The 6MB of the Hiscore 3D are divided into 2MB frame buffer and 4MB texture memory. The additional memory is not usable for higher resolutions, it can give higher performance. With Quake2 it's possible you will only notice this with higher quality texture settings and/or multiplayer demos like Crusher.
To enable higher resolutions you will need a card with 4MB frame buffer and 2MB texture memory, or an 8MB card (both exist but are quite rare).
I don't think the performance will be very good, though.

Are you sure about that? I thought that additional 2 megs on Voodoo 1 help to set higher resolution... and I just want to run Quake 2 on 800x600 to make some screen shots to compare the difference in quality with other cards... I really do not care about the performance in this case 😉 On this video I can see that it's possible to set that resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxsYJcNex5E

That looks like a different model 6MB Voodoo1, so the memory is likely assigned differently - probably 4MB frame buffer. It's likely your card isn't compatible with the settings you want.

So there were different models? :>
Then why is it so that I can run other applications on it with resolution 800x600?

VooDooMan wrote:

So there were different models? :>

From what idspispopd said, yes. The "normal" Voodoo1 is only a 4MB card, with 2MB for frame and 2MB for texture. 6MB+ cards are the result of OEMs putting extra memory on the board towards whatever end. Some have extra frame-buffer, some have extra texture memory. In order to enable higher resolutions you need more frame-buffer memory.

Then why is it so that I can run other applications on it with resolution 800x600?

I'm not understanding what you mean by this. 😊

OK, let me get it straight:
What I always thought was:
- Voodoo 1 4MB - MAX resolution 640x480
- Voodoo 1 6MB - MAX resolution 800x600

Yesterday, I installed my Miro Hiscore 3D 6 MB and Run Nature (Glide Demo) at 800x600 - runs fine. I wanted to run Quake 2 at 800x600 - does not work...

VooDooMan wrote:

OK, let me get it straight: What I always thought was: - Voodoo 1 4MB - MAX resolution 640x480 - Voodoo 1 6MB - MAX resolution 8 […]
Show full quote

OK, let me get it straight:
What I always thought was:
- Voodoo 1 4MB - MAX resolution 640x480
- Voodoo 1 6MB - MAX resolution 800x600

As far as I know this isn't the case; I think it also depends on the application. I'm finding some things that indicate Voodoo1 and Quake II at 800x600 is either impossible, or limited to a relatively small subset of Voodoo1 boards. Either way I wouldn't expect performance to be great if it works - why not go with a Voodoo2?

EDIT:

Did a bit more looking - Voodoo Graphics cannot do 800x600 for applications that use z-buffer (per Dodge Garage 3dfx), so it does depend on the application.

Here's a quote

Thandor wrote:

A Voodoo 1 with more than 4MB will allow you to run games in 800x600 but games like Half-Life, Unreal and Quake 3 will run too slow in 800x600 mode.

it comes from this thread: Rather suprising Voodoo 1 search results...
That's why I thought it was ALWAYS the case... but there is nothing about Quake2 😉

I do not want to run Voodoo 2 because I am comparing quality on Voodoo 1 and other cards from that period... and till this day I thought it was possible to set 800x600 on ANY Voodoo 1 6MB boards...

The thing I CANNOT understand at this point is: Why can I run some games on my V1 6MB @ 800x600 while I CANNOT run Quake 2 @800x600...

So what I have to do now is... check how many MB I have for frame-buffer and much memory for textures on my Hiscore 3D?

obobskivich wrote:

EDIT:

Did a bit more looking - Voodoo Graphics cannot do 800x600 for applications that use z-buffer (per Dodge Garage 3dfx), so it does depend on the application.

Looks like obobskivich answered your question, seems plausable

I don't know if you caught my edit - per Dodge Garage 3dfx the limitation appears to be both if the game uses z-buffer, and memory arrangement on the card, per idspispopd. Tracing back through the thread-linkage Thandor actually did some benchmarking which includes that HiScore (which per Dodge Garage 3dfx is likely a re-badged Canopus), and it does not show the card doing any 800x600 gaming:
http://thandor.net/object/109

I don't know if that's a condemnation of the ability of HiScore to run any games at 800x600 or not, it's just something I noticed.

obobskivich wrote:

EDIT:

Did a bit more looking - Voodoo Graphics cannot do 800x600 for applications that use z-buffer (per Dodge Garage 3dfx), so it does depend on the application.

