A hardware review on a classic gaming web site?!? Yes, you are looking at a hardware review. I have had tons of requests from people who want to "pick my brain" on the various hardware products. This is the first in my new series on the best hardware products for people who want to play classic games.

If you have ever played a 3D game on your PC, then you probably know about 3dfx. The have been making some of the best 3D accelerator cards on the market. Their original product back in 1996 was the Voodoo Graphics card. At that time, 3D graphics acceleration was a little-known new technology, and most software didn’t support it. Over the years, they have enhanced the Voodoo technology, and released many new chipsets with the latest and greatest in 3D technology. For quite some time, video cards based on the 3dfx chipsets were considered to be the "cream of the crop."

Recently, 3dfx has moved away from the 3D "add-on" style cards. Their product line now consists of video cards that support both 2D and 3D applications. Their first real success in this area was with the Voodoo Banshee card.

Their current "top of the line" video card is the Voodoo 3 series. This review will take a look at the Voodoo 3 3500 TV card, which has many features that will appeal to the "classic gamer."

The Voodoo 3 3500TV card can be classified as a "convergence" device. As recent as one year ago, you would have to buy at least three or four different expansion cards to get the same feature set that can be found in this card. The Voodoo 3 3500TV supports 2D and 3D video, multiple video inputs/outputs, DVD, and video editing. Let’s take a look at the basic feature set for this card:

Let’s start with the installation of this card. I downloaded the "latest and greatest" video drivers from 3dfx, as the drivers on the bundled CD were a bit out of date. I removed my existing video drivers from my system, and shut it down. I removed my existing 2D AGP video card, and my 3D add-on card. I installed the Voodoo 3 3500TV card into my AGP slot, and powered up the machine. I then ran the 3dfx installer for the 3dfx drivers & bundled software. The whole process took about 45 minutes. That sounds like a long time to install a video card…and it is. I had no problems during the install, but I needed to reboot more times than I could count. That was the real time killer.

The Voodoo 3 3500 TV runs at 183MHz core/memory speed. That is the fastest available speed in the 3dfx product line. The Voodoo3 2000 has a 143MHz clock and the Voodoo3 3000 has a 166MHz clock. The Voodoo 3 3500TV has a large heatsink for the main graphics processor, which has been removed from the card in the photo on the right. Don’t just assume that speed is the best feature of this card though. There is much more to like.

This card has a number of TV/Video related features not found in other 3dfx products. First and foremost, it has a Phillips FM1236 tuner. The tuner itself has coaxial inputs for both FM radio signals, and cable television, so you can watch or capture video directly from your desktop. The quality of the video is pretty good. I have seen other video cards with TV tuner capabilities, and the picture has always looked a bit "grainy." The TV picture through the Voodoo 3 3500TV is the best I have ever seen on the desktop, although it still is not as clear good as a conventional TV.

For sound and video processing, the Voodoo3 3 3500TV card uses a Micronas chipset. On the card itself, there are two audio interface connectors, so you can connect the video card directly to your sound card. This is a nice touch, as it keeps all of the audio cabling for this feature inside the computer.

Looking at the back of the card, you will notice that there is no VGA connector. 3dfx has opted to try something new. Included in the package is the "AV Pod." The pod itself is blue, and round, but the bottom is flat so it can sit on just about any surface. It has S-VHS input/output connectors, composite input/output connectors, and audio input/output connectors. The cable for the pod is approximately 6 feet long, and connects to the Voodoo 3 3500TV card via a 30 pin interface just below the TV/FM coax inputs. A connector for your VGA monitor splits off from the main AV Pod cable.

I’ll tell you what I like about this. Since the Voodoo 3 3500TV has some outstanding video capture/video editing features (more on this in a minute) the pod prevents the need to reach around the back of your PC to change cables around. The length of cable for the pod is long enough that it can easily stretch to the top of my mini-tower case. So, if I want to interface a VCR, or video game, or any other device, I can plug it into the AV Pod from the front of my system. On the down side, the pod cable itself is extremely stiff, so you will have to make sure that you don’t try to bend it too far. Since the cable is so stiff, the AV Pod generally doesn't stay where you want it to. I used a small piece of Velcro on the bottom of the AV Pod to hold it in place on top of my PC case, and that seems to work pretty well.

Now, I mentioned some features that will appeal to the classic gamer. We classic gamers have been known to do crazy things like wire up TV’s into custom arcade cabinets for use with the arcade and console emulators. For those people who want to try something like that, I am pleased to say that the Voodoo 3 3500TV has TV-OUT capability. I've seen some pretty poor implementations of TV-OUT over the years. Those other attempts at TV-OUT have generally had the same problems: the picture is slightly blurry, small text in Windows is almost impossible to read, and there is some substantial color-bleeding with shades of red and blue. In short, the picture will never be as crisp and clear as a true VGA monitor.

