Is there any benefit to having more than 2mb of RAM on your video board besides windows resolutions?

Shagittarius wrote on 2026-03-05, 19:45:

Is there any benefit to having more than 2mb of RAM on your video board besides windows resolutions?

Some games which use proprietary 3D APIs like S3D or Matrox MSI will benefit from 4MB VRAM.

For example, Tomb Raider will run at a lower resolution, and certain visuals like Lara's shadow will be disabled with only 2MB on an S3 Virge or Matrox Mystique card.

theelf wrote on 2026-02-28, 07:58:

3D in virge work really good, and a trio or virge are on same price level.

I disagree with this. Here S3 Trio64 V+ is cheapest possible PCI VGA card (there is no cheaper), while Virge DX is in average 2x (4MB version sometimes 3x) more expensive.
3D in Virge cannot be called "good" sorry, being able to run one game more smoothly is not good. This is why I alerted him , if he's not paying more for nothing. He needs to decide. But you're right, IF he can find Virge for same price as S3 Trio64V+, then it's better pick. I didn't see it in history very much, it's rarity, when it happens. And reason is same, as you've mentioned... 3D cards in PCI are simply demanded, any card capable of 3D is going to be more expensive over 2D variant. While, S3 Trio64V+ was most spread PCI card of its time, it's really flood of them here, this is why they cannot be on same price level.

W.x. wrote on 2026-03-06, 08:38:

theelf wrote on 2026-02-28, 07:58:

3D in virge work really good, and a trio or virge are on same price level.

I disagree with this. Here S3 Trio64 V+ is cheapest possible PCI VGA card (there is no cheaper), while Virge DX is in average 2x (4MB version sometimes 3x) more expensive.
3D in Virge cannot be called "good" sorry, being able to run one game more smoothly is not good. This is why I alerted him , if he's not paying more for nothing. He needs to decide. But you're right, IF he can find Virge for same price as S3 Trio64V+, then it's better pick. I didn't see it in history very much, it's rarity, when it happens. And reason is same, as you've mentioned... 3D cards in PCI are simply demanded, any card capable of 3D is going to be more expensive over 2D variant. While, S3 Trio64V+ was most spread PCI card of its time, it's really flood of them here, this is why they cannot be on same price level.

dont know your country, here in spain all pci s3 card are in same range of price, 5-15 euros, depend seller mostly, not card type

I never paid more than 5 euro in general for a pci s3, but if a version i like i need to pay 10 2x like you say,i dont think is end of world neither

I doubt S3 Trio64 line will be same pricey as S3 Virge line, in any region. You throw it in same category, but it's actually not. Only fact, that all Virges are 2MB/4MB while almost all (99%) S3 Trio64 line cards are 1MB/2MB throws Virge into higher league.
And if you know, how market works (demand/availibity) , Virge has to have higher price.
I orient mostly from auctions, as I've tried to collect lots of Virges (reasons are they have often poor video signal quality, they were cheaply made, also overclocks often sucks, and when you can achieve over 80/80 clocks, Virge DX particulary start to be accelerator at least for some games... originally, as you know, it often has 45/45, 50/50 or 55/55 at best, so you can get +50% - +60% FPS boost after good overclock). And after hunders of tries and watching the auction, I know how easy is to get S3 Trio64 cheaply, while, it's almost impossible to get Virge DX 4 MB cheaply, particulary good version. I've tried many times for Diamond version of Virge DX, which is one of the best (another is STB , but I never seen it in auction, while I saw Diamond Virges few times per year). For comparsion, in our currency, S3 Trio64 went often for 50-100 + shipping , while Diamond Virge DX 4MB (or upgradable to 4MB) never went under 300 + shipping, with some auction spiking to 500-800 range. (I've watched every auction if historical components in our country's "ebay" in last 5 years, so this is statistic over or around 1000 auctions with S3 Trio/Virge cards)
So that's price difference. And it's understable.

So, you need to consider, if you use that 3D part of it, or 4MB part of it, if not, and 2MB VRAM is enough, and you use computer under DOS, I would say Virge is wasting of (additional) money. And as reasonable resolutions under DOS are 320x200x8 to 640x480x8 (in some cases 800x600x8 or 1024x768x8), I would say even 4MB VRAM cards are wasting of money, 2MB is enough, actually for 1024x768x8 even 1MB VRAM works)

W.x. wrote on 2026-03-24, 09:45:

I doubt S3 Trio64 line will be same pricey as S3 Virge line, in any region. You throw it in same category, but it's actually not. Only fact, that all Virges are 2MB/4MB while almost all (99%) S3 Trio64

Typical S3 Trio 64 and Virge cards are mostly the same price. Memory difference is mostly irrelevant for things they are bought for. And nobody is using Virge for 3D acceleration.

W.x. wrote on 2026-03-24, 09:45:

I doubt S3 Trio64 line will be same pricey as S3 Virge line, in any region. You throw it in same category, but it's actually not. Only fact, that all Virges are 2MB/4MB while almost all (99%) S3 Trio64 line cards are 1MB/2MB throws Virge into higher league.

There no league, who sell a S3 card normally just sell like "old video card" "S3 video card" a little more luck for search "s3 virge/trio" but thats all, almost nobody take care about this card, only us. Is not a 3dfx or specific cards that sellers know what they sell

90% of cheap PCI cards i buy are just list as "old card"

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2026-03-25, 09:26:

Typical S3 Trio 64 and Virge cards are mostly the same price. Memory difference is mostly irrelevant for things they are bought for. And nobody is using Virge for 3D acceleration.

