn=0-7897-2204-6|archive-date=November 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113205249/https://books.google.com/books?id=o0S3LhwKd2EC&q=%22Mini-GL%22|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Entry to the consumer market ==== |
==== Entry to the consumer market ==== |
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[[File:KL Diamond Monster3D Voodoo 1.jpg|thumbnail|The [[Diamond Multimedia|Diamond]] [[Monster 3D]] was the most popular graphics card using the Voodoo Graphics chipset.<ref name=GameStar.de>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/das-voodoo-zeitalter-wie-3dfx-die-welt-der-pc-grafik-veraenderte,1951475.html|title=Das Voodoo-Zeitalter |
[[File:KL Diamond Monster3D Voodoo 1.jpg|thumbnail|The [[Diamond Multimedia|Diamond]] [[Monster 3D]] was the most popular graphics card using the Voodoo Graphics chipset.<ref name=GameStar.de>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/das-voodoo-zeitalter-wie-3dfx-die-welt-der-pc-grafik-veraenderte,1951475.html|title=Das Voodoo-Zeitalter – Wie 3dfx die Welt der PC-Grafik veränderte|language=German|trans-title=The Voodoo Age – How 3dfx Changed the World of PC Graphics|last1=Wieselsberger|first1=Georg|last2=Liedtke|first2=Christoph|work=[[GameStar]]|date=2019-09-07|access-date=2021-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211023119/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/das-voodoo-zeitalter-wie-3dfx-die-welt-der-pc-grafik-veraenderte,1951475.html|archive-date=2021-12-11|url-status=live}}</ref>]] |
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[[File:3Dfx@500nm@Fixed-pipeline@SST-1 (TMU)@Voodoo Graphics@500-0004-02 F805021.1 TMU 9802 20005 Taiwan Stack-DSC09872-DSC09942 - ZS-retouched (34576593233).jpg|thumb|[[Die shot]] of the Voodoo Graphics texture mapping chip]] |
[[File:3Dfx@500nm@Fixed-pipeline@SST-1 (TMU)@Voodoo Graphics@500-0004-02 F805021.1 TMU 9802 20005 Taiwan Stack-DSC09872-DSC09942 - ZS-retouched (34576593233).jpg|thumb|[[Die shot]] of the Voodoo Graphics texture mapping chip]] |
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"Sega has to make a significant move to stay competitive and they need to make it soon. Now whether this move is to roll out another home console platform or move strictly to the PC gaming space is unknown."{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
"Sega has to make a significant move to stay competitive and they need to make it soon. Now whether this move is to roll out another home console platform or move strictly to the PC gaming space is unknown."{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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Sega quickly quashed 3dfx's "Blackbelt" and used the NEC-based "Katana" as the model for the product that would be marketed and sold as the [[Dreamcast]]. 3dfx sued Sega for breach of contract, accusing Sega of starting the deal in bad faith in order to take 3dfx technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/sega-accused-of-contract-breach/ | title=Sega accused of contract breach | publisher=CNET | date=3 September 1997 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The case was settled out of court. |
Sega quickly quashed 3dfx's "Blackbelt" and used the NEC-based "Katana" as the model for the product that would be marketed and sold as the [[Dreamcast]]. 3dfx sued Sega for breach of contract, accusing Sega of starting the deal in bad faith in order to take 3dfx technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/sega-accused-of-contract-breach/ | title=Sega accused of contract breach | publisher=[[CNET]] | date=3 September 1997 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The case was settled out of court. |
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=== New chips, competition, and |
=== New chips, competition, and decline === |
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==== Development of Rampage ==== |
==== Development of Rampage ==== |
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3dfx announced in January 1999 that their Banshee cards had sold about one million units.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_073_1999-02_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n27|title=Fact Cannon|magazine=[[PC Zone]]|date=February 1999|access-date=2021-12-05|issue=73|page=28}}</ref> While Nvidia had yet to launch a product in the add-in board market that sold as well as 3dfx's Voodoo line, the company was gaining steady ground in the OEM market. The Nvidia RIVA TNT was a similar, highly integrated product that had two major advantages in greater 3D speed and 32-bit 3D color support. 3dfx, by contrast, had very limited OEM sales, as the Banshee was adopted only in small numbers by OEMs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/articles/show/voodoo_6000_review_part_i/the_golden_age |title=Sudhian Media |publisher=Sudhian.com |access-date=2014-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123050930/http://www.sudhian.com/content/ |archive-date=2013-01-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
3dfx announced in January 1999 that their Banshee cards had sold about one million units.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_Issue_073_1999-02_Dennis_Publishing_GB/page/n27|title=Fact Cannon|magazine=[[PC Zone]]|date=February 1999|access-date=2021-12-05|issue=73|page=28}}</ref> While Nvidia had yet to launch a product in the add-in board market that sold as well as 3dfx's Voodoo line, the company was gaining steady ground in the OEM market. The Nvidia RIVA TNT was a similar, highly integrated product that had two major advantages in greater 3D speed and 32-bit 3D color support. 3dfx, by contrast, had very limited OEM sales, as the Banshee was adopted only in small numbers by OEMs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/articles/show/voodoo_6000_review_part_i/the_golden_age |title=Sudhian Media |publisher=Sudhian.com |access-date=2014-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123050930/http://www.sudhian.com/content/ |archive-date=2013-01-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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3dfx executed a major strategy change just prior to the launch of Voodoo3 by purchasing [[STB Systems]] for [[United States dollar|US]] $141 million on December 14, 1998.<ref>{{ |