I am pleased to say that the quality from the Voodoo3 3500TV was much better than I expected. Like all other TV-OUT attempts that I have seen in the past, text in Win 9x was difficult to read. Connecting the Voodoo3 3500TV to the composite connection to my Sony 32 inch TV, the picture was OK, but nothing to get excited about. That changed when I switched to the S-VHS output. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! The picture is still not as sharp as a VGA monitor, and the text is still difficult to read. However, when using MAME or other arcade emulators, the quality is more than acceptable. I'll give a more in-depth explanation in a moment.

The Voodoo3 3500TV uses the Booktree chipset for its TV-Out function. This chipset is used on many other video cards, including 3dfx's Voodoo3 3000.

The inputs that I mentioned above are nice for classic gamers as well. If your home is anything like mine, the main TV in the house is sometimes used by the kids, wife, etc. so it is not always convenient to fire up a video game. NO PROBLEM! Use the composite or S-VHS inputs on the AV Pod, and play your video game consoles on your computer monitor.

All of the Voodoo3 3500TV video features are controlled through a "remote control" that sits on your desktop. (See screen capture on the right.) TV features, screen captures, input/output, etc. are all manipulated from this one device. if you don't like the look of the remote, you can download "skins" from the 3dfx web site that change the appearance of the remote. Overall, I found this "remote" to be an effective way of handling the multimedia features of this card.

For people like me who review video game software, the Voodoo 3 3500TV solves the problem of creating screen captures from console video games. Simply plug the game into the pod inputs, and use the bundled Ulead Video Studio software. The software itself is very basic, but it gets the job done. Ulead Video Studio can be used to create .AVI or MPEG movies from the cable TV, composite, or S-VHS inputs. The capture quality is pretty good for a hobbyist like me, and it does support captures up to 640x480.

"One thing that you can bet on when you buy a 3dfx-based video card is compatibility with all 3D games."

As for recording video, the Voodoo3 3500TV does NOT support recording video at full TV resolution. You are restricted to a 320x240 window. This limitation has me completely confused. 3dfx isn't the only company out there who uses this Micronas chipset, yet the 3dfx card is the only one (I know of) that limits the video capture settings. One of my co-workers has an Elza Erazor III, which uses the same Micronas chipset, but he does not have this 320x240 restriction. I suspect that the problem lies in 3dfx's software, or a shortage of RAM on the video card.

The Voodoo 3 3500TV also supports DVD playback. If you have a fast enough system (450MHz or higher) you should be able to watch a movie at 30 frames-per-second no frame drops or skips. I have seen some dedicated MPEG2 decoders in the past, so I was able to make a comparison between those dedicated cards and the 3500TV. Obviously, the dedicated MPEG2 cards have sharper output, but the 3500TV comes pretty close. The 3500TV comes bundled with the WinDVD player software.

DVD playback on your PC screen is pretty good, but who wants to watch DVD's on a tiny computer screen? Here is where the AV Pod comes in handy. If you are like me and you have a DVD-ROM, but you don't own a dedicated DVD player in your home theater system, just hook your PC up to your TV. Run some patch cables from the S-VHS & audio outputs to your TV & surround sound system. It works great!

Now that we have discussed the features, lets look at the important stuff: How does it work with the games! It is so easy to throw Quake III at a video card for testing, but I have elected not to do that. I am more concerned about how this card works with the classic games, arcade emulators, and modern re-releases of classic games. I also wanted to know how the card would work with home conversions of the modern coin-op video games that we all know and love. Although I ran the Voodoo3 3500TV card through a Gauntlet (pun intended) of tests with all kinds of games, I decided to report the results on four specific games/emulators: NFL Blitz, MAME, Missile Command, and Atari's Greatest Hits.

By the way, most hardware sites include some kind of benchmarks in reviews. I don't believe in benchmark numbers. The reason is that they are too easily manipulated based on minor things like memory, or an updated driver. What I am concerned about here is how the games look, and does the framerate remain steady.

NFL Blitz & NFL Blitz 2000: Anyone who has been in an arcade in the last two years has probably seen an NFL Blitz coin-op. The game is a high-speed football thrill ride with no rules. The teams and players are modeled after real players in the NFL. Midway has ported both NFL Blitz and NFL Blitz 2000 for use on the PC.

Since the original coin-op games use 3dfx technology, I assumed that the home games would look just as good as the original games in the arcade. My assumption was correct. These games look absolutely stunning on the PC with the Voodoo3 3500TV video card. On my previous 3D video card, the best resolution I could get with this game (without framerate problems) was 512x384. With the Voodoo3 3500TV, I'm playing NFL Blitz at a whopping 1024x768. The best part is that I am not experiencing any problems with frame rate, or skipping at all. The colors are beautiful, and the players are nicely rendered.