Virge is at least 2x pricey. About same price, means, at least for me, like +25% or +1/4. If something has +50% or +100%, it's not same price level.
I admit, I don't watch all regions, but I watch my region, and have more statistic, as I have little crush on Virge and many had (reasons are various, it was their first card, then they've bought Voodoo2 to it, and used it as 2D, it has native API, etc...) The card is used also for 3D, but only for fun projects, usually after overclocking, good Virge get like +50% FPS.

Just yesterday, Virge GX2 in auction rised to over 900 CZK , while S3 Trio64 are usually 50-150 CZK (sometimes 200, but not very often).
Virge GX and GX2 (PCI version) is most pricey, but Virge DX with good memory (50,40,35 ns) and particulary good manufacturer and 4MB version is more than double price of S3 Trio64 / Trio64V+.
I don't have time to document statistic, it would take hour or two, just to prove you, you are wrong, but I'm pretty confident about my opinion and can construct proof if needed, with over hundreds of links from auctions over last 5 years. As I've watched it heavily, and if price was not big (yet), I very often joined auctions for Virges.

For example Retro Swarm from CZ made huge article about Virge. If it would be so uniteresting card as you try to make from it, no such articles would be made, but he alone has collection of Virges, and they were nowhere to be called cheap. Particulary that STB version.
https://retro.swarm.cz/s3-virge-325-vx-dx-gx- … tors-deep-dive/

(edit: I provide at least link from GX2 auction, as I have it in browser memory
https://aukro.cz/historicka-graficka-karta-s3 … -gx2-7114787505
S3 Trio64' are often like this. (I would say, average is around 100-125 CZK)
https://aukro.cz/gk-s3-trio64-pci-7103122062

W.x. wrote on 2026-04-03, 14:35:

Just yesterday, Virge GX2 in auction rised to over 900 CZK , while S3 Trio64 are usually 50-150 CZK (sometimes 200, but not very often).
Virge GX and GX2 (PCI version) is most pricey, but Virge DX with good memory (50,40,35 ns) and particulary good manufacturer and 4MB version is more than double price of S3 Trio64 / Trio64V+.

Virge GX and especially GX2 in PCI form are not regular Virge cards.

W.x. wrote on 2026-04-03, 14:35:

Virge is at least 2x pricey. About same price, means, at least for me, like +25% or +1/4. If something has +50% or +100%, it's […]
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The Serpent Rider wrote on 2026-03-25, 09:26:

Typical S3 Trio 64 and Virge cards are mostly the same price. Memory difference is mostly irrelevant for things they are bought for. And nobody is using Virge for 3D acceleration.

Virge is at least 2x pricey. About same price, means, at least for me, like +25% or +1/4. If something has +50% or +100%, it's not same price level.
I admit, I don't watch all regions, but I watch my region, and have more statistic, as I have little crush on Virge and many had (reasons are various, it was their first card, then they've bought Voodoo2 to it, and used it as 2D, it has native API, etc...) The card is used also for 3D, but only for fun projects, usually after overclocking, good Virge get like +50% FPS.

Just yesterday, Virge GX2 in auction rised to over 900 CZK , while S3 Trio64 are usually 50-150 CZK (sometimes 200, but not very often).
Virge GX and GX2 (PCI version) is most pricey, but Virge DX with good memory (50,40,35 ns) and particulary good manufacturer and 4MB version is more than double price of S3 Trio64 / Trio64V+.
I don't have time to document statistic, it would take hour or two, just to prove you, you are wrong, but I'm pretty confident about my opinion and can construct proof if needed, with over hundreds of links from auctions over last 5 years. As I've watched it heavily, and if price was not big (yet), I very often joined auctions for Virges.

For example Retro Swarm from CZ made huge article about Virge. If it would be so uniteresting card as you try to make from it, no such articles would be made, but he alone has collection of Virges, and they were nowhere to be called cheap. Particulary that STB version.
https://retro.swarm.cz/s3-virge-325-vx-dx-gx- … tors-deep-dive/

(edit: I provide at least link from GX2 auction, as I have it in browser memory
https://aukro.cz/historicka-graficka-karta-s3 … -gx2-7114787505
S3 Trio64' are often like this. (I would say, average is around 100-125 CZK)
https://aukro.cz/gk-s3-trio64-pci-7103122062

Dont buy auctions, buy garbage in second hand places

This is the way

i never search for "virge 4mb" or any specific model just search for words like "s3 card" "pci video" "old card" "not tested garbage"

If seller knows what selling will put any price he believe is selling in stores or worst he already check in places like ebay, a no go for buy

In spain we are lucky because we have a lot of second hand websites

for example a simple "pci graphic" search in wallapop, a place we use in spain for second hand stuff give me this results in first place among many more for a range 5-15 euro, and nobody care if selling a s3 virge, a s3 trio, a cirrus logic, a sis... etc

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2026-04-03, 16:42:

W.x. wrote on 2026-04-03, 14:35:

Just yesterday, Virge GX2 in auction rised to over 900 CZK , while S3 Trio64 are usually 50-150 CZK (sometimes 200, but not very often).
Virge GX and GX2 (PCI version) is most pricey, but Virge DX with good memory (50,40,35 ns) and particulary good manufacturer and 4MB version is more than double price of S3 Trio64 / Trio64V+.

Virge GX and especially GX2 in PCI form are not regular Virge cards.

un fact i believe was agp only cards, never see one in pci

this is the tipical cards that the best way to buy are when someone sell without know, or in a lot

If you search for "virge gx pci" is pretty clear the seller know what is selling