3dfx Voodoo3 3000 PCI 2D/3D Graphics Accelerator

• 350 MHz RAMDAC
• Supports Glide API
• PCI interface
• Displays 7 million triangles per second
• DVD Hardware Assist

We were a little disappointed when we opened the box, as the Voodoo3 3000 comes with no software bundle. A voucher is included for a software DVD decoder, but it would be much better if 3dfx just included the software with the device. It is immediately obvious upon looking at the card that few extra features are supported, as there are no TV input or output jacks. It's a graphics card, plain and simple.

The first thing you'll notice after installing this card and booting up a game is its speed. We tested it with over 15 popular 3-D games, from flight simulators like Jane's USAF to first-person shooters like Unreal Tournament. The results were universally impressive, with games running smooth as glass at all but the highest resolutions. The Voodoo3 3000 works particularly well with games that use 3Dfx's Glide API, like Unreal Tournament. We were used to running that game with a RIVA TNT card at a resolution of 1,024 x 768, with both the detail settings at medium. We witnessed much smoother performance from the Voodoo3 3000 at this resolution with the detail settings at high.

The caveat to all this speed is that it comes at the expense of maximum color depth. While the Voodoo3 3000 supports 32-bit color for normal 2-D acceleration (like working in Windows), it only goes as high as 16-bit for 3D-accelerated programs. This is not a big problem when it comes to games released in the last year or so, but more titles today are optimized for 32-bit color, and it's a shame this card can't handle it. It is obvious 3dfx focused on fast frame rates over all other considerations, but the fact that 3dfx's newer video card designs incorporate 32-bit color for 3-D proves the company has seen the errors of its ways.

Two other potential drawbacks had less of a performance impact than we expected. The first is that this card supports only 16 MB of video memory. Most other cards on the market ship with 32 MB, making this seem a little skimpy. In practice, you'll have nothing to worry about. Windows performance is excellent, as the card supports 24-bit color at a maximum resolution of 2,046 x 1,536 and a refresh rate of 75 Hz. These numbers represent pure overkill for any monitor smaller than 24 inches, so users with 17-inch or 19-inch displays should have no complaints about Windows performance. Since only 16-bit color is supported in 3-D mode, the 16 MB of RAM is adequate to push enormous numbers of pixels at resolutions and refresh rates that should satisfy any gamer with a 17-inch or smaller monitor. Those of you with 19-inch or larger monitors may want to look elsewhere for a gaming card that will extract maximum performance from your display.

The other reason buyers may hesitate to buy this card is that it's a PCI device. With so many computers shipping with AGP support, it makes little sense to buy a video card that uses a slower interface technology. Frankly, we didn't notice any difference. We've tested dozens of AGP cards with 16 MB of RAM, and the PCI version of the Voodoo3 3000 was able to best many of them--at least in 16-bit color. The good news is that this product is available in an AGP version, so you don't have to compromise if it really troubles you. The only real benefit we can see in using the AGP version of this card is that it will free up a PCI slot, which you can use for other devices.

Overall, if you have a 17-inch monitor and high 3-D color depths are not important, the Voodoo3 3000 PCI is a smooth operator that can really make your games come to life. If you are looking for the ultimate video card, or a card with extra features like TV output, take a pass--and prepare to shell out two to three times the amount of cash you'd spend on this product.

Pros:

• Smooth performance
• Glide compatibility
• Great Windows performance, considering memory limitations

Cons:

• No 24- or 32-bit color in 3-D
• Only 16 MB of video RAM
• No software bundle