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History of nVIDIA Graphics cards Vol. 1

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Reply 22 of 90, by yjfy

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1.2.3.6 TARGET Soundline version

(From allegro.pl)

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Reply 23 of 90, by yjfy

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1.3 Leadtek Research Inc.
6/01/1995 Leadtek Research Inc. announces Proview GD400 and Proview GV500.A suggested list price for GD400 at $249 (1MB DRAM) and for GV500 at $399 (2MB VRAM).

1.3.1 Proview GD400 (STG2000X Chip)
Proview GD400 is based on SGS-THOMSON's STG2000 Multimedia Accelerator, with 1MB DRAM and socket-upgradeable to 2MB with PCI 2.0 bus plug and play supported, display resolution from 640x480 at 256/32K/16.7M colors up to 1280x1024 256 colors are provided.
The PCB dates of several Proview GD400 graphics cards I have seen are all 9547 weeks. It is estimated that this card will only be produced in one or two batches symbolically.

1.3.2 Proview GV500 (NV1 chip)
Proview GV500 is based on nVIDIA NV1 Multimedia Accelerator, with 2MB VRAM and upgradeable to 4MB. Proview GV500 is not mass-produced, so the model is mistaken as GD500.

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Reply 24 of 90, by yjfy

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1.4 Jazz Multimedia
NOVEMBER 1, 1995 - Jazz Multimedia, Inc. announced the introduction of 3D Magic.

Jazz's 3D Magic is based on the same technology as Diamond's Edge 3D card, but 3D Magic actually surpasses it with features not offered by any other 3D accelerator card manufacturer, such as built-in SRS™ 3D sound and the availability of a Jazz Output to TV Projection Card option. Thus, all 3D game titles and software ported to nVIDIA will run perfectly with Jazz's 3D Magic, including Sega titles.

There are two DRAM versions of 3-D Magic, based on SGS THOMSON'S STG2000 multimedia accelerator chip. The 3-D Magic 1MB DRAM version will have an expected street price of $239.00 and a 2MB version will be priced at around $289.00. Two VRAM configurations, based on nVIDIA Corp's NV1 multimedia accelerator chip, are also available for PCI in a 2MB version, for approximately $339.00 -- and a 4MB version to sell for around $489.00. Jazz Multimedia's 3D Magic in Q1 in 1996, at most major computer retail outlets bundled with several exciting 3D game titles.

1.4.1.1 Early Engineering sample
The early Engineering sample did not use the STG2000X of the DRAM memory version but the all-round NV1 chip.

(From weirdo on twitter.com )

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Reply 25 of 90, by yjfy

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1.4.1.2 Late Engineering sample

Generally, it is possible to print the FCCID on the engineering sample card, because you can select the code first, and then register the selected code. There is no need to paste FCCID on engineering samples, unless it is evaluated, displayed, and sold directly, which is very likely. There are often engineering sample graphics cards that are packaged for retail sale, which should be the case for this graphics card.

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Reply 26 of 90, by yjfy

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1.4.1.3 Official product
This graphics card is Rev 2, which is more like ES than the Rev 0 graphics card above. One is that there are still many flying lines, the other is Full PCI connection finger, and the third is to use more tantalum capacitors. Therefore, JAZZ took out the ES with intact performance for retail, and users could not tell.

(From segaretro.org)

1.4.2 3D Magic VRAM (NV1 chip)

The VRAM version of the graphics card is more difficult to design, and the JAZZ R&D capabilities are limited, so this version was finally abandoned.
JAZZ was unsuccessful in NV1 and later switched to 3Dfx.

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Reply 27 of 90, by yjfy

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1.5 YUAN
JRS-3DS100 uses STG2000X chip, 1/2MB DRAM.
There are three revised versions of JRS-3DS100, from which we can see the obvious changes, using a more compact package of NVSGP chip; canceling the sound card with poor performance. Almost all manufacturers that produce NV1/STG2000X chip graphics cards later do this.

1.5.1 JRS-3DS100 V3.0

(From enacademic.com)

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Reply 30 of 90, by yjfy

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1.6 VIDEOFORTE
VIDEOFORTE's VF64-3DG graphics card appeared late, nearly 1997. It uses NV1 chip, but instead of VRAM, it uses 2/4MB DRAM. There is no difference between the two sub-models.
1.6.1 VF64-3DG-01

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Reply 31 of 90, by yjfy

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1.6.2 VF64-3DG-02

(From ebay.com)

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Reply 32 of 90, by yjfy

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1.7 Generic
Turbo 2000B VER F2 uses NV1 chip, 1/2MB DRAM.

(From taiwan999.pixnet.net)

(FROM eBay.com)

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Reply 33 of 90, by yjfy

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1.8 Other
2/1/96,Genoa Introduces 3D Multimedia Accelerator Card(Stratos 3D) with High End Graphics and SRS 3D Sound based on the NV1/STG2000.This is the information released by nVIDIA that year, and no actual objects and pictures have been seen. Aztech's 3D Galaxy; Kasan Electronics' WinX 3D; Core-Dynamics' DynaGraFx 3-D and Focus TNC also launched NV1/STG2000X chip graphics cards, none of which have seen the actual objects and pictures.

