Banshee - What is it and what can it do ? The Q&A.

Voodoo Banshee FAQ
Updated 1/11/99

This page provides general Voodoo Banshee support information. If you should have any other questions you can obtain end-user to end-user support on our 3Dfx Voodoo Banshee newsgroup at: news://news.3dfx.com/3dfx.products.voodoobanshee 

  1. I want a Voodoo Banshee board, where do I buy one from?


    2. 3Dfx makes the Voodoo Banshee chip but does not make a board that is sold in retail. Currently the following Voodoo Banshee boards are available: Guillemot Maxi Gamer Phoenix, Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee and the Diamond Monster Fusion. Your local computer or electronics retailer should carry these boards.

  2. Where do I get the latest drivers for my Voodoo Banshee board?


    3. You can obtain the latest drivers for your Voodoo Banshee board from your board manufacturer: 

    Guillemot Maxi Gamer Phoenix: http://www.guillemot.com
    Creative Labs 3D Blaster Banshee: http://www.creativelabs.com
    Diamond Monster Fusion: http://www.diamondmm.com

    Due to differences with some of the Voodoo Banshee boards (ie: BIOS..etc..) we suggest using drivers from your board manufacturer. You can use 3Dfx reference drivers however neither 3Dfx or your board vendor can provide support when using reference drivers.

  3. I had a Voodoo Graphics or Voodoo2 that I replaced with a Voodoo Banshee board. Now I cannot run any games, all I get is an error message or a black screen.


    4. Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo2 install a registry key that is used by Direct3D to build a list of secondary devices. If you remove a Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo2 card but do not uninstall the drivers this registry key remains. Games will continue to try and use Voodoo Graphics or Voodoo2 but will fail as the hardware is not present. To fix the problem you should un-install your existing Voodoo card as specified by the manufacturer of your board. If no uninstall procedure is documented you can download the following .inf file that will remove the registry key Direct3D looks for. 

    The delv. inf file will remove the Direct3D registry keys used by Voodoo Graphics and Voodoo2. To use: download the file, using Windows Explorer right mouse button click on the file in the download location and choose "Install". 

    If you use the docs/FAQ/vbanfaq/delv.inf file you will no longer be able to access Voodoo Graphics or Voodoo2 as a Direct3D device. If you installed the docs/FAQ/vbanfaq/delv.inf file by mistake and need to re-enable the Direct3D key for your Voodoo2 or Voodoo Graphics card follow these steps: Download the restore file for Voodoo Graphics or Voodoo2. Then using Windows Explorer right mouse button click on the file in the download location and choose "Install". 

  4. I cannot run any OpenGL based games such as Quake or Quake2.


    5. Make sure you are using the latest drivers from your Voodoo Banshee board manufacturer. Earlier Voodoo Banshee drivers do not support the 3Dfx mini-GL driver.

  5. How do I get Unreal to run with Voodoo Banshee.

  6.  
    1. Install Unreal.
    2. Download the Unreal v2.18 patch from 3Dfiles, at http://www.3dfiles.com/patches/unreal.shtml 
    3. Unzip the Unreal v2.18 patch (using WinZip or PKZip) to the location that Unreal was installed in. (Normally this would be C:\unreal) 
    4. Start Unreal through the Start Menu>Programs>Unreal> Play Unreal and when it prompts you if you have a 3Dfx card installed, choose "Yes". 
    5. When Unreal then tells you that "Unreal is only compatible with Voodoo 1 and Voodoo 2 cards" and asks if you still want to use your 3Dfx card, choose "Yes". 
    6. Play Unreal. 
  1. I don't have an Intel based processor on my Windows system. Will Voodoo Banshee work?


    2. Voodoo Banshee supports the following processors:
     

    • Intel Pentium II 
    • Intel Pentium Pro 
    • Intel Pentium 
    • AMD K6-2 3D Now! (optimisations for K6-2 3D Now! will be in a future driver release) 
    • AMD K6-2 
    • AMD K5
    • Cyrix (Requires latest drivers)
  2. Does Voodoo Banshee support Windows 98 multi-monitor?


    3. Yes, but your other 2D cards in the system must also support multi-monitor. In addition, we cannot guarantee that Voodoo Banshee will work with all other 2D cards and their associated drivers. 

    Voodoo Banshee PCI can function with other Voodoo Banshee PCI boards. Voodoo Banshee PCI cannot function when a Voodoo Banshee AGP is also on the system. This is a software issue that will be addressed in a future update to the Voodoo Banshee drivers.

  3. Why doesn't Voodoo Banshee support Direct3D games under Windows NT?


    4. Windows NT 4.0 does not support the Direct3D HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) for any 3D accelerated device. It is not possible to run any Direct3D game under Windows NT 4.0 with hardware acceleration - only software rendering is available. Future versions of Windows NT (ie: Windows NT 5.0) should include Direct3D HAL support. (3Dfx will provide drivers for future Windows NT versions once the operating system is available.)

  4. How do I get Need for Speed III to run with Voodoo Banshee? When I start the game I get an error message.


    5. Need for Speed III needs a patch installed to run on Voodoo Banshee. Download the patch (185KB) then run the downloaded file (double click nfs3patch.exe). The patch will install. Once the patch finishes installing click the Start Menu, then select Programs, Electronic Arts, Need for Speed III and choose "3D Setup". Once inside 3D setup, select Voodoo Banshee in the 3D Graphics renderer window and then select OK. Need for Speed III can now be run: click the Start Menu, then select Programs, Electronic Arts, Need for Speed III and choose "Need for Speed III" to launch the game. 

  5. Does Voodoo Banshee support 3D Studio Max?


    6. 3D Studio Max will run with Voodoo Banshee via Direct3D when run with Version 2.5, however colour format differences can occur. 

  6. When purchasing games I don't see Voodoo Banshee listed under supported devices. How can I tell if a game runs on Voodoo Banshee


    7. If the game lists Voodoo2 as a supported device it should run fine with Voodoo Banshee. Games that list "3Dfx" support should also run correctly. In general any game that works on Voodoo2 will function on Voodoo Banshee. Some games may require patches.

Copyright 1999 - All rights reserved Hilbert Hagedoorn

 
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