3dfx executed a major strategy change just prior to the launch of Voodoo3 by purchasing [[STB Systems]] for [[United States dollar|US]] $141 million on December 14, 1998.<ref>{{cite web|date=December 14, 1998|title=3Dfx buys STB Systems|first=Chris|last=Morris|work=[[CNN Money]]|url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/12/14/technology/3dfx/index.htm|access-date=May 13, 2019|archive-date=November 20, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011120191027/https://money.cnn.com/1998/12/14/technology/3dfx/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> STB Systems was one of the larger graphics card manufacturers at the time; the intent was for 3dfx to start manufacturing, marketing, and selling its own graphics cards, rather than functioning only as an [[original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] supplier. Purchase of STB was intended to give 3dfx access to that company's considerable OEM resources and sales channels, but the intended benefits of the acquisition never materialized. The two corporations were vastly different entities, with different cultures and structures, and they never integrated smoothly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sudhian.com/index.php?/articles/show/voodoo_6000_review_part_i/the_golden_age |title=A Fallen Titans Final Glory: The Golden Age |publisher=Sudhian.com |access-date=2014-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123050930/http://www.sudhian.com/content/ |archive-date=2013-01-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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STB prior to the 3dfx acquisition also approached Nvidia as a potential partner to acquire the company. At the time, STB was Nvidia's largest customer and was only minimally engaged with 3dfx. 3dfx management mistakenly believed that acquiring STB would ensure OEM design wins with their products and that product limitations would be overcome with STB's knowledge in supporting the OEM sales/design win cycles. Nvidia decided not to acquire STB and to continue to support many brands of graphics board manufacturers. After STB was acquired by 3dfx, Nvidia focused on being a virtual graphics card manufacturer for the OEMs and strengthened its position in selling finished reference designs ready for market to the OEMs. STB's manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico was not able to compete from either a cost or quality point of view when compared to the burgeoning [[original design manufacturer]]s (ODMs) and Contract electronic manufacturers (CEMs) that were delivering solutions in Asia for Nvidia. Prior to the STB merger finalizing, some of 3dfx's OEMs warned the company that any product from Juarez will not be deemed fit to ship with their systems, however 3dfx management believed these problems could be addressed over time. Those customers generally became Nvidia customers and no longer chose to ship 3dfx products.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
STB prior to the 3dfx acquisition also approached Nvidia as a potential partner to acquire the company. At the time, STB was Nvidia's largest customer and was only minimally engaged with 3dfx. 3dfx management mistakenly believed that acquiring STB would ensure OEM design wins with their products and that product limitations would be overcome with STB's knowledge in supporting the OEM sales/design win cycles. Nvidia decided not to acquire STB and to continue to support many brands of graphics board manufacturers. After STB was acquired by 3dfx, Nvidia focused on being a virtual graphics card manufacturer for the OEMs and strengthened its position in selling finished reference designs ready for market to the OEMs. STB's manufacturing facility in Juarez, Mexico was not able to compete from either a cost or quality point of view when compared to the burgeoning [[original design manufacturer]]s (ODMs) and Contract electronic manufacturers (CEMs) that were delivering solutions in Asia for Nvidia. Prior to the STB merger finalizing, some of 3dfx's OEMs warned the company that any product from Juarez will not be deemed fit to ship with their systems, however 3dfx management believed these problems could be addressed over time. Those customers generally became Nvidia customers and no longer chose to ship 3dfx products.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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The acquisition of STB was one of the main contributors to 3dfx's downfall; the Voodoo 3 became the first 3dfx chip to be developed in-house rather than by third-party manufacturers, which were a significant source of revenue for the company. These third-party manufacturers turned into competitors and began sourcing graphics chips from Nvidia.<ref name=Salon>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2002/05/16/nvidia2/|title=The prince of polygons|last=Turner|first=Daniel Drew|work=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|date=2002-05-16|access-date=2021-12-11}}</ref> This also further alienated 3dfx's remaining OEM customers, as they had a single source for 3dfx products and could not choose an OEM to provide cost flexibility. With the purchase of STB, 3dfx created two cards targeting the low-end market, the Velocity 100, which has 8 MB of [[SDRAM]], and the Velocity 200, which has 16 MB of [[SGRAM]]. The cards both used a chipset based on the Voodoo3 2000, and it was claimed that they were "underclocked".