When I switched from the monitor to my Sony 32 inch TV, I had to bring the resolution down to 800x600. However, the picture was on par with the quality of the arcade version. I had expected some clarity and color bleeding issues, but I did not encounter any.

Note: The screen captures shown here are from NFL Blitz. The video in NFL Blitz 2000 is even better, but I was unable to capture video from that game. My system would crash when I used NFL Blitz 2000 with my screen capture software.

Missile Command: All classic gamers should remember Missile Command. Originally an Atari coin-op, Missile Command was ported to virtually all Atari home video games and computer. It was also translated to other gaming and computing platforms under the AtariSoft label in the early 80's. In late 1999, Atari decided it was time to give Missile Command a modern facelift for use on the PC's of today. If you haven't read my review of the "modern" Missile Command, I urge you to click here and give it a look.

The new 3D version of Missile Command is a fantastic fast-paced game that will keep you on your toes. So how did it work with the Voodoo3 3500TV? Let me put it this way: I was already a huge fan of Missile Command, and I now have a whole new level of appreciation for this title. Previously, I was playing the game at 640x480. It looked good, but it could have been much better. With the Voodoo 3 3500TV, I was able to crank the resolution up to 1024x768. Man, what a difference. Everything is totally bright, sharp & clear. The colors are vibrant, and gameplay is completely smooth with no frame skipping. The "mushroom" clouds that appear when a city is destroyed in the "Ultimate" mode are extremely realistic.

Atari's Greatest Hits: Odds are that if you have reading this review, you probably know what an arcade emulator is. Atari's Greatest Hits is a collection of 12 classic Atari coin-op video games. The original ROM code from the coin-op games is used with an arcade emulator to faithfully re-create the arcade experience from many years ago. Atari's Greatest Hits can be bought "off-the-shelf" from many software retailers. For more information on this package, click here for my review.

I'm sure that 3dfx didn't do any kind of testing with arcade emulators before they released this card. However, I am pleased to say that Atari's Greatest Hits works just fine on the Voodoo3 3500TV. Of course, these older coin-op arcade games won't take advantage of the 3D features of this card. However, these classic games are a great test for the 2D graphics feature set. All of the games in this package ran flawlessly. In particular, the games games looked wonderful when the cabinet artwork features were turned on. Take a look at the Battlezone screen capture above, and you will see what I mean. The cabinet artwork is colorful, and crystal clear.

MAME: MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is the king of the arcade emulators. MAME is a freeware program, and it is a cooperative effort between many programmers to emulate classic coin-op games from the 70's and 80's. Its main purpose is to be a reference to the inner workings of the emulated arcade machines. This is done for educational purposes and to preserve many historical games from the oblivion they would sink into when the hardware they run on will stop working. As it stands right now, MAME emulates just under 2,000 different arcade games. That is an impressive number.

Each and every game that I played under MAME worked very well. Due to the restrictions of the TV, you cannot force resolution beyond 800x600. I've included some screen captures from Donkey Kong, Discs of Tron, Joust, and Lunar Lander to show how good the overall image quality is.

When I hook my computer up to a TV via S-VHS, the image quality in the emulators is pretty good. Some games (like Joust, Gauntlet II, and Jr. Pac-Man) looked just as good as they do on a real arcade monitor. Gauntlet II sure feels much better on a 32 inch screen instead of the standard arcade monitor, which I believe is 21 inches. Other games (Galaga, Mappy, Dig-Dug) seemed to be just a tad blurry, but not enough to complain about. Neo-Geo games also look fantastic, but I imagine that has something to do with the fact that those games were programmed to display on a TV.

I have been having some difficulty in deciding if I should use a real arcade monitor for my cabinet project, or if I can save some money and use a TV. Granted, a true arcade monitor will give you an arcade quality picture, but 27 inch (or higher) arcade monitors are extremely expensive. I didn't think that I would be satisfied using a TV in my cabinet project until I tried the Voodoo3 3500TV card with the S-VHS output. The overall picture quality was much better than I expected. I am now convinced that I can use a large TV and not spend a ton of money on a large VGA or arcade monitor.

The only real problem I had was with the vector-based games. While using MAME with the TV, vector graphics games (Tempest, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Asteroids) aren't quite as bright as I would like, and there were some minor issues with "jaggies." I guess I expected this from the vector graphics type of games, so I didn't find this to be too distracting.

Overall, I would rate the Voodoo3 3500TV as a great card to use if you are planning a home arcade cabinet projects that combines a PC with a television set. The Voodoo3 3500TV can send an output signal via composite and S-VHS. I would suggest that you use a TV that has an S-VHS input. The picture will be much better than using a composite signal.

There is a lot to like about this card. Unfortunately, there are some things not to like as well. The card ships with 16mb of RAM, and it cannot be upgraded. Most of the 3D cards from other manufacturers are shipping with 32mb of RAM, or more. I didn't detect any problems with with the memory while testing with "classic" titles. However, if I were to pick up a Quake or Unreal based first-person shooter, I would probably want the extra RAM.

