ViRGE/DX (or /GX with EDO RAM) with 4MB is the only other S3 card that you could go, make sure that it comes from a good manufacturer for decent image quality. S3 + 3Dfx Voodoo combo isn't that problematic with most pre-2000 games, the Voodoo card tend to be prioritized often and some of them allows you to choose which card will be used for 3D acceleration.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:22:

ViRGE/DX (or /GX with EDO RAM) with 4MB is the only other S3 card that you could go, make sure that it comes from a good manufacturer for decent image quality. S3 + 3Dfx Voodoo combo isn't that problematic with most pre-2000 games, the Voodoo card tend to be prioritized often and some of them allows you to choose which card will be used for 3D acceleration.

Why not the VX ?

haker120 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:21:

I have to, and maybe risk and to buy that Matrox G450? 😁

If seems you don't want good DOS as much as you say then if you're bent on a G450 😉

Well, I found this one and it is dirt cheap, 75PLN without delivery costs.

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:28:

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:22:

ViRGE/DX (or /GX with EDO RAM) with 4MB is the only other S3 card that you could go, make sure that it comes from a good manufacturer for decent image quality. S3 + 3Dfx Voodoo combo isn't that problematic with most pre-2000 games, the Voodoo card tend to be prioritized often and some of them allows you to choose which card will be used for 3D acceleration.

Why not the VX ?

It is the slowest one in lower resolutions despite having VRAM and 220 MHz RAMDAC. There is also a (small) chance to get a VBE 2.0 implementation onboard with ViRGE/DX and /GX cards, eliminating the need for UniVBE and S3VBE20.

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:34:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:28:

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:22:

ViRGE/DX (or /GX with EDO RAM) with 4MB is the only other S3 card that you could go, make sure that it comes from a good manufacturer for decent image quality. S3 + 3Dfx Voodoo combo isn't that problematic with most pre-2000 games, the Voodoo card tend to be prioritized often and some of them allows you to choose which card will be used for 3D acceleration.

Why not the VX ?

It is the slowest one in lower resolutions despite having VRAM and 220 MHz RAMDAC. There is also a (small) chance to get a VBE 2.0 implementation onboard with ViRGE/DX and /GX cards, eliminating the need for UniVBE and S3VBE20.

GX2 is a good one, also.

haker120 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:31:

Well, I found this one and it is dirt cheap, 75PLN without delivery costs. […]
Show full quote

Well, I found this one and it is dirt cheap, 75PLN without delivery costs.

Congratulations and good luck!

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:34:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:28:

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:22:

ViRGE/DX (or /GX with EDO RAM) with 4MB is the only other S3 card that you could go, make sure that it comes from a good manufacturer for decent image quality. S3 + 3Dfx Voodoo combo isn't that problematic with most pre-2000 games, the Voodoo card tend to be prioritized often and some of them allows you to choose which card will be used for 3D acceleration.

Why not the VX ?

It is the slowest one in lower resolutions despite having VRAM and 220 MHz RAMDAC. There is also a (small) chance to get a VBE 2.0 implementation onboard with ViRGE/DX and /GX cards, eliminating the need for UniVBE and S3VBE20.

Thank you, I was not aware that there any significant performance difference between them in DOS VGA and VESA modes (I assume that is what you meant by lower resolutions). I will try to read up on this. I am now intrigued .

haker120 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:31:

Well, I found this one and it is dirt cheap, 75PLN without delivery costs. […]
Show full quote

Well, I found this one and it is dirt cheap, 75PLN without delivery costs.

Cool! Please let us know how you like it .

Meatball wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:39:

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:34:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 14:28:

Why not the VX ?

It is the slowest one in lower resolutions despite having VRAM and 220 MHz RAMDAC. There is also a (small) chance to get a VBE 2.0 implementation onboard with ViRGE/DX and /GX cards, eliminating the need for UniVBE and S3VBE20.

GX2 is a good one, also.

Indeed, if only the PCI version wasn't nearly impossible to find.

I'm sort of in the same boots. I have a similar PC currently with a Matrox Mystyque 2MB (4MB cards are too long fro my mainboard). I think I chose to go with a Riva128 4MB. I want to keep it as 1997 as possible. The Mystyque is not a very good 3D accelerator, but neither the S3 cards preceding Savage3D so I skipped the Virge cards.

If you want S3, then Savage3D or Savage 4 PCI.

I bought the one I posted its pic. And overall costs 85,95PLN as is $17,97 as of today. 😁

A radeon 7500 usually works very well in these systems. It is my go to card

The never ending Virge/DX cards are quite good but there's the possibility that the VGA output quality might be a bit soft on details or having bright black levels (low contrast ratio). Also usually at 1024x768 they begin to loose quality, they can't do miracles on their specifications. But are very solid cards indeed. Some later one also had only SMD capacitors and no old style components on the PCB with a better final analog quality imho.

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:08:

A radeon 7500 usually works very well in these systems. It is my go to card

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software.

See https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

My personal experience with newer Radeons (9700) has not been great with some demos, like Second Reality .

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:24:

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software. […]
Show full quote

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:08:

A radeon 7500 usually works very well in these systems. It is my go to card

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software.

See https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

My personal experience with newer Radeons (9700) has not been great with some demos, like Second Reality .

Sphere478 doesn't care much about DOS compatibility. 😵

I suppose the Radeon 7500 GPU might need some maybe heavy drivers for such config, isn't it? I usually would consider a Radeon 7200 SDR card for a very fast K6-2/3+ config as last upgradable video card maybe with early drivers but a bit more powerful than that and at least possibly using also 3DNow! optimized drivers. 😉

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:29:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:24:

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software. […]
Show full quote

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:08:

A radeon 7500 usually works very well in these systems. It is my go to card

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software.

See https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

My personal experience with newer Radeons (9700) has not been great with some demos, like Second Reality .

He doesn't care much about DOS compatibility. 😵

Sure, he does. Several posts down from the 1st page OP writes:

"And the most important: for 2D DOS titles, no matter DOS Window or DOS mode to get higher resolutions as well, for 3D games either combo card with good DX compatibility and Glide titles on Voodoo 1 4MB."

It's DOS in a window he doesn't care about.

Meatball wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:32:

Sure, he does. Several posts down from the 1st page OP writes: […]
Show full quote

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:29:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:24:

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software.

See https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

My personal experience with newer Radeons (9700) has not been great with some demos, like Second Reality .

He doesn't care much about DOS compatibility. 😵

Sure, he does. Several posts down from the 1st page OP writes:

"And the most important: for 2D DOS titles, no matter DOS Window or DOS mode to get higher resolutions as well, for 3D games either combo card with good DX compatibility and Glide titles on Voodoo 1 4MB."

It's DOS windows he doesn't care about.

I was talking about Sphere478, not the OP. 😉

Gmlb256 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:29:

darry wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:24:

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software. […]
Show full quote

Sphere478 wrote on 2022-07-13, 16:08:

A radeon 7500 usually works very well in these systems. It is my go to card

It is a nice card, but there are issues with some DOS software.

See https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

My personal experience with newer Radeons (9700) has not been great with some demos, like Second Reality .

He doesn't care much about DOS compatibility. 😵

I’ve run some dos stuff from windows it seemed okay. But I’m not a huge dos user.