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Can anyone identify this PCI video card?

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First post, by Ozzuneoj

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Just spotted this in a listing online and all my methods have failed me to figure out exactly what it is. When I first saw it I thought "Permedia 2", but when I saw it again later I realized it didn't look exactly right... and now I can't really find any that look exactly like this. The printing on the chip is also a bit wrong, though the type of package seems correct. I guess it's possible there is some thermal adhesive on it that is making it look different, but nothing in the lot is being sold as scrap, nothing else appears to have been dismantled and those heatsinks don't come off very easily.

I have tried enhancing the picture and using Google lens, as well as searching VGA Legacy by RAM type (SGRAM or WRAM most likely?).. but nothing really comes up that's close enough for me to say "yes, that's it."

I also realized that there are several cards that resemble Permedia 2 models that have this kind of layout, so that just made me less convinced... but I still think there's a good chance that's what it is. The small chip above the RAM may be a small BIOS ROM chip in a position where some of them have a large one, though it seems uncommon for any of them to have the ROM in that position and I have not seen one with a small one there.

It has empty spaces for other video outputs. Some Permedia 2s do as well, but most do not.

There is a slight possibility it is some odd variant for a non-PC based system (Apple, Sun, etc.), but all of the other parts in the lot are from PCs, so that is unlikely.

Help me solve the case guys. 🔍

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Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 3 of 12, by Ozzuneoj

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Babasha wrote on 2023-01-10, 21:08:

S3 Virge/GX SGRAM?

That's a good suggestion! That is one I hadn't looked at. I just took a brief look and I see some similar features... but again, nothing that's super close.

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 5 of 12, by Gmlb256

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^ PCI versions of S3 ViRGE/GX2 are quite impossible to find, and it is a good opportunity to get one of these. They still have excellent DOS compatibility and comes with VBE 2.0 onboard unlike the other ViRGE models (which isn't common), but it is rarely mentioned as many of them are AGP.

VIA C3 Nehemiah 1.2A @ 1.46 GHz | ASUS P2-99 | 256 MB PC133 SDRAM | GeForce3 Ti 200 64 MB | Voodoo2 12 MB | SBLive! | AWE64 | SBPro2 | GUS

Reply 6 of 12, by Ozzuneoj

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Ah, fantastic! Thanks guys! I had forgotten about the GX2. I always get them mixed up in my mind with the Trio3D/2X.

I knew it was either an unusual variant of something common (Permedia) or something very uncommon. I would consider a PCI Virge GX2 to be quite uncommon.

If it wasn't so far away I'd probably grab it... but there has to be quite a bit of good stuff for me to drive for an hour and a half one way. 😁

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 7 of 12, by Joseph_Joestar

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Gmlb256 wrote on 2023-01-10, 21:55:

^ PCI versions of S3 ViRGE/GX2 are quite impossible to find, and it is a good opportunity to get one of these. They still have excellent DOS compatibility and comes with VBE 2.0 onboard unlike the other ViRGE models (which isn't common), but it is rarely mentioned as many of them are AGP.

Eh, is on-board VBE 2.0 support that uncommon on S3 cards? My "no-name" generic Virge DX has it, and I think I saw an S3 Trio64V2 which had it as well.

And for cards that don't, there's always the S3VBE utility.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 8 of 12, by Ozzuneoj

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I just checked my "stash" and I have several Virge VX and DX cards that are 4MB, and from decent brands. Those will accomplish pretty much the same task as this as far as I can tell. So I'll probably pass on this unless the seller is able to ship it for cheap. I asked him but he said someone else is interested in the lot so he'll get back to me.

... still wouldn't mind grabbing one of these at some point though since it's a bit of an oddity. 😀

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 9 of 12, by Gmlb256

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-01-10, 22:16:

Eh, is on-board VBE 2.0 support that uncommon on S3 cards? My "no-name" generic Virge DX has it, and I think I saw an S3 Trio64V2 which had it as well.

Yes, most of them has VBE 1.2 (if not at least from respected manufacturers) and there are people thinking that S3 never made one with VBE 2.0 onboard or never saw one. 😜

The easiest way to check if the S3 card has one is if it doesn't have the 8x14 EGA font onboard.

And for cards that don't, there's always the S3VBE utility.

I know about that TSR which is a decent alternative to UniVBE, but it has some quirks.

  • 512x384 resolution looks different, somewhat resembling what one sees in 640x400 regarding pixels on a CRT monitor.
  • Stargunner looks glitched when enabling VESA 2.0.

VIA C3 Nehemiah 1.2A @ 1.46 GHz | ASUS P2-99 | 256 MB PC133 SDRAM | GeForce3 Ti 200 64 MB | Voodoo2 12 MB | SBLive! | AWE64 | SBPro2 | GUS

Reply 11 of 12, by Ozzuneoj

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danieljm wrote on 2023-01-11, 00:18:

Looks like an NVidia card behind it. Maybe a TNT2? Does that sweeten the deal for you? 😀

There are some other cards in the lot, but it would take a pallet of TNT2 M64\Vanta cards to make me drive 3+ hours... and they'd better be boxed. 😁

Now for some blitting from the back buffer.

Reply 12 of 12, by Tetrium

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danieljm wrote on 2023-01-11, 00:18:

Looks like an NVidia card behind it. Maybe a TNT2? Does that sweeten the deal for you? 😀

Looks like a 32MB TNT2 M64 card to me, or a Vanta.

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