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-unveils-new-velocity-brand/1100-2450873/|title=3dfx Unveils New Velocity Brand|last=Ajami|first=Amer|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=1999-07-26|access-date=2021-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218031842/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-unveils-new-velocity-brand/1100-2450873/|archive-date=2021-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref> However, it was revealed by testing that the Velocity 100 chipset has the same clock speed as a typical Voodoo3 2000—at 143 MHz—and that, while one of its two TMUs is disabled in OpenGL and Glide applications for memory management, it can be re-enabled to increase those applications' performance, and ''[[AnandTech]]'' found no side effects of enabling the component.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/401|title=3dfx Velocity 100|last=Andrawes|first=Mike|work=[[AnandTech]]|date=1999-10-29|access-date=2021-12-18|pages=1–3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218042331/https://www.anandtech.com/show/401|archive-date=2021-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref> |
The acquisition of STB was one of the main contributors to 3dfx's downfall; the Voodoo 3 became the first 3dfx chip to be developed in-house rather than by third-party manufacturers, which were a significant source of revenue for the company. These third-party manufacturers turned into competitors and began sourcing graphics chips from Nvidia.<ref name=Salon>{{cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2002/05/16/nvidia2/|title=The prince of polygons|last=Turner|first=Daniel Drew|work=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|date=2002-05-16|access-date=2021-12-11|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224235252/https://www.salon.com/2002/05/16/nvidia2/|url-status=live}}</ref> This also further alienated 3dfx's remaining OEM customers, as they had a single source for 3dfx products and could not choose an OEM to provide cost flexibility. With the purchase of STB, 3dfx created two cards targeting the low-end market, the Velocity 100, which has 8 MB of [[SDRAM]], and the Velocity 200, which has 16 MB of [[SGRAM]]. The cards both used a chipset based on the Voodoo3 2000, and it was claimed that they were "underclocked".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-unveils-new-velocity-brand/1100-2450873/|title=3dfx Unveils New Velocity Brand|last=Ajami|first=Amer|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=1999-07-26|access-date=2021-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218031842/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/3dfx-unveils-new-velocity-brand/1100-2450873/|archive-date=2021-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref> However, it was revealed by testing that the Velocity 100 chipset has the same clock speed as a typical Voodoo3 2000—at 143 MHz—and that, while one of its two TMUs is disabled in OpenGL and Glide applications for memory management, it can be re-enabled to increase those applications' performance, and ''[[AnandTech]]'' found no side effects of enabling the component.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/401|title=3dfx Velocity 100|last=Andrawes|first=Mike|work=[[AnandTech]]|date=1999-10-29|access-date=2021-12-18|pages=1–3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218042331/https://www.anandtech.com/show/401|archive-date=2021-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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As 3dfx focused more on the retail graphics card space, further inroads into the OEM space were limited. A significant requirement of the OEM business was the ability to consistently produce new products on the six-month product refresh cycle the computer manufacturers required; 3dfx did not have the methodology nor the mindset to focus on this business model. In the end, 3dfx opted to be a retail distribution company manufacturing their own branded products.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
As 3dfx focused more on the retail graphics card space, further inroads into the OEM space were limited. A significant requirement of the OEM business was the ability to consistently produce new products on the six-month product refresh cycle the computer manufacturers required; 3dfx did not have the methodology nor the mindset to focus on this business model. In the end, 3dfx opted to be a retail distribution company manufacturing their own branded products.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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==== GigaPixel and insolvency ==== |
==== GigaPixel and insolvency ==== |
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{{Redirect|GigaPixel|the unit of resolution|Gigapixel}} |
{{Redirect|GigaPixel|the unit of resolution|Gigapixel}} |
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On March 28, 2000, 3dfx bought GigaPixel for US$186 million, in order to help launch its Rampage product to market quicker.<ref>{{cite web|title=3Dfx acquires graphics IP provider Gigapixel for $186 million|first=Mark|last=Hachman|date=March 28, 2000|quote=[3Dfx] will acquire Gigapixel's 40 or so engineers, which 3Dfx will integrate into its engineering workforce. In doing so, the company will address a weak point: its reliance on external design and manufacturing resources, and the time-to-market penalties the company has faced as an indirect result|url=http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1125015}} and announced its Sage geometry processor. |
