Current Video Drivers as of Feb '98 See also http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~dank/cards.htm Looks like graphics cards drivers are a continuing source of grief for people, so I'm trying to put together what little info I've gathered about them. Hope it helps a few people. If you've found a driver update that solves a Mercs or Heavy Gear problem, please let me know. Also be sure to check the README file that came with the product- it might have some driver advice. Thanks, Dan ------- About switching between different graphics cards: one user writes: >Go to http://www.videologic.com and get the 3D Control Center; it will allow you >to select your Direct3D card, hiding the other from games. It works great and its >the best utility going if you have multiple cards in your system. Another writes: > http://www.voodooextreme.com/ Under Downloads then Utilities [has a utility to let > you pick what graphics card to use] 3Dfx: 3Dfx sells graphics chips to companies that make graphics boards. They have a driver download page at http://www.3dfx.com/download/sdk/index.html#drivers They recommend you get your drivers from the company that made your card (they have links), but sometimes the drivers on 3dfx's page are more up to date. Voodoo: Version: 2.14 Posted: 12/06/97 See http://www.3dfx.com/software/download_vgd3d.html Voodoo Rush: Version: 4.10.01.2063 / 2.14 Posted: 12/06/97 Note: On their driver page, they say: If you've experienced problems with a product based on Voodoo Graphics and an S3 968 or 868 running under Windows 95, please download the S3 Fix Kit. See http://www.3dfx.com/software/download_s3fix.html ATI: Driver download page at http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/drivers.html 3D RAGE II: Latest version 4.10.2278 Posted: 12-10-97 See http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/3drageII+.html One user wrote on 12/29/97: From: Rob Ayotte ... ATI has a new driver out that solved my mercs 1.1 problems. I still get some chop but it's running with all the options on. Now they tell you the drivers are just for boards, and not for use with systems that have the chips on the MB's but it still worked on my Aptiva with an embedded chip. I tried turning MIP off, and all the other things. What really makes a difference for me is the Textures. Kill them and it's SMOOTH. Looks like hell, but it's not in anyway choppy. The MIP helps a small bit. I am running on a Aptiva (yea yea yea, it was a gift, so I live with it) 200MMX, with 32 ram, and the RAGE II on the MB. Canopus/Pure3d: Driver download page at http://www.pure3d.com/pure3d/p3d_software.htm and http://www.canopuscorp.com/ Canopus: Latest version 1.30.04. Posted: 12/19/97 Cardex: Driver download page at http://gainward.com/html/download.htm Diamond Multimedia: Driver download page at http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/driver-index.html Stealth 2000: Latest Version: 4.10.01.0069 Posted: 11/26/97 See http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/stealth3d-2000.html Stealth 2 S220: Latest Version: 4.10.01.0101 Posted: 10/30/97 See http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/stealth2.html Stealth 64 Video VRAM / 3000: Version: 4.02.325 Posted: 7/11/96 See http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/stealth64v-3000s.html Monster 3D: Latest Version: 1.09 Posted: 11/13/97 See http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/monster-3d.html Note: there's a known problem with the Monster 3d. If programs (e.g. the test program MOJO.EXE) hang, you may need to apply a workaround; see the above page for the driver's README, which explains the bug and the workaround. One user says his problems with the Monster3d and Mercs 1.1 went away with the following: Install DX5, and -very important- install the latest 3dfx-drivers at http://www.3dfx.com again, after you install DirectX5 !! Viper V330: Latest Version: 4.10.01.0022 Posted: 2/10/98 See http://www.diamondmm.com/products/drivers/viperv330.html and the main site for drivers for all Riva 128 cards, http://www.rivazone.com/ (New beta drivers 3/25/98) Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 22:52:24 -1000 From: Darrell Mayeda Viper 330 owners. diamond has posted pre-release drivers for the Viper 330 that includes OpenGl beta 2 drivers for the Riva 128. DO NOT DOWNLOAD from the diamond site. Download from http://www.rivazone.com Diamond has the wrong link posted on their driver page. They call it a release candidate. Matrox: The Matrox driver page is http://www.matrox.com/mgaweb/drivers/drivers.htm Millenium/Mystique: Latest drivers are 3.8, but one user said: > Quit using the 3.8 Matrox drivers and go back to 3.7 or 3.63. The > 3.8 drivers have caused others, including myself alot of grief. > Problems I encountered with 3.8: > Could not install Wing Commander Prophecy Demo (setup program crashes trying > to detect video hardware) > Could not run my desktop at 1024x768 16bit 75hz, windows starts to > a black screen and freezes (8 bit colour did work though) > All these problems were resolved by going back to 3.7. The 3.70 drivers are at ftp://ftp.matrox.com/pub/mga/mystique/win95/1677_370.exe M3D: Latest drivers are 1.0, dated November 12/97 See http://www.matrox.com/mgaweb/drivers/m3d.htm Number Nine: One user wrote: >After searching the Number 9 site for new drivers and found none, I went to >the S3 site and downloaded their latest driver for S3 Virge. What a >difference. Average framerate is now 15, not awesome but decent (most options off). >I have a Pentium 133, 40MB EDO ram, Number9 Reality 332 S3 Virge w/ 2MB... NVidia: NVidia sells the Riva 128 graphics chip to graphics board companies. The main site for all Riva 128 cards is http://www.rivazone.com/ (New beta drivers 2/5/98) NVidia's page is http://www.nvidia.com/ but doesn't seem to have any drivers. Orchid: Driver page at http://www.orchid.com/support/driverlist.html Righteous 3d: Latest version 3.01 Posted: January 1998 See http://www.orchid.com/support/graphics/drv-r3d.html Real3D: http://www.real3d.com/ These guys make chips, doesn't look like they have drivers online. See e.g. vogue3d. S3: S3 sells graphics chips to graphics board companies, and they have generic drivers at http://www.s3.com/bbs/0main/topindex.htm They recommend you get your drivers from the company that made your board, but sometimes S3's drivers work better. STB: Driver page at http://www.stb.com/drivers/ Velocity 128: Latest version: 1.21 Posted: 11-25-97 The main site for drivers for all Riva 128 cards is http://www.rivazone.com/ (New beta drivers 2/5/98) Vogue3d: 3Demon: Driver page at http://www.vogue3d.com/page41.html Dan Kegel -- Reply to dank at alumni.caltech.edu The opinions expressed in this message are my own, and are not the opinions of my employer. Charles Darwin - a guy with a Vastly dangerous idea!