OK. so how do you explain this video on you tube?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxsYJcNex5E
This guy uses Innovision Mighty FX6M. It's a Voodoo Graphics... It's Quake 2... and it's 800x600... magic? 😁

So unfortunatly it seems that (but I hope it's not the case):
- Hiscore 3D has 2MB for frame buffer and 4MB texture memory = Doesn't run Quake 2 @ 800x600
- Mighty FX6M has 4MB for frame buffer and 2MB texture memory = runs Quake 2 @ 800x600

VooDooMan wrote:

OK. so how do you explain this video on you tube?

No idea. He did provide some configuration info in the description though. Another question: what OS/drivers/etc are you using? That may make a difference too.

Yeah, I have completely different set... It's on Windows ME, Pentium 3 Tualatin 512 at 700 MHZ, ABIT ST6, with two other accelerators (Rendition Verite as the main 2D card and Matrox M3D as the second external accelerator) plus the fact that I just switched this Hiscore 3D with the previous ordinary 4MB Voodoo 1 Card from Orchid and Installed the newest drivers (V3.01.00) and then tried with some other drivers...

Today I will test it on a different MoBo with clean system, no other 3D cards and so on...
but maybe there is somebody here who run Qauke 2 @ 800x600 on ANY Voodoo 1 card?

I wouldn't expect any Voodoo 1 card to operate a very textured game at 800x600. It's like trying to get a PowerVR PCX2 to show hires textures without flashing white

My voodoo2 didnt run quake3 @ 640x480 as well as that guy claims to be running at 800x600 something bogus is going on

I can run Unreal with my Skywell Magic 3D Plus at 800x600. However for playability it is better to use 640x480 and get the ~20% additional performance from the additional texture RAM.

Darn, I also thought that the 6MB Voodoo 1 would always run 800x600 (or forgot that it couldn't do it). As stated out by obobskivich my miroMEDIA miroHISCORE 3D didn't run 6MB benchmarks. Even the story that goes along my miroHISCORE 3D states that 800x600 is not possible! It will only be possible if you disable Z-buffers and single buffering but this also works on 4MB models.

The 8MB Skywell Magic 3D Plus and Quantum3D Obsidian SB50-4220 8MB can run 800x600 without issues.

What kind of screenshots do you want to make? I'll be going to benchmark my SST-1 and SST-2 based cards in the near future so I can fire up Quake 2 and take some screenshots at 800x600 😀.

ftp://ftp.lyx.org/pub/sgml-tools/website/HOWT … OWTO/t1242.html gives a good overview of the Voodoo's features. The Voodoo Graphics uses 16-bit color spaces and 16-bit z-buffers. Essentially, 2MB is not enough frame buffer RAM for 800x600 with double buffering and z-buffering (for z-culling). Double buffering and z-buffering are two of the most basic performance enhancements you can make for graphics performance. It is possible to do 800x600 in 3D on a 4MB Voodoo Graphics card by sacrificing one or the other, but if you do so your performance will crawl.

Davros wrote:

My voodoo2 didnt run quake3 @ 640x480 as well as that guy claims to be running at 800x600 something bogus is going on

I have no idea what that guy did but it seems that it's really working... or maybe he is using different Voodoo ?

elianda wrote:

I can run Unreal with my Skywell Magic 3D Plus at 800x600. However for playability it is better to use 640x480 and get the ~20% additional performance from the additional texture RAM.

OK, I do not mind the low playability at 800x600 I just want to make it run on that resolition. So your Skywell Magic 3D Plus is divided into 4MB frame buffer and 4MB texture memory, right?

Great Hierophant wrote:

ftp://ftp.lyx.org/pub/sgml-tools/website/HOWT … OWTO/t1242.html gives a good overview of the Voodoo's features.

Thanks a lot for that link. I did some research and now I know more 😉 I just lived a lie for a lifetime so far....

Thandor wrote:

What kind of screenshots do you want to make? I'll be going to benchmark my SST-1 and SST-2 based cards in the near future so I can fire up Quake 2 and take some screenshots at 800x600 😀.

Thanks for your offer I think I will use your help with that screen shots or do it on my own on voodoo 2.... or buy Voodoo 1 with 8MB 😁

The point is that I am building a super-cool ultiamte retro gaming machine from 1997. I wanted to use three accelerators from 1997 (PowerVR PCX2 4MB, 3dfx Voodoo 1 6MB, Rendition Verite V2200 8MB). I installed everything just to see how it works and started comparing them in Quake 2 at 640x480 and then I wanted to make comparion of a higher resolution and I encountered the problem and stared this thread...