On March 28, 2000, 3dfx bought GigaPixel for US$186 million, in order to help launch its Rampage product to market quicker.<ref>{{cite web|title=3Dfx acquires graphics IP provider Gigapixel for $186 million|first=Mark|last=Hachman|date=March 28, 2000|quote=[3Dfx] will acquire Gigapixel's 40 or so engineers, which 3Dfx will integrate into its engineering workforce. In doing so, the company will address a weak point: its reliance on external design and manufacturing resources, and the time-to-market penalties the company has faced as an indirect result|url=http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1125015|access-date=February 9, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126220554/https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1125015|url-status=live}} and announced its Sage geometry processor.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52560-inside-the-geforcefx-architecture/6|title=Inside the GeForceFX Architecture|first=Dave|last=Salvator|date=November 15, 2002|website=ExtremeTech|access-date=May 13, 2019|archive-date=May 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513201033/https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52560-inside-the-geforcefx-architecture/6|url-status=dead}}</ref> GigaPixel had previously almost won the contract to build [[Microsoft]]'s [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console, but lost out to Nvidia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/gigapixel-sells-following-xbox-surprise/|title=Gigapixel sells following Xbox surprise|first=Michael|last=Kanellos|date=2 January 2002|access-date=4 November 2022|publisher=[[CNET]]|archive-date=November 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104101219/https://www.cnet.com/culture/gigapixel-sells-following-xbox-surprise/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52560-inside-the-geforcefx-architecture/6|title=Inside the GeForceFX Architecture|first=Dave|last=Salvator|date=November 15, 2002|website=ExtremeTech|access-date=May 13, 2019|archive-date=May 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513201033/https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52560-inside-the-geforcefx-architecture/6|url-status=dead}}</ref> GigaPixel had previously almost won the contract to build [[Microsoft]]'s [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console, but lost out to Nvidia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/gigapixel-sells-following-xbox-surprise/|title=Gigapixel sells following Xbox surprise|first=Michael|last=Kanellos|date=2 January 2002|access-date=4 November 2022|publisher=[[CNET]]}}</ref> |
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However, in late 2000, not long after the launch of the Voodoo 4, several of 3dfx's creditors decided to initiate [[bankruptcy]] proceedings. 3dfx, as a whole, would have had virtually no chance of successfully contesting these proceedings, and instead opted to sell its assets to Nvidia, effectively ceasing to exist as a company. The resolution and legality of those arrangements (with respect to the purchase, 3dfx's creditors and its bankruptcy proceedings) were still being worked through the courts {{As of|2009|2|lc=on}}, nearly nine years after the sale. A majority of the engineering and design team working on Rampage/Sage who remained with the transition, were requested and remained in house to work on what became the [[GeForce FX]] series. Others accepted employment with ATI to bring their knowledge to the creation of the X series of video cards and the development of [[AMD CrossFireX|Crossfire]], their own version of SLI.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} |
However, in late 2000, not long after the launch of the Voodoo 4, several of 3dfx's creditors decided to initiate [[bankruptcy]] proceedings. 3dfx, as a whole, would have had virtually no chance of successfully contesting these proceedings, and instead opted to sell its assets to Nvidia, effectively ceasing to exist as a company. The resolution and legality of those arrangements (with respect to the purchase, 3dfx's creditors and its bankruptcy proceedings) were still being worked through the courts {{As of|2009|2|lc=on}}, nearly nine years after the sale. A majority of the engineering and design team working on Rampage/Sage who remained with the transition, were requested and remained in house to work on what became the [[GeForce FX]] series. Others accepted employment with ATI to bring their knowledge to the creation of the X series of video cards and the development of [[AMD CrossFireX|Crossfire]], their own version of SLI.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} |
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The prototype Spectre 1000 cards were delivered to software developers mere days before declaring insolvency. The software team developed both device drivers and a binary-compatible soft emulation of the Rampage function set. Thus, there were working Windows NT device drivers within a few days of the power on of the Rampage system on the 2nd week of December, 2000.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} At the time of Nvidia's acquisition, 3dfx had already been developing the successors to Spectre. "Fear", based on a next-generation Rampage called Fusion, and Sage2. "Mojo" would combine both into a single die, implement [[tiled rendering]], and showcase some advanced technologies from the GigaPixel acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/3dfxtribute/index.html|title=3dfx tribute: Rampage, Sage, Fear, Mojo...|publisher=IXBT Labs|date=|first=Alexander|last=Medvedev|access-date=4 November 2022}}</ref> The unreleased Spectre 1000 card, based on Rampage, would eventually be leaked and tested. Performance indicated that it would have struggled to compete with Nvidia's already-released GeForce 256, though the proposed Spectre 2000 and Spectre 3000 cards, which featured a combination of Rampage and Sage units, would have led the market until late 2002, with Nvidia's [[GeForce 4 series]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dsogaming.com/news/3dfx-cancelled-rampage-gpu-running-max-payne-unreal-tournament-3dmark-2001/|first=John|last=Papadopoulous|date=13 December 2018|access-date=4 November 2022|title=First look at 3DFX's cancelled Rampage GPU, running Max Payne, Unreal Tournament & 3DMark 2001|publisher=Dark Side of Gaming}}</ref> |
