Mac Systems Compatibility: The follow are systems that either I or readers have tested:

• PowerLogix G3 Upgrades: As strange as it may seem, several readers reported their PL G3 upgrade was not compatible with the Voodoo3 (extensions I assume). I have had no problems running Voodoo3 cards with other brands of CPU Upgrades like XLR8 (CarrierZIF) and Newer Tech and this may not be a common issue with PL cards (perhaps only certain models, or there could be some other issue at work)

• L2 Cache Slot G3 Upgraded Macs: [Note - later L2 cache slot G3 upgrade cards seem to improve compatibility with PCI graphics cards - search the Rate Your CPU Upgrade database for the latest reports] Although many Sonnet L2 cache slot G3 card owners reported problems (later cards like their 400Mhz and 500Mhz G3s had good reports), several Vimage and Newer Tech cache slot G3 upgrade owners reported running the Voodoo3 PCI card fine. A Phase5 G3 upgrade owner also reported all OK. It's not just the Voodoo3 PCI card that is causing some L2G3 owners problems, but other video cards as well. See my L2 G3 Upgrade Owners Feedback page for more reports. I welcome other L2 cache slot G3 upgrade owner reports.
• Apple G4 systems (DVD player requires ATI Rage128 card however!)
• Blue and White G3 (in 66MHz and 33MHz PCI slots)
• Beige G3 (remove any Mac/VGA adapters when switching over to the Voodoo3 or use dual monitors)
• Apple 73/75/76/85/86/95/9600
• J.R.Kuhnen reported that the Voodoo 3 runs fine in the PM 6500, [5500 was originally noted but a typo I assume since the 5500 is a all-in-one and not sure it has PCI slots], PM5400, Umax Apus 3000
• APS MPower 604E200 (StarMax clone)
• Umax S900 (use one of the top 2 PCI slots for best performance) and J700
• PowerComputing Systems: PowerCenter Pro, PowerTower Pro and Powerbase reported as OK by readers. Other models should work but I've not tested personally yet (as of 1999).

OpenGL Applications (non-Game) Compatibility: [Note - Beta12 was said to have improvements in OpenGL applications compatibility, although B12 was also reported to have some 2D issues and many reverted to B11 ROM/drivers.] The Beta9 Voodoo3 drivers (released in mid-November 1999) include a native OpenGL extension for the Voodoo3 (remove Mesa extensions, libs and settings). Readers reported in my front page news at www.xlr8yourmac.com recently that the following apps worked:

• Strata StudioPro
• Hash Animation Master (reader mentioned some oddities but didn't explain)
• Lightwave 3D 5.6D (Note: disable the 3Dfx opengl extension to allow LW's software mode to work - Ken Dyke says the next update should resolve the issues with LW 3D and their OpenGL extension.)

Reader posts on these apps were in the November 26th, 1999 (Hash AM report) and Nov 27th, 1999 news pages (Lightwave3D and Strata StudioPro reports) pages.

The following list will be updated as reader info is received. The lists and tips below are based on my own tests with a Voodoo3 2000 PCI card in a B&W G3/400 running OS 8.6 and reader comments in various machines. Note that these tests were run with the initial beta version of the drivers. 3Dfx is supplying information to developers to ensure compatibility with the Voodoo3 in the future and to encourage support for higher than 960x720 resolution in Glide games [Unreal 224b7 has support for up to 1600x1200 with a Voodoo3, dual Voodoo2/SLI mode is required for 1024x768 (max) mode with the Voodoo2]. Glide 3 also brings improved image quality and filtering I'm told as well as better performance.

Voodoo 3 Games Compatibility List:

• Carmageddon 1: Beta 2 ROM/drivers allowed this game to run according to a reader report.
• Carmageddon 2: Don't use the Carma 3Dfx icon, use top level Carmageddon 2 icon.
• Descent I 3dfx version (Descent II should work also)
• Descent III Glide (beta)
• FutureCOP 1.01 'perfect' up to 1024x768 a readers says in the database
• Fly2K - As of July, 2000 there's an updated TRIGlide.dll extension that fixes the Voodoo3 issues (use the support page at www.iflytri.com to request the update until they post it online). A reader said he posted it in the fly forum (Mac area) at www.iflytri.com:8080/~flysite< but I did not see it there. (added 7/15/2000)
• RainBow Six: Opengl mode seems ok with beta10 drivers (3dfx extension). No info on tests with mesa extensions (without 3dfx opengl extension)
• Quake1 - rather than use RAVE, get the GL Quake application at www.porkrind.org/david/quake/
• Quake 1 RAVE (need 2 monitor setup to access video screen) - requires using the Voodoo2 drivers RAVE extension (perhaps included with later Voodoo3 driver downloads)
• Quake 2 (If using B10 drivers or later, no need for MesaQuake2 lib!) via MesaQuake2 lib (with multitexture support) - see sidebar links for downloads. Still requires installing Apple's OpenGL extensions! [If you're having problems switching res. turn off fullscreen in video options]
• Quake3 Arena (retail)/Q3test/Quake3 Demo If using Beta 10 drivers which include an opengl extension from 3dfx, you do not need to use the Mesa3DfxEngine extension (see sidebar for download location). Still requires installing Apple's OpenGL 1.1.2 extensions!. When using 3dfx's opengl extension - remove any mesa extensions or settings files. Check the game's docs and readme files for more info if needed.
• Myth TFL v1.3 worked flawlessly Randall says. Unlike myth 2, you need to ENABLE resolution switching.
• Myth 2: Go get the Myth II 1.3.1 patch that fixes the Voodoo3 issues at: www.bungie.net/downloads/patches.shtml.

