Scythifuge wrote on 2024-01-25, 18:15:
[...]
I did forget to mention that I will be using WfW 3.11 on my 486. I am planning on using it for word processing and for midi-music creation as if I went back in time to 1994. The 2mb will definitely help me when using Windows.
Yes, then the added value is clear. In that case, keep a lookout for Miro high-end cards. You can find 2MB, 3MB or 4MB from 1994. The 928 isn't fast, but unlike the split 2D/3D of the Viper at least it's in the same ballpark as the faster cards. Also, look for Tseng ET4000W32P cards, as they not only use the 2MB for extra modes in Windows but the interleave improves DOS and Windows performance. Avoid Cirrus Logic GD542x cards with 2MB, due to crappy integrated RAMDAC the second MB can only be used for a few eye-melting interlaced modes. An interesting option are Trident TGUI9440 cards. They are considered slow, but aren't as bad as some other Trident cards and can use 2MB properly.
In DOS, VESA compatibility is a thing. S3 and Cirrus Logic reign supreme there in this era, with Ark and Trident coming close behind. Tseng, Matrox and ATi are unfortunately a lot worse. That said, don't overestimate the impact of VESA - it's only relevant for SVGA titles and 'bad' support usually means things like choppy scrolling in games that do a lot of scrolling (Commander Keen). If you play a lot of those games, it's highly relevant for you. Otherwise not.
If the 2mb Viper wasn't a crappy card for DOS, I would have probably stuck with that.
What is your exact problem? 512kB would be awful for Windows, but it's enough for 800x600@256 colours, which is the most DOS games use.
My P3s have an option in the bios to choose which slot to look to first for video, so I am wondering if I can use it alongside another card.
That option is only for AGP vs PCI.
On older buses (PCI, VLB, EISA, ISA etc), it's just a matter of whose BIOS gets initialized first. Some cards (Matrox Millennium comes to mind) have a jumper to "Disable VGA", which means disabling VGA BIOS. If your Viper has that option, it will disable the VGA BIOS on the Viper letting you use another card for unaccelerated DOS VGA but allowing drivers to use the accelerator. The challenge there is that you will need to connect a monitor to both the card you use for VGA and to the card with VGA disabled you want to use in Windows.
My SD-to-IDE P3 has different SD cards with different setups, one with MS-DOS and WfW 3.11. I will keep the card in my collection, though it would be cool to find a use for it.
keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-01-25, 17:52:
That's some bad luck. I've gotten almost all of my video cards from junk piles in recycle centers, having been squished and scraped around for months, and afaicr all but one out of a few dozen has worked.
All of my eBay purchases have also worked with no issues.
Maybe just try again? Besides, as others have said, I also would start to suspect compatibility problems with your motherboard after two failed attempts like that.
Out of three ebay cards purchased this month, the Viper works but the others do not. My ATI cards do work. I just think that I had bad luck with the vision864 and Trio64 cards. The one thing not period correct is the motherboard, a Tomato 4dps. Getting sound, video, and CPU period correct is all I need for this particular project. I haven't heard of any S3 cards not working with this board due to an incompatibility issue, though I suppose it is possible. [/quote]
In case of doubt, stick the cards into your P3 to see if they work there. I'd agree though that a PCI VGA card from the same era as the motherboard is not likely to have compatibility issues.
Your motherboard is relevant, it's a PCI+ISA board with no VLB, which is unusual for 486 boards. That means we needdn't suggest VLB cards...