The prototype Spectre 1000 cards were delivered to software developers mere days before declaring insolvency. The software team developed both device drivers and a binary-compatible soft emulation of the Rampage function set. Thus, there were working Windows NT device drivers within a few days of the power on of the Rampage system on the 2nd week of December, 2000.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} At the time of Nvidia's acquisition, 3dfx had already been developing the successors to Spectre. "Fear", based on a next-generation Rampage called Fusion, and Sage2. "Mojo" would combine both into a single die, implement [[tiled rendering]], and showcase some advanced technologies from the GigaPixel acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/3dfxtribute/index.html|title=3dfx tribute: Rampage, Sage, Fear, Mojo...|publisher=IXBT Labs|date=|first=Alexander|last=Medvedev|access-date=4 November 2022|archive-date=November 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104101225/http://ixbtlabs.com/articles/3dfxtribute/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The unreleased Spectre 1000 card, based on Rampage, would eventually be leaked and tested. Performance indicated that it would have struggled to compete with Nvidia's already-released GeForce 256, though the proposed Spectre 2000 and Spectre 3000 cards, which featured a combination of Rampage and Sage units, would have led the market until late 2002, with Nvidia's [[GeForce 4 series]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dsogaming.com/news/3dfx-cancelled-rampage-gpu-running-max-payne-unreal-tournament-3dmark-2001/|first=John|last=Papadopoulous|date=13 December 2018|access-date=4 November 2022|title=First look at 3DFX's cancelled Rampage GPU, running Max Payne, Unreal Tournament & 3DMark 2001|publisher=Dark Side of Gaming|archive-date=November 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104101219/https://www.dsogaming.com/news/3dfx-cancelled-rampage-gpu-running-max-payne-unreal-tournament-3dmark-2001/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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After Nvidia acquired 3dfx's intellectual property, they announced that they would not provide technical support for 3dfx products. As of 2019, drivers and support are still offered by community websites.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} However, while functional, the drivers do not carry a manufacturer's backing and are considered beta software. For a limited time, Nvidia offered a program under which 3dfx owners could trade in their cards for Nvidia cards of similar performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_20011126_4364.html | publisher=Nvidia | title=3dfx Owners Can Now Trade in their Voodoo Graphics Card for a Verto Graphics Cards Featuring NVIDIA's High-Performance GPUs | date=26 November 2001 | access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> On December 15, 2000, 3dfx apologized to the customers with a final press release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.x86-secret.com/articles/divers/v5-6000/letter_to_customers.htm |title=Letter to Customers |publisher=X86-secret.com |date=2000-12-15 |access-date=2014-08-18}}</ref> In 2003, the [[source code]] for 3dfx drivers [[Source code leak|leaked]],<ref>[http://www.golem.de/0305/25378.html Treiber-Quellcode von 3dfx im Netz aufgetaucht |
After Nvidia acquired 3dfx's intellectual property, they announced that they would not provide technical support for 3dfx products. As of 2019, drivers and support are still offered by community websites.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} However, while functional, the drivers do not carry a manufacturer's backing and are considered beta software. For a limited time, Nvidia offered a program under which 3dfx owners could trade in their cards for Nvidia cards of similar performance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_20011126_4364.html | publisher=Nvidia | title=3dfx Owners Can Now Trade in their Voodoo Graphics Card for a Verto Graphics Cards Featuring NVIDIA's High-Performance GPUs | date=26 November 2001 | access-date=18 August 2014 | archive-date=March 30, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330020724/http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_20011126_4364.html | url-status=live }}</ref> On December 15, 2000, 3dfx apologized to the customers with a final press release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.x86-secret.com/articles/divers/v5-6000/letter_to_customers.htm |title=Letter to Customers |publisher=X86-secret.com |date=2000-12-15 |access-date=2014-08-18 |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603203504/http://www.x86-secret.com/articles/divers/v5-6000/letter_to_customers.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2003, the [[source code]] for 3dfx drivers [[Source code leak|leaked]],<ref>[http://www.golem.de/0305/25378.html Treiber-Quellcode von 3dfx im Netz aufgetaucht – Von Nvidia offenbar geduldet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923072136/http://www.golem.de/0305/25378.html |date=September 23, 2020 }} by Christian Klaß on Golem.de (7 May 2003, in German)</ref> resulting in [[fan-made]], updated drivers and further support.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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The 3dfx bankruptcy is in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, appeal, Docket # 11–15189. Following is a clerk's order as filed in the docket:{{blockquote|[1 May 2012]. Oral argument in this case is vacated. Oral argument and submission of this case are deferred pending resolution of In re Bellingham, No. 11-35162 (Argued and Submitted October 13, 2011). The question in In re Bellingham is whether, or in what circumstances, a bankruptcy court has jurisdiction to enter judgment on a fraudulent conveyance action.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} }} |
