Форумы Modlabs.net: Oscar's 3dfx Museum Online Project based on Lab Cards - Форумы Modlabs.net

3dfx Museum Online Project based on Lab Cards was prepared by our friend - Oscar, during almost 10 years of hard work: searching, collecting and repairing.
Please, leave comments only in english.

Where we can see the Oscar works, In this topic, or in a separate site section?

Wait a minute. Oscar will post it here.

Thanks Igor for opening this thread for my project.

During more than 10 years I have been collecting 3Dfx cards. First started with commercial cards but later I decided only collect 3Dfx prototype cards. I sold all my commercial cards and I started my search.

The last 5 years or so I have been in contact with a lot of engineers and workers from 3Dfx. Is hard to contact them but once I find one person, this person drives your another person and so on...

It has not been easy. Some deals have needed more than 4-5 years for being closed but who said to collect 3Dfx cards is an easy hobby... Patience is always needed.

I knew was difficult to find such HW because a lot of employees feel a very big admiration for 3Dfx company and their cards are the last thing they keep of the '3Dfx era'. They keep them for nostalgia and are proud to be a ex-3Dfx'er.
In my search I found engineers threw (dumpster recycling HW) their cards years ago (included a lot of V5-6000s and tons of reference and lab cards). Yupe, I contacted them some some years late...

I think arrived the moment to share all what I purchased during all this years.

I wanted to open this trhead 15 of December. A sad day for 3Dfx fan but for time reason I could not.

So I start some day later. I will try to open my 3Dfx Museum Lab project asap but I need some time for adding and build it and add info in www.3Dfx.es

I will go posting each day some pictures and I will answer all the questions people have.

I wanted to start this thread with my Queens

#1 RAMPAGE #B003, #B006 & #B009 + ORIGINAL DONGLE & REBUILD DONGLE


Yes, I got newRAMPAGE #B006 + ORIGINAL DONGLE


Find my first Voodoo1 prototype has been really hard. This card came in only few weeks ago. It looks amazing with black backplate and 3Dfx hologram and with a white siticker with 5 TMU in red.

#2
SST-1
REV.1 DATE CODE 1596
5 TMU WHITE STICKER.
MY FIRST SST1 PROTOTYPE BOARD.


SST-96 EVOLUTION:
The first picture is from an early Voodoo Rush dated of July 1996. It is a pure prototype with some reworks and wires on back of the card. It comes from 3Dfx Lab with internal notes from Engineer to Lab manager.


#3
AT/3D REV.A DATE CODE 2996
PRE-PRODUCTION BOARD.
REWORKS BACK CARD
MEMORY TEST SOCKET
NICE ETAGs WITH GOOD INFO.


#3A
REV.A - 15/97
ALIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.



#3B
REV.A - 17/97
HERCULES



I think for today is more than enough. Tomorrow more.

Regards,
Oscar.

osckhar
It's FANTASTIC! I first time see three Rampage cards together =))) Very interesting foto
First question: In your opinion how much Rampage prototypes exists in the world?
I heared that 5, may be more years ago one of this prototypes was sold for 5kEuro on Ebay? Is it real? And now what is the market or auction cost of one of these prototypes?

max1024 (17 Декабрь 2014 - 20:05) писал:

Hi,

There were a batch 10 samples REV.A0 PCB 4600 They had a lot of bugs in the desing. Only 2 samples were functionals and dead later 2 weeks. Fastly built a new batch 20 samples REV.A1 PCB 4700 where all the bugs were fixed. 10 samples with test socket and 10 with chip soldedered onto card.

Actually there are:
1 - RAMPAGE TEST SOCKET A0
4 - RAMPAGE TEST SOCKET A1
2 - RAMPAGE CHIP SOLDERED ONTO CARD A1

Never any Rampage card was sold on ebay. Last Rampage sold between 3Dfx collectors reached a price 10K Euros many years ago.

Regards,
Oscar.

Waiting for new interesting fotos Oscar =)

SST-2 FAMILY
I guess there are a lot of V2-2000 fans and I am 99'99% sure it will be the first time someone see a prototype V2-2000 AGP. Yupe, AGP and not PCI format.

#4
SST-2
DATE CODE 1098
VOODOO2 AGP 4440



#4A
SST-2 EVOLUTION - Yes, I love V2 CARDS.
DATE CODE 1898 - 4440
DATE CODE 1098 - 4440
DATE CODE 0898 - 4220
DATE CODE 0698 - 4440
DATE CODE 0598 - 4440



Regards,
Oscar.

V2 looks fantastic!

I think it is thanks LUMIA 1020.

V2 and V5 my favourite cards )) There is only one V2 AGP version - Quantum 3D Obsidian 2 AGP. Oscar, does your AGP V2 card works? Next, what about perfomance between agp & PCI in %? And the last one, I see on AGP version sli connector, do you have a pair of v2agp, and can they play in SLi?

Hello,

Цитата

In games or bench when bandwidth is needed alwasy agp version will be much faster, 66MHz vs 33MHz always win 66MHz. If bandwidth is not needed then AGP version perform little better than PCI version.

Nope, I only own one AGP version.

I think the idea from 3Dfx is mixed ang agp and pci version sine a standar motherboard does not use 2 agp ports.

----------

Today I will start for Banshee prototype cards. I always found Banshee an amazing and interesting card. Here I will be some days uploanding pictures.
I love so much engineering tags used in Banshee cards but also in other prototypes 3Dfx cards.

My idea is always find his partner. Normally I got it, but sometimes is not possible. I think the PCI version will be the first time some people see it. Normally the AGP version was sent for reviewer but not the PCI format.

#5
AGP - DATE CODE 2498 - ASSY 600-0033-03
PCI - DATE CODE 2498 - ASSY 600-0034-04



Regards,
Oscar.

Wow, Oscar, they a very nice. But i prefer Voodoo 2 ))

My favourite card are V3 Reference board and Daytonas. Of course later of V5-6000s cards.

Regards,
Oscar.

And I love first revisions of Voodoo 5 6000, Intel bridge is much more beautiful than HiNT.

Today BONUS TRACK.

DAY #5
V5-6000 PROTOTYPE BOX

This prototype was cancelled for 6k and later used on V5-5500 AGP. They removed the ports in his cheek since ports would look like bullet holes.



Regards,
Oscar.

woooow. You have a real box???? Where did you get it???

Yes, I own the real box. More than 1 year an half for convince seller to part with. Finally he agreed. It belonged 3Dfx's employee. Yupe, it looks amazing.

- Oscar.

Цитата

Great! Oscar show us photo of another side.

Today I will show you something that few people know and only people who worked in Rampage Chip at 3Dfx.

One of the real Voodoo secrets: Every Voodoo Rampage had a small unused region on the die where we had enough room to paint the initials of everyone who worked on the chip and a tiny image tyranasoras (sp) Rex. The Rampage chip I own has been “decapped” so you can see these things clearly under a microscope.

DAY #7
RAMPAGE CHIP OPEN DIE


RAMPAGE CHIP OPEN DIE (UNDER MICROSCOPE)


TREX WITH INITIAL PEOPLE WHO WORKED IN RAMPAGE.