|
|
|
Next on the agenda was a sneak preview of Diamond's Voodoo Banshee product, which I really can't say a single thing about- other than that I'll put up a sneak preview this week. Sorry if I'm being general (but bear with me and that NDA). Once again some of you may smirk at the Voodoo Banshee, what with only a single TMU but I guess the same can be said of this chipset as of the TNT. The Voodoo Banshee is not going to be a Hardcore Quake2 buffs card either. Don't expect the Voodoo Banshee to scorch out a couple of Voodoo2's. The advantages to be had will be in terms of low-cost versus performance gains and in Direct X6.0. A Voodoo Banshee wont quite clock up the same Timedemo scores as a couple of Voodoo2's but then again at only a quarter of the price of a pair of Voodoo2's, it won't exactly be a slouch either. The odd thing for me is associating 3Dfx, let's face it, historically a 'cutting edge' and innovative 3D chip company, with a new' chipset, which in many senses is a slight step back being a cut-down version of the Voodoo2. Yes so 3Dfx decided that ATI, S3, nVidia, PowerVR, Matrox et .al weren't on a different plane after all. They were making money! Lot's of it. And so will 3Dfx now too I guess by entering the mid-range market. Still the first Banshee will purely lay the foundations for a whole family of Voodoo Banshee products from 3Dfx and we can expect a whole lot more in terms of innovation the next time around. One thing seems likely the Voodoo2 should be the last 3D only board 3Dfx will let loose. If I remember rightly- Scott Sellers of 3Dfx told Tom and I in a Limo full of drunk people (me included) at the EIDOS party during E3. Like I was saying it was dark and crowded in that Limo and add to the fact that I'd consumed some prime Russian Vodka and what I thought I heard may well have come out all wrong.
But back to Diamond: what Diamond are striving for, is to make sure that anyone who hasn't opted for a Voodoo2 as yet jumps aboard the 3D Voodoo train with a Voodoo Banshee instead. The typical end-user if you like. And with an expected low cost, the Voodoo Banshee product from Diamond should become the perfect medium for part-time and first-time gamers buying a 3D card. And need I forget the 2D part? Well yes we all know that it totally kicks ass and that 3Dfx might well start an annexe called 2Dfx but my Duke Nukem' Days are over (Or at least until Duke Nukem' Forever comes out anyway). Thus accelerating 2D games bears no real interest for me- but it might for some of you, as will the sharp Window performance.
|
 |
|