Q21. What is the difference between 3D Blaster PCI and Graphics Blaster MA334?

The Graphics Blaster MA334 has great 2D performance in all resolutions and pixel depths, it supports very high resolutions (up to 1600x1200 at 75Hz) and is better suited for general Windows performance enhancements. It supports Direct3D and CGL, like the 3D Blaster PCI, however it does not support the "Rendition Ready" (Speedy3D) API. This means it won't run games like Quake, IndyCar Racing or other titles ported to Speedy3D.

Although the 3D Blaster PCI runs Windows 95 pretty well, but it isn't as fast, nor does it support as many color depths, resolutions and refresh rates as the GB MA334. However its strength lies in its 3D core which incorporates a front-end RISC engine for triangle setup--a feature which tremendously boost the speed of a 3D game. It is also a superb SVGA accelerator, meaning you can play your SVGA DOS games at high resolutions without compromising on speed.

In short: for gaming, go with the 3D Blaster; for general purpose, high performance 2D yet not lacking in 3D support, go with the MA334. Incidentally, the MA334's 3D is superior to ViRGE-based cards, as well as the Matrox Mystique and ATI 3D Xpression. It is faster, supports point-sampling and nearest neighbor texture filtering, as well as true perspective correction.

Q22. What is the difference between 3D Blaster PCI & 'FALCON'?

The 3D Blaster PCI was designed with gamers in mind. 'Falcon' is the codename of a new 3D accelerator currently under development. 'Falcon' makes use of the Permedia NT chipset, which consists of 3Dlabs' 2D/3D Permedia engine and the GLiNT® DeltaTM processor. This combination brings high-technology graphics to your desktop PC without hurting your pocket. It will have support for Windows NT 4.0 & 3.51, Windows 95, 3D Studio MAX and OpenGL applications, as well as DirectX and CGL. You can find more information in our Press Release.

Q23. Are there any differences between 3D Blaster PCI and other Rendition-based cards ?

There aren't a lot of hardware differences between the various Rendition-based cards. But we believe we have an edge over other Rendition solutions for the following reasons:-

First, we've got more experience with the Vérité, as we've been the primary customer of Rendition since they started the project. This means we've got a leg up in improving the BIOS and tuning the drivers. Further we have added a user-friendly BlasterControl interface which enables you to customize your desktop easily.

Second, we put our card through world-wide system compatibility testing in our respective test labs, to ensure that we cover as many of the machine models that are used in different parts of the world as we can. This means our card is more likely to be system compatible.

Third, we've implemented an additional API, called CGL -- Creative Graphics Library-- for DOS-based game developers. This API can ONLY be used on the 3D Blaster PCI and no other Rendition card can support games making use of this API. This means that you will find more games supported on the 3D Blaster PCI.

Lastly, "Plug and Play" isn't a walk in the park to be properly implemented. We've developed our own configuration manager to fix the many "issues" with Intel's implementation. This means our card is more likely to be PnP compatible.

Q24. How is the 3D Blaster PCI compared to other 3D game cards such as the Diamond Stealth 3D? I have heard that Righteous 3D is significantly more powerful than 3D Blaster PCI, is this true?

The 3D Blaster PCI is designed to support virtually all the 3D features that enhance the realism in a 3D polygon game, such as bilinear-filtering, perspective-correct texture mapping, anti-aliasing, z-buffering and more. What this translates into is: games look better when played on the 3D Blaster PCI because these features can be turned on.

Take note that some so-called 3D cards are actually 'free-D' cards with limited 3D capabilities and feature support. For example, Diamond Stealth 3D supports only point-sampled texture mapping with poor performance.

And, not to mention, these cards do not have support for CGL or Speedy3D games.

Q25. I have heard that Righteous 3D is significantly more powerful than 3D Blaster PCI, is this true?

Yes, in some ways, Orchid's Righteous 3D is better than 3D Blaster PCI. However Righteous 3D is an add-on card that requires a separate VGA card, unlike the 3D Blaster PCI which functions as a VGA card as well. The Righteous 3D also has one glaring drawback, its 3D graphics can only function in full-screen mode. If you already have a great VGA card which you would like to keep, then perhaps you should consider getting the Righteous 3D. However if you have an older VGA card right now, get the 3D Blaster PCI and put the rest of the money in the bank.

Q26. How does the 3D Blaster PCI compare to the 128-bit accelerators?

Unfortunately, this is like comparing apples to oranges here. The 3D Blaster is targeted at the entertainment arena whereas the 128-bit cards have their areas of expertise primarily in 2D GUI performance rather than 3D. Yes, 3D Blaster does 2D GUI acceleration and it does video playback, but its primary design criterion wasn't "productivity-enhancing". Rather it was designed specifically for gaming.

If you're looking for high-performance, true-color acceleration for 2D productivity tools (like Corel DRAW or PhotoStyler), 3D Blaster PCI probably isn't going to satisfy you. If, on the other hand, you want your 3D games to fly then 3D Blaster PCI is the best card for you.