Gutspiller
08-09-2002, 12:09 PM
Real-time 3D graphics has come a long, long way since it first arrived on microcomputers less than 20 years ago. We've moved from simple wireframes to texture-mapped polygons with per-vertex lighting—all handled in software. Then, in 1996, custom graphics chips hit the scene in the form of Rendition's Verite and 3dfx's Voodoo Graphics. These cards, especially the Voodoo, were an instant success among gamers, who naturally appreciated the additional graphics power afforded by dedicated hardware. The Voodoo's success in the PC market caught even 3dfx off guard; the chip was originally intended for video arcade machines, not consumer PCs.
PC platform custodians like Intel and Compaq never saw the 3D tide coming. Unlike nearly every new PC feature we've seen in the past ten years, 3D graphics hardware was not a "must have" feature integrated and promoted by PC OEMs as a means of driving demand for new systems. (Intel, of course, would have preferred to do graphics processing work on the CPU.) At first, Voodoo cards sold primarily as retail, aftermarket upgrades. PC builders caught on pretty quickly, but in truth, raw consumer demand pushed dedicated 3D graphics chips into the mainstream.
Tech-Report.com (http://tech-report.com/etc/2002q3/nextgen-gpus/index.x?pg=1)
PC platform custodians like Intel and Compaq never saw the 3D tide coming. Unlike nearly every new PC feature we've seen in the past ten years, 3D graphics hardware was not a "must have" feature integrated and promoted by PC OEMs as a means of driving demand for new systems. (Intel, of course, would have preferred to do graphics processing work on the CPU.) At first, Voodoo cards sold primarily as retail, aftermarket upgrades. PC builders caught on pretty quickly, but in truth, raw consumer demand pushed dedicated 3D graphics chips into the mainstream.
Tech-Report.com (http://tech-report.com/etc/2002q3/nextgen-gpus/index.x?pg=1)