3Dfx Voodoo4 graphics processor gets wild laptop upgrade 24 years later
A Dell laptop from 2013 gets stuffed with a desktop graphics card from 2000
The VoodooX 3Dfx project tries to revive the legend of early 3D graphics cards for PC
The card is now assembled, and games are running through digital output interfaces
The History of the Modern Graphics Processor
3D graphics transformed a somewhat dull PC industry into a spectacle of light and magic after generations of innovative endeavor. TechSpot's look at the history of the GPU goes from the early days of 3D, to game-changing hardware and beyond.
Unreleased 3Dfx Voodoo 5 6000 hits eBay, already bid beyond $12K
An absolute legend
Recap: 3Dfx was a pioneer in personal computer graphics. The San Jose-based company got its start in the mid-90s making hardware for arcade machines before turning its attention to personal computers and plotting a new course for PC games with its powerful Voodoo chipsets.
Rendition: Gone But Not Forgotten
Thirty years ago, PC gamers could choose GPUs from over 10 different makers. The fascinating story of Rendition is one of engineering brilliance and lost opportunities from the golden age of graphics. Plus, some easter egg content about TechSpot's history and how it all relates.
How many GPUs did a 3Dfx Voodoo2 have?
Take the trivia quiz, then stroll down memory lane with our nostalgia feature on 3Dfx
This enthusiast-made retro graphics card features a Voodoo 3 and PowerVR GPU on a single board
Revisit those 3Dfx Glide classics with 'modern' hardware
A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Best 3Dfx Glide Games
#ThrowbackThursday Having a specialized 3D API was arguably both the highlight and the downfall for pioneer 3Dfx. The Glide API combined with Voodoo hardware truly enhanced the gaming experience. If you are old enough, odds are you owned a 3Dfx card and played some of these games. Let us take you a trip down memory lane and remember some of the best.
The History of the Modern Graphics Processor, Part 3: The Nvidia vs. ATI era begins
With the turn of the century the graphics industry bore witness to further consolidation. Where 3dfx was once a byword for raw performance, its strengths before its dismissal laid in its full screen antialiasing image quality. By the time 2001 dawned, the PC graphics market consisted of a discrete card duopoly (Nvidia and ATI), with both of them in addition to Intel supplying the vast majority of integrated graphics chipsets.
Prior to the Voodoo 5's arrival, ATI had announced the Radeon DDR as "the most powerful graphics processor ever designed for desktop PCs." Previews of the card had already gone public on April 25, and only twenty-four hours later Nvidia countered with the announcement of the GeForce 2 GTS (GigaTexel Shader).
The History of the Modern Graphics Processor, Part 2: 3Dfx Voodoo, the game-changer
Launched on November 1996, 3Dfx's Voodoo graphics consisted of a 3D-only card that required a VGA cable pass-through from a separate 2D card to the Voodoo, which then connected to the display. Voodoo Graphics revolutionized personal computer graphics nearly overnight and rendered many other designs obsolete, including a vast swathe of 2D-only graphics producers.
The 3D landscape in 1996 favoured S3 with around 50% of the market. That was to change soon, however. It was estimated that 3Dfx accounted for 80-85% of the 3D accelerator market during the heyday of Voodoo's reign. Later on Nvidia would revive with the RIVA series and eventually land their greatest success with the first GeForce graphics card.