video card

[maziwanka]

hey i have 100 bucks to spend on a video card...was wondering what the best and which one to get

 

[Eug]

V3 2000, plus a fan for the heatsink.

 

[maziwanka]

thanks for the help guys...just two more questions then i guess...what's the difference between v3 3000 and v3 2000 and is it worth getting the 3000...also where would i get the fan for the voodoo and do i really need it? thanks

 

[Goi]

2 other differences between the V3 2K and the V3 3K are that the 2K has a higher chance of using slower memory(7ns compared to 6ns for the 3K), and that the 3K has a larger heatsink than the 2K.

If you're doing any kind of overclocking with the 2K, I suggest getting a fan. My friend had a 2K once and he tied to overclock it without a fan. The heatsink got REALLY hot.

 

[Goi]

Erm, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I was saying that the chances of a V3 2K having slower memory is more than that of a V3 3K. Since V3 3Ks HAVE to run at 166MHz. 3dfx HAS to put at least 6ns SDRAM on it. The V3 2K only has to run at 143MHz, so 3dfx only has to put at LEAST 7ns SDRAM on it. Depending on availability and cost, 3dfx might put faster SDRAM on it, but it doesn't have to.

The reason I bought my V3 3K was because I got it really cheap($45 after rebate). I previously had a TNT and wasn't even intending to upgrade, but hey its hard to argue with a $45 top of the line(at the time) video card

 

[Goi]

Then I guess you're lucky too
My V3 3000 runs at 183MHz fine too, but lately I've been running it at 166MHz since its really hot here.
This card is just one of the good deals I got from VA, of course I found out about it in the Hot Deals forum...ahh, the good old times

 

[GT578]

The RAMDAC speed is different. V3 2000 has 300mhz RAMDAC....3000/3500TV has 350mhz RAMDAC....probably won't mean much unless you're using high resolutions......By the way...I strapped a CPU fan taken from a celeron heatsink and used plastic ties to put it on my V3 3500TV....can't overclock much...i think I got it to 195 ....but I see no difference in speed.....under Quake3 and in UT...

 

[Goi]

Ah yes, I forgot about the RAMDAC speed differences. They are indeed different. Anyway, I have an 80mm slimfan zip-tied onto the heatsink of my V3 3K too.

 

[Toastman]

Hello,
Just one more correction (unless 3dfx has changed something since initial release). The v3-3k does not have tv-out. That is the v3-3500TV.
Here's the breakdown (direct from www.3dfx.com).
v3-2000: 143mhz clock/300mhz ramdac
v3-3000: 166mhz clock/350mhz ramdac
v3-3500: 183mhz clock/350mhz ramdac/TV-out

Just my $0.02--I would probably go for a v3-3k if you can get a good deal on one. Over-clockability can vary from one card to another, since they only have to guarantee default clock-speed, so as Goi has already explained in good detail, better odds of o/c-ability on a 3k, plus higher RAMDAC means higher refresh rates and better 2d visual quality. Wouldn't buy a 3500 unless you need tv-out. A 3k should be o/c-able to 183.

 

[Goi]

Toastman, the retail version of the V3 3K does have TV-out. I own one, so I know. Its an S-video out I believe. I think the OEM version doesn't have this feature. I don't know if 3dfx made any more different versions of the 3K other than retail and OEM though.

 

[Toastman]

Ah. I'm a tech for an OEM retail company, so it was most likely the OEM 3k I have used. I wasn't aware the retail version had TV-out. Cool.