GL1zdA wrote:

Simple question? Which one was first the: Orchid or Diamond? I know these two dates: August 5, 1996 - 3Dfx Interactive Delivers […]
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Simple question? Which one was first the: Orchid or Diamond? I know these two dates:
August 5, 1996 - 3Dfx Interactive Delivers Explosive 3D Graphics To The PC Via OEM Partnership With Diamond Multimedia.
October 7, 1996- Orchid Technology has begun shipping its highly anticipated Righteous 3D. $299
but were the Monsters really available for sale in August?

Diamond began shipping in November. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Diamond+Announc … h...-a018812765

Some more info I wrote on FalconFly's forum:
The Orchid 3D comes with the following software: (that utilizes the Voodoo chipset)

•Descent II 8-level demo
•Monster truck madness (D3D) preview version.
•Hellbender (D3D) preview version.
•VR Soccer - Semifinals
•Whiplash full version
•Scorched Planet demo version
•Mechwarrior II full version

Monster 3D comes with the following software: (that utilizes the Voodoo chipset)

•Monster truck madness (D3D) preview version.
•Hellbender (D3D) preview version.
•VR Soccer
•Descent II, 8-level demo.
•Tomb raider 1-level demo.
•EF2000 Graphics plus, instant action demo. (No campaigns)
•Hyperblade full version.
•Mechwarrior II full version.
•Whiplash full version.

As you can see from the list Mechwarrior 2, VR Soccer/Actua Soccer, Whiplash/Fatal Racing were the first full version games to include 3DFX Glide support.

The versions of EF2000, Tomb Raider, Descent II, Scorched Planet were shortened/demo versions and not full releases. Hellbender, Monster Truck Madness and Hyperblade were the first Direct3D games.

The beta 3DFX patch to Tomb Raider were simultaneously released in November/December for the full game. Descent II and EF2000 also released its patch for the full version pretty quickly. New games to support Voodoo with patches included GLQuake and Battle Arena Toshinden in Jan 1997. Basically the first few months were very limited on support.

First retail release with 3DFX support was Scorched Planet in December 1996.

Thanks for this detailed answer. Now I will be looking for a 1996 Voodoo for my retro PC 😉

neither, i believe that the first voodoo card was from quantum3d, with orchid being second.

noshutdown wrote:

neither, i believe that the first voodoo card was from quantum3d, with orchid being second.

You'll need to provide some sources to back this up if you're talking about retail release to normal consumers. If you mean the arcade boards, then I agree that Quantum was first.

I am in Nova Scotia, Canada, and although the hype was in all the magazines, I had to order an Orchid Righteous 3D directly from Orchid in early December 1996 for $299 because there were no Orchid dealers here and the Diamond Monster 3D was vaporware until it finally showed up in the stores here in January 1997. This article backs me up: http://www.techspot.com/article/653-history-o … the-gpu-part-2/ . Anyway, I remember when I put it in my P166 machine and first booted up GLQuake and Tombraider with the 3Dfx patch while my geek buddies watched in UTTER AWE, 🤣. Since one of them owned a PC shop, and was a Diamond dealer, he ordered enough for them all, but I enjoyed the privilege of having my Orchid for nearly a month before their Diamonds came in 😀

vetz wrote:

noshutdown wrote:

neither, i believe that the first voodoo card was from quantum3d, with orchid being second.

You'll need to provide some sources to back this up if you're talking about retail release to normal consumers. If you mean the arcade boards, then I agree that Quantum was first.

oh well, i think you are right. i remember one guy told me that quantum3d has the first voodoo cards, but when i digged it up i think he meant that 3dfx's first test cards were made by quantum3d. when it comes to retail cards it would be orchid first.