Mediator gfx card advice

Hey guys,

this weekend I am going to setup an A4000 with Mediator. I have a compatible sound card, network card, usb card (Spider) and TWO graphics cards.

I can only install ONE gfx card as it needs to fit within an a4000 case, so I need to find out which is the best choice to install.

The two cards are:

Voodoo 3 3000 16mb
Radeon 9200 64mb (Elbox version modified for Mediator)

I know the Voodoo 3 has Warp3d, but the Radeon has 4 times the memory and is faster.

What other pros and cons are there? Which card would you install?

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Voodoo 3 = less trouble to setup with Mediator + 3dfx geek sexy effect

Radeon 9200 = faster + RAM usable with new pci.library

@abraXXious

Hi m8,

If you need more RAM or wide resolutions, I think the best is to use Radeon boards. But, as Xanxi saids, cross fingers.... I don't know for what, but in some A4K's Radeons works fine and in others not (same configs of Hard&Soft). :blink:

In the other side the Voodoo's family 3000, 4500 & 5500 are simple to install & works great. For me 1024x768 32 bit is enough, but maybe you need more?.

I tested my Voodoo3 3000 at 1600x900 32bit, and works. But I think the Voodoo´s hard is not really designed for wide screens (depending your monitor, maybe is good displayed, maybe not). So the best -for me- is to use Voodoo's at 4:3 aspect ratio.

Best wishes

Hi Merlinkv. I definitely do not need more ram - I have 128 + 128 + 16 mb fast already!

1366 x 768 - wide screen lcd would be nice in 24 bit, but Im sure the Voodoo will do that - it has 16mb ram after all.

I guess what Im chasing is a combination of speed and ease of use. How well does Warp3D work with the Voodoo? Does it make games like Quake playable on a good 060?

Quake is already nicely playbale on AGA with an 060. Should fly with a Voodoo.

What are you doing to do with the Spider board by the way? I have a Spider 2 and it is more like a doorstop as it can't be registered with Poseidon. Do you have an old key?

Hi m8,

1366x768 is a nice resolution. Maybe not displayed well by the 3Dfx chipset and you need to setup manually at the menu's monitor (position, dimension, etc.).

I read some fitzsteve's posts and I think the best for Quake is 1024x768 16 bit.

I will try to play this evening and make some tests. :thumbsup:

Other thing I want to test http://amibay.com/showthread.php?t=12461 is to use Radeon & Voodoo in the same system. But I think this will be difficult to setup for me because I have also PicassoIV installed. :whistle:

In anyway, I'm very happy with my PIV-Voodoo combination. Take a look here http://amibay.com/showthread.php?t=12185 at post #19

Best wishes

Hi Xanxi,

hmmm, I was under the impression that there is a usb stack on the Elbox Multimedia cd - why would Elbox actually sell the Spider 2 (they still sell it) if it cannot actually be used?!

@abraXXious

USB stack from Elbox, don't include the "key" to put the Spider in a working state. :thumbsdown: Lot of times I emailed Elbox about this crazy situation..... no answers..... :mad:

Only old Poseidon versions with one key can be work. If not.... you have a nice doorstop, like Xanxi saids.

Best USB board for Zorro Amigas is DENEB, not cheap, but really great. :thumbsup:

Already have a Deneb in my other miggy - 'tis a great piece of hardware.

So, I need to find an old version of Poseidon to use the Spider? Do you know which version and where I can get it?

@abraXXiuos

I don't have any old version & don't know where is possible to buy, sorry. But best thing is to open a "Wanted Thread" here at AmiBay

I advise you is really hard to find and are "personalized" keys, like the WHDload ones.

If I don't remember bad, you need a version under 4.0

Best wishes