The Voodoo3 3500TV doesn't support AGP texturing. I assume that this has to do with the lack of memory, as RAM is required for storing textures.

The Voodoo3 3500TV is limited to 16-bit color rendering. This is a hot topic among the Quake and Unreal gamers who say that 32-bit rendering gives a more "real" gaming experience. For the "classic" games, arcade emulators, etc., I don't see this as much of a problem. However, if your gaming tastes are a bit more varied, and you also play the Quake and Unreal based games, this may be an issue for you. I attended a gaming event recently, and I saw 16-bit rendered Quake III side-by-side with 32-bit rendered Quake III. Personally, I cannot tell the difference, so I guess it is just a matter of personal preference. Most of the current crop of games support 32-bit color, and I believe that it will become necessary for 3dfx to support 32-bit rendering in the future.

I am completely confused by the way cooling is handled on this card. I think that there is potential for heat-related problems on the Voodoo3 3500 TV card if you do not have adequate cooling inside your computer. Most 3D cards (including my old 3dfx-based Canopus Pure 3D card) ship with some kind of fan that attaches to the heatsink on the main processor. The Voodoo3 3500TV does not have a fan, or the option to add one. It just has a big heatsink. After using my Voodoo3 3500TV card in a marathon session, I pulled the card out, and it was red hot to the touch. 3dfx says that the heatsink on the card is sufficient to cool the card. What concerns me is heat dispersal from the heatsink. I have 3 fans in my test PC, and the card was still extremely hot. Heat will shorten the life of any computer product, so I would suggest that anyone who buys this card should look into one of the many 3rd party cooling products that can be used with this card.

While I love the AV Pod, I wish there was some way to use the Voodoo3 3500TV card without it. If you take the computer on the road (as I occasionally do) and you forget to bring the pod, or you lose it, you will have no way of hooking up a monitor to the system.

The printed documentation is EXTREMELY weak. Most of the documentation is on the driver CD, and frankly, this really annoyed me. While I really didn't need a manual to get the Voodoo3 3500TV card up an running, nothing beats having a good printed manual around when you need it. Besides, if you are having a video problem, you can't look at the troubleshooting documentation on your computer, now can you? I suspect that 3dfx probably put the manuals on the CD to cut costs, and you can't blame 3dfx for trying to keep the cost to consumers as low as possible. Personally, I would rather pay the extra $10 or so and have a good printed manual. I strongly urge 3dfx not to make this mistake again on future products. I ask that they take a look at the manuals provided by other hardware manufacturers like ABIT, as they provide the best written manuals in the business.

As I noted above, the Voodoo3 3500TV does NOT support recording video at full TV resolution. You are restricted to a 320x240 window. 3dfx isn't the only company out there who uses the Micronas chipset, yet the 3dfx card is the only one (I know of) that limits the video capture settings. One of my co-workers has an Elza Erazor III, which uses the same Micronas chipset, but he does not have this 320x240 restriction. I suspect that the problem lies in 3dfx's software, or a shortage of RAM on the video card.

One thing that you can bet on when you buy a 3dfx-based video card is compatibility with all 3D games. Every 3D game I threw at this card ran with no issues. I have a friend with one of the newer GeForce cards, and he certainly can't make that claim. The Voodoo3 3500TV will run any 3D game that uses Glide, Open-GL, or DirectX.

The Voodoo3 3500 TV is an extremely cool product. This is the first card I have seen that gives you high-quality 3D video power along with a good set of Input/Output & TV features. The 3D video quality was great with all of the products I tested. The compatibility with the 3D-based games on the market is outstanding. The overall performance was excellent.

The software bundle for the card is adequate. The included software for DVD playback, video capture and multimedia gets the job done, but doesn't have any fancy "bells and whistles." The software bundle also includes a full copy of Unreal.

I gave this card high marks for features, performance and compatibility. Unfortunately, the lack of a printed manual, and the heat related concerns I mentioned above have affected the final rating. Had the card shipped with a better cooling mechanism and a printed manual, I would have had no problem giving this card a 90% rating.

The suggested Retail Price of this card is $249. I have seen it in stores for as low as $209, and at mail order/online merchants for as low as $179.

The Voodoo 3 3500TV is a powerful gaming card, that has some outstanding extra multimedia features that should easily satisfy the needs of "classic" gamers. It is also a good "all in one" choice for webmasters like me, or anyone who needs some additional multimedia features.

Operating System:
Windows� 95/98

Processor:
Pentium II� 266 or higher

CD-ROM Drive:
4x Speed

Memory:
16 MB RAM

Hard Disk Space:
30 MB Free

AGP:
AGP compatible expansion slot