The 3dfx bankruptcy is in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, appeal, Docket # 11–15189. Following is a clerk's order as filed in the docket:{{blockquote|[1 May 2012]. Oral argument in this case is vacated. Oral argument and submission of this case are deferred pending resolution of In re Bellingham, No. 11-35162 (Argued and Submitted October 13, 2011). The question in In re Bellingham is whether, or in what circumstances, a bankruptcy court has jurisdiction to enter judgment on a fraudulent conveyance action.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} }} |
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The Rush had the same specifications as Voodoo Graphics, but did not perform as well because the Rush chipset had to share memory bandwidth with the CRTC of the 2D chip. Furthermore, the Rush chipset was not directly present on the PCI bus but had to be programmed through linked registers of the 2D chip. Like the Voodoo Graphics, there was no [[interrupt]] mechanism, so the driver had to poll the Rush in order to determine whether a command had completed or not; the indirection through the 2D component added significant overhead here and tended to back up traffic on the PCI interface. The typical performance hit was around 10% compared to Voodoo Graphics, and even worse in windowed mode. Later, Rush boards were released by [[Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.|Hercules]] featuring 8 [[MiB]] VRAM and a 10% higher clock speed, in an attempt to close this performance gap.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
The Rush had the same specifications as Voodoo Graphics, but did not perform as well because the Rush chipset had to share memory bandwidth with the CRTC of the 2D chip. Furthermore, the Rush chipset was not directly present on the PCI bus but had to be programmed through linked registers of the 2D chip. Like the Voodoo Graphics, there was no [[interrupt]] mechanism, so the driver had to poll the Rush in order to determine whether a command had completed or not; the indirection through the 2D component added significant overhead here and tended to back up traffic on the PCI interface. The typical performance hit was around 10% compared to Voodoo Graphics, and even worse in windowed mode. Later, Rush boards were released by [[Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.|Hercules]] featuring 8 [[MiB]] VRAM and a 10% higher clock speed, in an attempt to close this performance gap.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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Some manufacturers bundled a PC version of [[Atari Games]]' racing game ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush]]'', the arcade version of which utilised a slightly upgraded Voodoo Graphics chipset with an extra texture mapping unit and additional texture memory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=System 16 |
Some manufacturers bundled a PC version of [[Atari Games]]' racing game ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush]]'', the arcade version of which utilised a slightly upgraded Voodoo Graphics chipset with an extra texture mapping unit and additional texture memory.<ref>{{Cite web|title=System 16 – Atari Flagstaff Hardware (Atari)|url=http://system16.com/hardware.php?id=781|access-date=2022-01-25|website=system16.com|archive-date=May 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511015344/http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=781|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Sales of the Voodoo Rush cards were very poor, and the cards were discontinued within a year.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} The Voodoo Rush was 3dfx's first commercial failure.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCXL02Oct1998/page/n45|title=The Story Behind Voodoo Rush|magazine=[[PC Accelerator]]|date=October 1998|access-date=2021-12-05|volume=1|issue=2|page=44}}</ref> |
Sales of the Voodoo Rush cards were very poor, and the cards were discontinued within a year.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} The Voodoo Rush was 3dfx's first commercial failure.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCXL02Oct1998/page/n45|title=The Story Behind Voodoo Rush|magazine=[[PC Accelerator]]|date=October 1998|access-date=2021-12-05|volume=1|issue=2|page=44}}</ref> |
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Near the end of 1998, 3dfx released the '''Banshee''', which featured a lower price achieved through higher component integration, and a more complete feature-set including 2D acceleration, to target the mainstream consumer market. A single-chip solution, the Banshee was a combination of a 2D video card and partial (only one [[texture mapping unit]]) Voodoo2 3D hardware. Due to the missing second [[Texture-mapping unit|TMU]], in 3D scenes which used multiple textures per [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]], the Voodoo2 was significantly faster. However, in scenes dominated by single-textured polygons, the Banshee could match or exceed the Voodoo2 due to its higher clock speed and resulting greater pixel fillrate.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
