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3dfx: T-Buffer Technology
by Bubba "Masterfung" Wolford |
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3dfx showed us two demos. One was of EA's Need for Speed 3 and one was a 3dfx custom-built demo running in split screen. Running on both NFS3 and the custom-built demo, the V3 (non T-Buffer) seemed faster than the 8-way Voodoo2's running with T-Buffer. Neither computer seemed to be running at 60 FPS. Thus if we even assume that the 8-way Voodoo2 computer was running at 30 FPS (which I doubt), it would make sense that to approach 60 FPS we would need… you guys can do the math right? The raw figures here would indicate that the next generation must be 16x more powerful than a single V2! Of course T-Buffer technology will be a major part of 3dfx's next generation chipset. Conclusion Remember what I mentioned earlier about 32-bit color, 1024x768 resolutions and above, larger texture sizes, 4X AGP with T-Buffer technology all running at 60 FPS and above? I know that you are starting to see the possibilities now. Imagine buying a new 3dfx card, taking it home, installing it and putting in an old favorite (EF2K?). Your old game will feel like a brand new one due to 3dfx's T-Buffer technology. No more jaggies! |
 Furthermore, it won't matter whether the game is made for Glide, D3D or OpenGL. T-Buffer will run on any of the three major API's. It won't matter if your computer is a P2 300 or a P3 600 either. Since T-Buffer is a hardware solution, your CPU will be free to render whatever it can and as fast as possible. 3dfx sought to raise the bar by which all other 3D chips would have to compete. It seems they have done exactly that. I would say that 3dfx the T-Buffer is such a stunning accomplishment that the competition scrambling will be dumbfounded. 3dfx appears to have again revolutionized 3D gaming! After glimpsing T-Buffer technology firsthand, my gaming experience will be very distracting without it. T-Buffer technology really makes that big of a difference. 3dfx also realizes that Christmas is not too far away. Since they announced that their product would be available before Christmas, expect an official release announcement from 3dfx to arrive soon, very likely even before this year's Comdex. Join a discussion forum on this article by clicking HERE.
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