• Nanosaur: Reported to work with Beta12 drivers/Rave extension. However B12 drivers have had other issues and many prefer to run Beta11 (you can still try the B12 Rave extension)

• Railroad Tycoon: here's a reader tip:

  "Hey,
  I've got a beige G3/300 with a Voodoo 3 PCI card.

  I was having problems with Railroad Tycoon. It would start, but when it got into the game, it would double-scan (show it twice) horizontally.

  I found that by updating to the latest Railroad Tycoon release (1.0.5b) and starting with option key, then entering "nomovieswitch" at the console line and checking the "always use command line" option (as detailed in the 1.0.5b readme file, I could overcome the problem.

  [1.0.5b download link was www.westlakeinteractive.com/download0011.html]

  Apparently, the game switches resolutions when playing the QuickTime cut scenes. Stopping the resolution change fixes this.
  Regards,
  Dave"

• Star Wars Pod Racer: The latest B11 Voodoo3 drivers and the Patch for Pod Racer are said to fix the previous issues. Rene Trost posted a POD Racer Demo and Full retail patch previously (see http://www.coolmedia.de/pod/index.html) for 3dfx cards to work with the game but it should not be required now.

• Unreal v224 (prev. versions have image problems.) To access the Advanced Settings Control Panel use the Command+F to toggle to windowed mode first.

• Unreal Tournament: Has native glide support and works fine.

• TombRaider II (disable movies in TR II Setup) Ditto for TR Gold. (No reports with the latest TRII updates)
• Tombraider III To fix any problems exiting the game, hit return on the keyboard (instead of a mouse click) to exit to the desktop normally. Note that some Kenwood TrueX drives have issues with this CD as noted on past Game News page reader posts. I think the 72X was ok, but not the 52X (but the 72X is often reported as not bootable in a Mac and Kenwood does not officially support Macs with the drives).

• ShadoWarrior 3dfx

• StarCraft: works with later driver versions (Beta 7 or later)

• X-plane 5.03 Using mesa's 3dfxEngine 3.1b6 (or later) [Status unknown on later x-plane versions with current drivers]

• Games based on the Unreal engine should work if they are based on the Unreal v224 rev code (Klingon Honor Guard isn't).

• RAVE: Although Beta12 of the Voodoo3 has had problems noted from many owners it does include a completely re-written RAVE extension. (You use the B12 Rave extension with B11 drivers according to Ray Swartz, programmer.)

  Pre-Beta 12 Rave driver notes: (applies to those not running the B12 drivers or rave extension) Using the Voodoo2 (or Game Wizard) RAVE extension is said to allow many RAVE games to work. Bugdom does not work a reader says (ATI RAVE dependent I suspect, as even Formac told me some RAVE games rely on ATI extensions to RAVE.) Be aware some RAVE games rely on ATI RAVE extensions or windowing/multiple draw contexts and may not be compatible. So far I've only found Quake 1.09 Rave to be compatible in RAVE mode using the Voodoo2 RAVE extension.

Problem Game List:

• Quake 1: (3dfx version) did not work as confirmed by programmer Ken Dyke. Perhaps the pre-1.09 (original) Quake version would however, as 1.09 apparently introduced a problem by adding Voodoo1 specific glide calls (a workaround was included in the Game Wizard Glidelib apparently). (Update - no 3dfx version seems to work based on feedback). Quake1 1.09 RAVE does run fine here with the Voodoo2 Rave extension however (but not as fast as it would be in Glide/3dfx mode).

• F-18 Korea: ran fine, but a crash upon exiting a mission. (the plane and the Mac) [from Randall Markarian's post in the Game News]

• Klingon Honor Guard: Texture Problems. Needs code update like Unreal 224 (unknown if this will be done) Previous versions had the following issue: Kent Kanja writes: "If you force it to NOT switch resolutions on entry/exit it works fine in that respect. The other problem is that the cursor does not get unhidden after leaving the full-screen 3d mode. You can still click on things - blindly - or use the keyboard command-key equivalents. You enter full-screen 3d mode whenever you play a single/multi player game, play the tutorial, or view a saved film."

• Nanosaur: The RAVE extension from the Beta12 drivers is said to work - previously this game did not run properly with the Voodoo3 (some tried using the Voodoo2 RAVE extension).

• Starcraft 1: - switching resolutions results in a black screen. I suspect this is due to Voodoo1/2 code in the game and may be a problem in all 2D games of this type. One reader w/v 1.05 reported he gets only a black screen at startup (but hears the game playing) [Check for updates to Starcraft - this is info from last fall]

• Dark Vengence - won't run in RAVE mode. Software mode may work with lower image quality and performance (not a big loss as DV was the worst mac game I bought all year). [May work with the B12 RAVE Extension]

About Virtual PC: In case you're wondering, Virtual PC can't take advantage of the card apparently and as noted in my FAQ, even a Voodoo2 running under VPC is not enough for PC 3D games. Even with a 400+ MHz G3 and a Voodoo2, PC 3D Games (current crop of 3D games) often have framerates under 10 fps. It's just asking too much of a software emulation.