I've searched your typical sites that would provide this info but I am getting conflicting results. I am trying to stay 1995 specific and trying to decide between a S3 Trio64v+ or a Virge. I am not sure, however, if the Virge was released in 1995 or 1996? Does anyone have any definitive info on this?
Windows 95 has built in drivers for S3 Trio64v+. I keep Trio64 in my Win95 machine.
My guess is the Virge was released in 1996 - this also shows in PDFs released by S3.
Requests are also possible... /msg kixs
Thanks! It does appear, after finding the original press release, that S3 announced shipment to begin Q1 of 1996. So I do believe my question has been answered.
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There are multiple different versions of Virge. I've seen date codes in 1996/97/98.
The 325 was the earliest one. The earliest date I found on a 325 so was the 21st week in 1996.
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wrote:
I've seen a Trio64V+ having a manufacture date of first weeks of 1997 on the chip. I remember it and I'm certain about it because it was odd. So maybe they were producing both cards in parallel and this is not indicative of the Virge not being available yet because Trio64V+ still existed. You know, office PCs with the earlier chip or hot 3D acceleration with the Virge 🤣 🤣 🤣 both available at the same time. I'm not saying that the Virge was in 1995, or Christmas of 1995, or just 1996, I don't know. Only that Trio64V+s definitely coexisted with Virge cards.
I don't doubt that. - Just different production runs. If someone orders enough they'll do a run.
I saw several 325's with 1997 date codes and one with a 1998 date code.
They (325 date codes) were unusually abundant between the 28th and 40th week in 1996.
That's probably when 325 production got going full swing.
.
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You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
I know for sure that the 64V+ was around in 1995. I do have one of those and it does show production dates in '95 on the chip. I know there are some Virge cards that also show 1995 production dates but I do not believe they were made available until early 1996.
May have been one of the samples they send to manufacturers so they can design the rest of their video card and test it.
GRUMPY OLD FART - On Hiatus, sort'a
Mann-Made Global Warming. - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
According to my research for the 3D accelerated games list, S3 Virge was released to the market in end of June 1996.
1996 for sure, shipping started in May....
http://web.archive.org/web/19961220000918/htt … th3d-ships.html
Not only mine graphics cards collection at http://www.vgamuseum.info
I'm still waiting for the PCIe version.
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