3dfx Voodoo3 3000

3dfx Voodoo3 3000

WHAT'S HOT: Formerly the fastest board on our chart, the 3dfx Voodoo3 3000 is still competitive: Its 71-frames-per-second rate in Quake III at a 16-bit color depth is a close match for the top scores of every board except the pacesetting Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator. At only $150 the Voodoo3 3000 is also the least expensive model on our chart. It comes with an attractive bundle of extras, including Electronic Arts' Need for Speed 3 and GT Interactive's Unreal. A video-out port lets you display games on a TV. In addition, 3dfx provides an unbeatable lifetime warranty.

WHAT'S NOT: When we used the card's Direct3D driver, the 3dfx Voodoo3 3000 produced mediocre image quality in our tests, with washed-out lighting in Quake III and blurry textures in Flight Simulator 2000. With 3dfx's Glide driver, which you can use with many games, images looked much more realistic. Like other boards using the Voodoo3 chip, this model supports only a 16-bit color depth with 3D graphics. Except for 3dfx's Voodoo3 3500 TV, every other card on our chart supports 32-bit color depth in 3D.

WHAT ELSE: 3dfx cards typically offer a brighter picture than other boards do, a factor that some gamers appreciate because it allows them to see easily into dark corners. Those who prize the most realistic picture, however, may not like the effect. Unlike most vendors 3dfx offers a toll-free tech support line, available 12 hours on weekdays and 8 hours on Saturdays.

BEST USE: For many gamers, good performance and an affordable price may outweigh spotty image quality and lack of support for 3D graphics in 32-bit color.

SUMMARY

$150 888/234-4334 www.3dfx.com