Voodoo: The magic is gone
Written: Dec 16 '00 (Updated Dec 17 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: None
Cons: Slow, overpriced, obsolete, about to become unsupported
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| stevelarrison's Full Review: 3dfx Voodoo4 4500 |
There is no other way to put it. I can not find any justification for anyone to buy this video card. There are a few important things to remember when purchasing a video card. The first rule is that the graphics chipset rules all purchasing decisions. The second rule is to remember the first rule. For reasons I will discuss in this epinion related to the technology behind the card, as well as the recent announcement that Nvidia is buying all intellectual property rights, but not the physical assets of 3dfx, I come to the inevitable conclusion that there is no reason to buy this video card.
That's pretty harsh, can you back it up?
Yes. First, a look at the technology behind the Voodoo 4 4500, and why it is a bad purchasing decision.
The Voodoo 4 4500 Video Card uses the same VSA-100 graphics chipset that is used in the Voodoo 5 5000, and Voodoo 5 5500 product lines. The Voodoo 5 line of video cards contain 2 VSA-100 processors, whereas the Voodoo 4 4500 only has 1 VSA-100 processor. For more information on the VSA-100 processors, see my review on the Voodoo 5 at http://www.epinions.com/./cmd-review-6418-602B599-393A540E-prod5 .
What does this mean to the average consumer?
Well, it means a few things. First of all, compatibility with any application will be identical to the Voodoo 5 series of video cards. This means that, by and large, it will work well in most software environments, but it makes a poor choice of video cards for the Pentium 4 class computers. (Voodoo 4 and 5 are incompatible with the i850 chipset used by the Pentium 4 class motheboards)
It also means that image quality at equal resolutions will be the same as the Voodoo 5 cards. But since there is only one processor, total through put will be approximately half of the Voodoo 5. Since the Voodoo 5 has a reputation of having good picture quality, but slow performance relative to the Nvidia and ATI product lines, this means that the avid gamer will not be happy with this video card.
But everyone isn't a hard core gamer
It doesn't matter, this video card is still a poor choice. Should you be convinced that the 3dfx product line is the way you want to go ( and I will provide reasons later on to tell you why you shouldn't go this route ), the Voodoo 4 4500 is still a poor choice. Recently, there have been radical price reductions in the Voodoo 5 series video cards. Currently, you can get a Voodoo 5 5500 with 2 VSA-100 processors and 64MB of RAM for about $175. Whereas the Voodoo 4 4500 with 1 VSA-100 processor and 32MB of RAM will run you about $140. For $35 more, you can get twice the video card. Whether you are a hard core gamer or not, the Voodoo 5 5500 is simply a better buy.
Why you shouldn't buy this card anyway
Based on news that came out on 12/15/00, I really find it hard to recommend that anyone buy any 3dfx product, let alone the Voodoo 4 4500. Nvidia has bought all intellectual property rights owned by 3dfx. Although they have bought intellectual property rights, they have not bought the current product line. Support for the Voodoo 3, 4, and 5 product lines will remain with 3dfx.
Since 3dfx is left without any intellectual property rights, the future does not look bright. If you buy a 3dfx video card (even the top of the line Voodoo 5 5500), you are getting a product that isn't currently cutting edge, and is about to become unsupported. Do not expect driver updates in the future. Do not expect game developers to continue to support GLIDE. If your card doesn't work with a game in the future, other than replace it, you probably won't have any other way to get around the problem.
There is no other way to put it. You should not buy this video card. For $35 more, you could either get a top of the line 3dfx card, or better yet, a low end Geforce 2. The prices have been dropping rapidly lately. If $140 is the maximum you can spend, do yourself a favor. Get a Geforce 2 MX based video card instead. You will get a better video card for about $90.
Recommended:
No
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stevelarrison
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Member: Steve Larrison
Location: Scottsdale, Az. USA
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 198 members
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Beer, the answer to, and the cause of all life's problems.
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