Near the end of 1998, 3dfx released the '''Banshee''', which featured a lower price achieved through higher component integration, and a more complete feature-set including 2D acceleration, to target the mainstream consumer market. A single-chip solution, the Banshee was a combination of a 2D video card and partial (only one [[texture mapping unit]]) Voodoo2 3D hardware. Due to the missing second [[Texture-mapping unit|TMU]], in 3D scenes which used multiple textures per [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]], the Voodoo2 was significantly faster. However, in scenes dominated by single-textured polygons, the Banshee could match or exceed the Voodoo2 due to its higher clock speed and resulting greater pixel fillrate.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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Banshee's 2D acceleration was the first such hardware from 3dfx and it was very capable. It rivaled the fastest 2D cores from [[Matrox]], Nvidia, and [[ATI Technologies|ATI]]. It consisted of a 128-bit [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[graphical user interface|GUI]] engine and a 128-bit [[VESA BIOS Extensions|VESA VBE 3.0]] VGA core. The graphics chip capably accelerated [[DirectDraw]] and supported all of the Windows [[Graphics Device Interface]] (GDI) in hardware, with all 256 [[Raster graphics|raster]] operations and tertiary functions, and hardware polygon acceleration. The 2D core achieved near-theoretical maximum performance with a null driver test in [[Windows NT]].<ref>Pabst, Thomas. [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/3d-chips,83.html New 3D Chips |
Banshee's 2D acceleration was the first such hardware from 3dfx and it was very capable. It rivaled the fastest 2D cores from [[Matrox]], Nvidia, and [[ATI Technologies|ATI]]. It consisted of a 128-bit [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[graphical user interface|GUI]] engine and a 128-bit [[VESA BIOS Extensions|VESA VBE 3.0]] VGA core. The graphics chip capably accelerated [[DirectDraw]] and supported all of the Windows [[Graphics Device Interface]] (GDI) in hardware, with all 256 [[Raster graphics|raster]] operations and tertiary functions, and hardware polygon acceleration. The 2D core achieved near-theoretical maximum performance with a null driver test in [[Windows NT]].<ref>Pabst, Thomas. [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/3d-chips,83.html New 3D Chips – Banshee, G200, RIVA TNT And Savage3D] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106002223/http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/3d-chips,83.html |date=November 6, 2016 }}, Tom's Hardware, August 18, 1998.</ref><ref>[http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/3dfx/prodotti/vbanshee.htm 3dfx Specifications: Voodoo Banshee AGP/PCI] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060607235632/http://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/3dfx/prodotti/vbanshee.htm |date=June 7, 2006 }}, 3dfxzone, accessed July 26, 2006.</ref> |
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=== Voodoo3 === |
=== Voodoo3 === |
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{{Main|Voodoo3}} |
{{Main|Voodoo3}} |
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The Voodoo 3 was hyped as the graphics card that would make 3dfx the undisputed leader, but the actual product was below expectations. Though it was still the fastest as it edged the [[RIVA TNT2]] by a small margin, the Voodoo3 lacked 32-bit color and large texture support. Though at that time few games supported large textures and 32-bit color, and those that did generally were too demanding to be run at playable framerates, the features "32-bit color support" and "2048×2048 textures" were much more impressive on paper than 16-bit color and 256×256 texture support.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-045-2000-02/page/n101|title=3dfx Bites Back With Voodoo 4/5|last=Norton-Smith|first=Hugh|magazine=[[PC PowerPlay]]|date=February 2000|access-date=2021-12-11|issue=45|page=102}}</ref> The Voodoo3 sold relatively well,<ref>{{cite news | |
The Voodoo 3 was hyped as the graphics card that would make 3dfx the undisputed leader, but the actual product was below expectations. Though it was still the fastest as it edged the [[RIVA TNT2]] by a small margin, the Voodoo3 lacked 32-bit color and large texture support. Though at that time few games supported large textures and 32-bit color, and those that did generally were too demanding to be run at playable framerates, the features "32-bit color support" and "2048×2048 textures" were much more impressive on paper than 16-bit color and 256×256 texture support.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-045-2000-02/page/n101|title=3dfx Bites Back With Voodoo 4/5|last=Norton-Smith|first=Hugh|magazine=[[PC PowerPlay]]|date=February 2000|access-date=2021-12-11|issue=45|page=102}}</ref> The Voodoo3 sold relatively well,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/1999-10-27/3dfx-voodoo3-cards-dominate-charts-again-as-hottest-selling | title=3Dfx Voodoo3 Cards Dominate Charts Again as Hottest Selling | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=October 27, 1999 | access-date=June 12, 2022 | archive-date=November 13, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113205402/https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/1999-10-27/3dfx-voodoo3-cards-dominate-charts-again-as-hottest-selling | url-status=live }}</ref> but was disappointing compared to the first two models and 3dfx lost the market leadership to Nvidia.<ref name=Salon/> |
