Which graphic card for A1200

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smaug

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Hi,
Ive got an A1200 in a tower with BlizzPPC, Mediator and Voodoo3
I also got a BVision in a box.

I need advice regarding which graphics card I should go for and use?

Picasso96 (Voodoo3) or Cybergrapx4 (BVision)

Which one is the most versatile to use?

/Mikael
 
I always liked CGX4.0 better than picasso96 and it's weird configuration so I always made a point to use it when I had such hardware 20 years ago
the real question is which would be faster : it would not surprise me that the BVISION would work faster than a mediator+voodoo3
so time to make some benchmarks and tests :D
 
Is there any advantage to using a discrete graphics card over using a PiStorm? I have zero clues about this, I have the PiStorm but I have never tried a discrete graphics card. Is there still the problem of some graphics output on the port that is on the card and some graphics output still coming from the Amiga onboard video output?
 
Aeberbach said:
Is there any advantage to using a discrete graphics card over using a PiStorm? I have zero clues about this, I have the PiStorm but I have never tried a discrete graphics card. Is there still the problem of some graphics output on the port that is on the card and some graphics output still coming from the Amiga onboard video output?
Click to expand...
Not everyone wants to use emu68 I guess.
Your question is the same as "why using Amiga hardware instead of winuae (cheaper and faster)".
It's the user choice I think.
 
I'm most interested to know if the dual video port thing is a PiStorm issue, I understand not emulating is a reasonable choice many make.
 
Aeberbach said:
Is there still the problem of some graphics output on the port that is on the card and some graphics output still coming from the Amiga onboard video output?
Click to expand...
This is true with every Amiga gfx card (Zorro/PCI/any other) - eg SysInfo always output on Amiga native video. Bootmenu also. That's why scandoublers exists.
 
For the Mediator setup use the Voodoo 3 PCI it has more VRAM and better for 3D applications than the BVISION, however you must setup the Mediator drivers with MMU = yes for Warp3D to work and take advantage of 16mb VRAM.

I'd keep the BVISION in case you want to install the BPPC into a wedge A1200 at some point, they're getting harder to find now, especially working.
 
I agree that the Bvision/CGX4 is the better overall for compatibility but since you have the Mediator you need a PCI graphics card to take advantage of other PCI cards anyway and it would be Picasso 96 on the Mediator, if setup correctly Mediator/Voodoo/PPC combination does work well with nearly all Warp3D/PPC applications.
 
keropi said:
I always liked CGX4.0 better than picasso96 and it's weird configuration so I always made a point to use it when I had such hardware 20 years ago
the real question is which would be faster : it would not surprise me that the BVISION would work faster than a mediator+voodoo3
so time to make some benchmarks and tests :D
Click to expand...
Mediator/Voodoo 3 is faster for Warp3D stuff due to the Voodoo outperforming the Permedia 2. The Mediator does have a nasty bottleneck for non 3D applications so I bet the Bvision setup is faster for software rendering situations.
 
Here's some comparison from back in the day:

Quake 2 BPPC 240mhz/BVision



Quake 2 BPPC 240mhz Mediator/Voodoo 5



The best setup, A1200 BPPC/GREX PCI/Voodoo 3 (I really miss this!)

 
Aeberbach said:
I'm most interested to know if the dual video port thing is a PiStorm issue, I understand not emulating is a reasonable choice many make.
Click to expand...
I (And I think FitzSteve) have both tried Pistorm32 with Mediator setup’s. My findings were that EMU68 has moved on that much, that the latest versions stopped the 2 (The Meditor and Pi) from working correctly 🤔😔 Down to lack of MMU support?

Anyways, mediator and Voodoo cards are the only cards on Amiga OS 3x to support Warp3D. As far as I am aware PiStorm and EMU68 has no provision via its RTG function to support Warp3D hardware. I believe you can use something called Wazp3D, but this s software rendered only.
 
smaug said:
Hi,
Ive got an A1200 in a tower with BlizzPPC, Mediator and Voodoo3
I also got a BVision in a box.

I need advice regarding which graphics card I should go for and use?

Picasso96 (Voodoo3) or Cybergrapx4 (BVision)

Which one is the most versatile to use?

/Mikael
Click to expand...

Just to add here. Don’t try to install both P96 and Cybergraphx as they don’t play nice with each other. Both the Voodoo and Bvision (CVision on Cyberstorm MK3 + PPC cards) can utilise P96. Nothing stopping you from installing both if you want. But also believe that the Bvision can cause slow down to PCI cards.
 
Warp3D works fine with Bvision/CGX4 but I don't think it works with Picasso 96/Bvision as the driver was supplied by Elbox

Edit.

Yeah I've got a PiStorm 32 in my A1200T now in place of the Blizzard, it works with the Mediator (see my project thread) using and old version of Emu68, I've not tried to update it but Warp3D does not work as it needs MMU support which the PiStorm doesn't have currently, for this reason I'm using a Radeon instead of a Voodoo now, more VRAM and runs cooler, can also add Radeon Ram to the system as FastRam
 
Last edited:
fitzsteve said:
Warp3D works fine with Bvision/CGX4 but I don't think it works with Picasso 96/Bvision as the driver was supplied by Elbox
Click to expand...

It does. You have to use the Mediator version off the MMCD CD which hasn’t been updated. But according to Elbox is version 4.2B

Elbox: Downloads

Visit www.elbox.com for the latest products for 68k/ColdFire/PowerPC Amiga computers.
www.elbox.com

Have this running on my Mediators with Voodoo 3 RTG using Icomp nd the older Aminet releases.
 
Boing-ball said:
It does. You have to use the Mediator version off the MMCD CD which hasn’t been updated. But according to Elbox is version 4.2B

Elbox: Downloads

Visit www.elbox.com for the latest products for 68k/ColdFire/PowerPC Amiga computers.
www.elbox.com

Have this running on my Mediators with Voodoo 3 RTG using Icomp nd the older Aminet releases.
Click to expand...
You misunderstood, I mean if you use a Bvision with Picasso 96 Warp3D likely will not work. Of course Warp3D is working with Voodoo PCI on Mediator (from the MMCD)
 
fitzsteve said:
I'm pretty sure that needs to be used with CGX4 and not Picasso 96 though, I've not heard of anyone running Warp3D with Bvision/P96
Click to expand...

Ahhh… Yes. Now you come to mention it… I had some OS3.9 builds with CGX V4 and Bvision with BPPC. Oh well… 👍🏻
 
Incidentally my Grex setup ran CGX4/Warp3D same as the Bvision but with Voodoo 3 PCI
 
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