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A Look at 2D/3D
Graphics Solutions Many, many years ago, 2D graphics ruled, nobody knew what 3D was, and Atari was the "in" thing. Since then, times have vastly changed. No longer does good 2D ensure the success of a graphics accelerator; now, it is a necessity to have all of the latest 3D functions and buzz-words incorporated to avoid following the path of obsolescence. Over the years, 3D has become more than hype. No longer is it thought of as "just a passing fad"; it is now a reality. However, good 3D requires more money than most people have. And if the person is needing a 2D card, the 3D accelerator, in most cases, will be put on an indefinite hold. |
This opens us op to the next generation of consumer level cards. Designed more for the cost conscious buyer, these pioneers are delivering some of the most stunning visuals, breathtaking speed, and blazing performance ever witnessed in an all-round graphics solution. Before we get started with the next generation of graphics, it is best to become aquainted with the now dead, or dying solutions that, while offering decent capabilities, had some very evident deficiencies.
Probably the first real eye-catching 2D/3D accelerator was the nVidia Riva 128. When first released, it quickly became a must have for any graphics enthusiast. This card was one of the fastest of it's time, offering excellent performance in both the 2D and 3D arenas. However, the image quality of Riva 128 was its one weak point. Many times, the card was ridiculed for its lack luster visual quality. Now, the Riva is still a popular card, but is seeing its last days as a viable purchasing option.
Another excellent board that comes to mind is the Intel i740. A few months ago, Intel decided to make its entrance into the foray of graphics cards that have diluted the market. The end result? A new standard in quality. The i740 is considered by many to be the superior card, and the successor to the famed Riva128. And rightfully so. The i740 targeted most of the Riva's weaknesses, mainly image quality, and vastly improved them. The i740 still had a flaw that most people find intolerable: It's speed.
While the image quality of the 740 was excellent, most people scorned the card for its lackluster speed when compared to the newly released Voodoo II. Even though most games would run adequately, the newest releases, such as Quake II and Unreal, could not be ran at an acceptable framerate on normal systems.
One of the most notable failures in 2D/3D graphics solutions was the 3Dfx Voodoo Rush. While the idea seemed great, the end result was an under powered Voodoo card with only decent 2D, 3D that was incompatible with several Glide supported games, and slower performance than its 3D-only counterpart. This has been 3Dfx's only real failure. However, the Rush chipset still managed to take a sizable share of the market solely by the 3Dfx logo imprinted on the box.
The last of the primitive accelerators to be mentioned, the Matrox Mystique, was taunted as being a veritable speed demon, which it was. At the time of the cards release, however, the graphics industry was making a transition to more advanced 3D features. One of which, was bi-linear filtering; a very important feature that was painfully absent from the Mystique. While Matrox tried to play off the Mystique's lack of features, consumers could immediately notice a difference between the more visually appealing cards and the "other one", which would turn out to be the Mystique.