To Voodoo2 or Not to Voodoo2
Tim Willy

                    Hello, my name is Tim Willy. Some of you may have heard of me and my 3D
                card crisis. I am doing this article to help prove that you don't have to
                get a voodoo2 for the GCS. In fact, I hope this explains my point why I
                am not getting a Voodoo2 or Voodoo Banshee card. Here it goes.
                Now that we have 3D card support for the GCSWRE, I decided to pick one
                up. I know most of you would blurt out, Voodoo2 when it comes to cards. I
                know it is great, but as of this moment, I only need a card that will
                give me 3D acceleration, not take it to the next level. Just something
                that gives me the fancy Z buffering, mipmapping and all the other 3D
                buzzwords. I don't have a real budget for these kind of things. Plus I
                have a nice processor which really helps. At the time being, I have a AMD
                300 Mhz. I happened to grab one for $65. This has help the GCS alot. I am
                getting about 10 to 20 fps in 640x480. Now some of you would say, that's
                good, but I want better. I want something that will at least give me
                40fps. That would be great. That would work for me. I don't need 60fps
                coming down the pike with a Voodoo2 card. I need something that will work
                just fine. I choose the Star Fighter PCI 12meg card. From an early letter
                from Stephen, he told me that I would be kicking myself if I got that
                card. Not to be crude, but he is right, I would be kicking myself for not
                having enough money to get a voodoo2. It took me two to four months to
                scrap together enough for the GCSWRE. I can't do the same here. I need 3D
                acceleration now, with the next expansion from them. Plus, someone is
                going to buy my 4meg card for $20 bucks, plus the fact that it cost me 75
                for the card alone. That's $55 total for me. Now, would it make sense to
                buy a card that cost an upward of 120 when I can get a combo card for
                $55. I don't think so, and plus, if I ever get a better job, I can always
                add on that Voodoo2 card that would take me to the next height. It's worth
                the money I am paying. I get great 2d and good 3D. With a Voodoo2, I only
                get great 3D and no 2d. I would rather have this, than nothing at all. If
                you are in the same predicament I am, would you do the same. I bet that
                $55 you would. Would you wait around for prices to go down, I bet you
                would, but the Voodoo2 isn't going to get any cheaper until May or June,
                then you should start seeing $75 for a Voodoo2. That is when I will
                probably get one, but for right now, another card that can actually do
                both 2d/3d is just fine for me and my budget. If you have the cash you
                can't go wrong with a Voodoo2, no matter what brand, but with me, I
                wouldn't be able to.

 
                      Now, you don't have to get a voodoo2 card. As long as it accelerates
                Direct X games, you will be fine. The next best thing to getting a combo
                would be Nvidia 128 card. It provides great Direct X acceleration and is
                very fast. Although I know that would limit the games you could play on
                acceleration, I think it supports OpenGL, but then again it might not
                have great support for it and I bet you want to play some of the
                OpenGL/Glide games out there. If that's the case, you can pick up a
                Voodoo card for around 65. If I had another 2D card I would have done
                that. Don't bet your bucks with S3 or Trident, they are both very bad at
                it and 3D games would play better unaccelerated than accelerated. I
                have seen a Trident card slow Quake to 5FPS when that same machine
                without acceleration plays at 30fps. That is horrible.
                Have fun and just remember, it doesn't have to always be a Voodoo2, you
                have choices here. Just be careful though.

                -Tim- (SoulMan)