Reply 34 of 90, by yjfy

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2.NV2
July 31, 1995 Sega of America, Inc., is setting a new standard in gameplay for personal computers through an exclusive licensing agreement with nVIDIA;

Sega's high-end Sega Saturn and arcade software to CD-ROMs for Pentium-based PCs equipped with single-chip NV1 Multimedia Accelerator.

Sega PC CD-ROM games developed for the nVIDIA architecture deliver the next level of multimedia entertainment under Windows 95 and have the same stunning visuals and gameplay of the Sega Saturn versions.

January 9, 1996 Sega PC's Panzer Dragoon to be bundled with Diamond EDGE 3D Multimedia Accelerators for Personal Computers
Thanks to Sega's strong support, nVIDIA's NV1 chip finally got some applications. But nVIDIA is still in a difficult situation.

Due to nVIDIA's strong desire to stick with their maturing quadratic forward texture mapping technology, but polygon rendering was the way to go for the future.Sega and nVIDIA have conflicts.
Sega ultimately selected NEC/VideoLogic's PowerVR2 to power the 3d-graphics in its Dreamcast console.NV2 was finally cancelled.

Reply 35 of 90, by yjfy

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3. NV3
3.1 nVIDIA
3.1.1 Riva 128
April 8, 1997- SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics, Inc. and nVIDIATM Corporation jointly introduced RIVA 128, the first 128-bit 3D multimedia accelerator.
August 25, 1997- nVIDIA Corporation announced its RIVA 128 3D multimedia accelerator has been selected by five major OEMs including Dell Computer, Gateway 2000, Micron Electronics, and graphics accelerator manufacturers Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. and STB Systems Inc.

0.35 micron
3.5 million transistors
5M triangles/sec, 100M pixels/sec
3.5 million transistors
12 KB on chip memory
20 billion operations per second
128-bit pipeline and memory interface
100 MHz CLK speed
128-bit engine, 128-bit memory interface
100 MHz sgram interface - 1.6 gbytes/sec bandwidth
206 MHz integrated ramdac
NTSC/PAL output

With the popularity of Windows95, nVIDIA will not make mistakes like NV1 and NV2 again this time. Since the strength is not enough to make rules, then follow the trend. NV3 regards Microsoft's Direct3D as the priority API, which is very correct and lays a solid foundation for future development.

3.1.1 nVIDIA
3.1.1.1 Riva 128 Engineering sample
This is the Product Evaluation board, which is also a reference board. Many graphics cards look close to this.

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Reply 36 of 90, by yjfy

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3.1.2 Riva 128ZX
February 23, 1998 nVIDIA Corporation unveiled the RIVA 128ZX processor. Coupled with new enhanced ZX software drivers, the RIVA 128ZX processor offers the industry's fastest 3D processing capability , extended resolution and color depth, AGP 2X support, as well as high-performance 2D, VGA and digital video capabilities.
The PCB date of this Product Evaluation board is 9804 weeks, and the release date is 9809 weeks.
This is the earliest sample of nVIDIA's graphics card in the hands of known collectors.

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Reply 37 of 90, by yjfy

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3.2 Diamond

Diamond was unsuccessful in the NV1 graphics card project, which caused Diamond to lose confidence in nVIDIA and instead supported another new company, 3DFX. As a result, STB took the lead in the NV3 graphics card project.
Although Diamond is half-hearted on the NV3 graphics card, it has launched four board-type Viper V330 graphics cards, which are of decent design and workmanship and have achieved certain success.

3.2.1 Viper V330 VIVO AGP/PCI
3.2.1.1 ES

On August 25, 1997 (9735 week), nVIDIA announced that Diamond and STB had joined the ranks of riva128 graphics cards. At that time, the research and development of STB's VELOCITY 128 graphics card was completed, and it will be used on branded machines in September. What is the progress of Diamond's Viper V330 graphics card? Take a look at the Viper V330 engineering sample graphics card below and maybe give the answer.

The PCB date of the above card is 9736 weeks, which is more than one week later than nVIDIA's announcement date. After all, testing also takes time. The PCB date of the earliest official version of the Viper V330 graphics card is also 9736 weeks, and the 9736 week finalization date has been approved.

The Riva 128 chip date of this engineering sample graphics card is 9731 weeks, which is pretty early, and the graphics card is made in the United States. It can be seen that the positions and quantities of many resistors and capacitors are slightly different from the official version. If you are interested, you can compare them; the ITT video chip is also an ES version. Based on the consideration of manufacturing cost, Diamond first conducted small-batch R&D in the United States and mass-produced in Taiwan.

Viper V330 graphics cards began to advertise in November, and retail time is around October.

I spent $1,000 on this Viper V330 engineering sample graphics card.If you want to collect rare collectibles, if you don't have the luck to buy cheap ones, you have to be willing to spend money.Most of the engineering samples are kept in small quantities, and many of them are orphans. If they are missed, they will never be met again.

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Reply 38 of 90, by yjfy

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3.2.1.2 QS
This kind of graphics card has been distributed to evaluation agencies, but no retail.
(From thg.ru)

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Reply 39 of 90, by yjfy

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3.2.1.3 Official product

3.2.1.3.1 VIVO
The full version of the VIVO version is very exquisite, and the number is very small. Few people can collect it.

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