Running in SLI:

As those with other Monster 3D II boards can attest, running in SLI is the ultimate thrill. Even before Voodoo2 cards came out gaming companies were seeing the value of programming their games for Glide users. Since those with Voodoo cards are looking to purchase new games that support Glide, gaming companies understand that to broaden their market they must cater to users who buy games on a regular basis. Those who spend big dollars on dedicated 3D hardware are the market gaming companies want to attract.

Writers for gaming magazines are no different. Clearly, I am always on the lookout for games that support Glide and especially those games that support SLI. Recently, those games that support SLI are definitely on the rise. A few recent games that I play that are planning to support SLI are; Falcon 4 from Microprose, F16 Multi-role Fighter and MiG-29 Fulcrum (both from Novalogic), WW2 Fighters from Janes Combat Simulations, Rainbow Six from Red Storm Entertainment and Need for Speed III from Electronic Arts (EA).

Those of us who are dedicated flight-sim nuts (like me) are always on the lookout for new ways to improve our framerate and improve resolution. Running my two Monster 3D II boards in SLI is exactly what I am talking about. Now lets talk a bit about what Diamond offers with the purchase of a Monster 3D II besides excellent 3D performance.

The Product:

When I received my box from Diamond it had a full copy of Monster Truck Madness 2, Incoming, and Battle Zone along with a PC sampler from Electronic Arts. Also in the box was my SLI cable and the connector cable that runs from your Voodoo2 board to your 2D graphics board. Installation was a snap as Win98 detected both boards and loaded the drivers without a hitch. I check the Diamond website, downloaded some updated drivers, and installed them in a snap.

Click to continue . . .

From there, I loaded up my latest Alpha of Falcon 4 and was treated to a spectacular view! Although Falcon 4 does not support SLI as of yet (it will soon!) it ran beautifully with Glide at 800*600. Frame rates were pretty good and I could see a huge frame rate jump from my old 1st generation Monster 3D board. Next I decided to get some FPS figures so I loaded up Quake 2. As expected my frame rate mimicked those before me with similar numbers and they were as follows (no tweaking!):

Time Demo 1 640*480 90 FPS
Time Demo 1 800 *600 83 FPS
Time Demo 1 1024*768 63 FPS

Since the Diamond Monster 3D II scales well with Pentium II machines, those of you with machines faster than mine (especially using the 100 MHz bus) should notice performance rates superior to mine. I am piecing together a 450 MHz machine right now and am looking forward to even faster frame rates!

Summary

With competition stiffening due to the release of cards using the TNT chip, Matrox G200 and 3DFX Banshee, buying a Voodoo2 is becoming a more difficult decision. However, from a purely performance standpoint, nothing beats a Voodoo2 overall. Since so many games support Glide, making a choice of running a Monster 3D II alongside a great 2D card is almost a no-brainer for those looking for the best performance. Nothing comes close to beating 2 Monster 3D II cards running in SLI.

If you still debating about whether or not to buy a Voodoo2 board, understand that the performance gains you achieve are going to scale with higher CPU power. If you are running anything under a P2, buying a Monster 3D II is not going to help you much. However, if you are planing to spend good money on a dedicated 3D board, chances are that you will be upgrading the rest of your computer soon anyway so buying a Monster 3D II should really be considered an investment in your future upgrades. Buying two Monster 3D II boards will allow you to achieve the ultimate excitement and maximize the potential of your PC!

In conclusion, Diamond makes buying a Monster 3D II an easy decision. They have excellent drivers, customer service and nothing can beat prices for a Monster 3D II now on the Internet. If you are interested in buying two Monster 3D II and running in SLI, Diamond also offers customers the ability to purchase the MegaMonster which is 2 Monster 3D II boards for one big discount. Check their website for details and their latest drivers for the Monster 3D II (http://diamondmm.com).

Do yourself a favor and upgrade to the Monster 3D II! Currently Diamond is offering a $50 rebate on all purchases and with prices for a 12 Meg version hovering around $175 not upgrading is almost a sin! For a solid gaming experience with maximum horsepower, the Monster 3D II is a best buy!