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As 3dfx attempted to counter the TNT2 threat, it was surprised by Nvidia's [[GeForce 256]]. The GeForce was a single-chip processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle setup/clipping (hardware T&L), and rendering engines, giving it a significant performance advantage over the Voodoo3. The 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 PCI was the highest-performance 2D/3D card available for the Apple Macintosh at the time of its release, though support from 3dfx was labeled as 'beta' and required a firmware reflash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mac3dfx.com/voodoo_three.html|title=Review: 3Dfx Mac Voodoo3 2000|publisher=Mac3dfx.com|access-date=2015-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118153309/http://www.mac3dfx.com/voodoo_three.html|archive-date=2012-01-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> As game developers switched to [[DirectX]] and [[OpenGL]], which respectively had become the industry standard and were becoming increasingly popular, 3dfx released its Glide API under the [[General Public License]] on December 6, 1999.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.3dfx.com/comp/press/rel-dec06.html|title=3dfx Open Sources Glide API And Releases Hardware Specifications|publisher=3dfx|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303174313/http://www.3dfx.com/comp/press/rel-dec06.html|archive-date=2000-03-03|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/sezero/glide/blob/glide-devel-sezero/LICENSE|title=3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License|work=[[GitHub]]|publisher=3dfx|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-04}}</ref><ref name=GS-Glide/> |
As 3dfx attempted to counter the TNT2 threat, it was surprised by Nvidia's [[GeForce 256]]. The GeForce was a single-chip processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle setup/clipping (hardware T&L), and rendering engines, giving it a significant performance advantage over the Voodoo3. The 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 PCI was the highest-performance 2D/3D card available for the Apple Macintosh at the time of its release, though support from 3dfx was labeled as 'beta' and required a firmware reflash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mac3dfx.com/voodoo_three.html|title=Review: 3Dfx Mac Voodoo3 2000|publisher=Mac3dfx.com|access-date=2015-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118153309/http://www.mac3dfx.com/voodoo_three.html|archive-date=2012-01-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> As game developers switched to [[DirectX]] and [[OpenGL]], which respectively had become the industry standard and were becoming increasingly popular, 3dfx released its Glide API under the [[General Public License]] on December 6, 1999.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.3dfx.com/comp/press/rel-dec06.html|title=3dfx Open Sources Glide API And Releases Hardware Specifications|publisher=3dfx|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303174313/http://www.3dfx.com/comp/press/rel-dec06.html|archive-date=2000-03-03|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/sezero/glide/blob/glide-devel-sezero/LICENSE|title=3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License|work=[[GitHub]]|publisher=3dfx|date=1999-12-06|access-date=2021-12-04|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205083752/https://github.com/sezero/glide/blob/glide-devel-sezero/LICENSE|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=GS-Glide/> |
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=== Voodoo 4 & 5 === |
=== Voodoo 4 & 5 === |
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The Voodoo 5 5000, which had 32 MB of VRAM to the 5500's 64 MB, was never launched, as the smaller [[frame buffer]] did not significantly reduce cost over the Voodoo 5 5500.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
The Voodoo 5 5000, which had 32 MB of VRAM to the 5500's 64 MB, was never launched, as the smaller [[frame buffer]] did not significantly reduce cost over the Voodoo 5 5500.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
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The only other member of the Voodoo 5 line, the Voodoo 4 4500, was as much of a disaster as Voodoo Rush, because it had performance well short of its value-oriented peers combined with a late launch. Voodoo 4 was beaten in almost all areas by the [[GeForce 2]] MX—a low-cost board sold mostly as an OEM part for computer manufacturers—and the [[Radeon R100|Radeon VE]].<ref>Lal Shimpi, Anand. [http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1340 3dfx Voodoo4 4500AGP], Anandtech, October 23, 2000.</ref> |
The only other member of the Voodoo 5 line, the Voodoo 4 4500, was as much of a disaster as Voodoo Rush, because it had performance well short of its value-oriented peers combined with a late launch. Voodoo 4 was beaten in almost all areas by the [[GeForce 2]] MX—a low-cost board sold mostly as an OEM part for computer manufacturers—and the [[Radeon R100|Radeon VE]].<ref>Lal Shimpi, Anand. [http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1340 3dfx Voodoo4 4500AGP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519235719/http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1340 |date=May 19, 2007 }}, Anandtech, October 23, 2000.</ref> |
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One unusual trait of the Voodoo 4 and 5 was that the Macintosh versions of these cards had both VGA and DVI output jacks, whereas the PC versions had only the VGA connector. Also, the Mac versions of the Voodoo 4 and 5 had a weakness in that they did not support hardware-based MPEG2 decode acceleration, which hindered the playback of DVDs on a Mac equipped with a Voodoo graphics card.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |
One unusual trait of the Voodoo 4 and 5 was that the Macintosh versions of these cards had both VGA and DVI output jacks, whereas the PC versions had only the VGA connector. Also, the Mac versions of the Voodoo 4 and 5 had a weakness in that they did not support hardware-based MPEG2 decode acceleration, which hindered the playback of DVDs on a Mac equipped with a Voodoo graphics card.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} |