ViRGE

The Virtual Reality Graphics Engine (ViRGE) graphics chipset was one of the first 2D/3D accelerators designed for the mass market. Intorudced in 1995 by then graphics powerhouse S3, Inc., the ViRGE set a new standard for 2D-speed, for DRAM-framebuffer VGA cards. Aggressive 1-cycle EDO timing made the ViRGE/325 the fastest benchmarked DRAM-based 2D-accelerator of the that time. But as a 3D-accelerator, the ViRGE was a technical dissappointment.

While revolutionary in that the mass-market could now have an affordable 3D accelerator complete with good quality 2D, the ViRGE quickly earned the unofficial title as the world's first "graphics decelerator" due to abysmal 3D performance. While the ViRGE could render basic 3D-scenes faster than host-CPU based software rendering, the activation of luxury features (such as bilinear filtering, Z-depth fogging) caused the card to slow down to the point where software-rendering would again outrun the ViRGE. In a twist of irony, 3D-rendering on the expensive VRAM based Virge/VX (988) was even slower than the Virge/325! (This is due to the VX's slower core and memory-clock frequency.)

Despite its lackluster 3D-speed, the ViRGE did receive some ported games: ViRGE-enhanced versions of Terminal Velocity , Descent 2 , and later Tomb Raider. In late-1996, the introduction of the 3dfx Voodoo Graphics and Rendition Verite rewrote the playing field for all future 3D-cards. And with that, any chance the ViRGE had of establishing a 3D-gaming platform market effectively disappeared.

If only to kick the card while it was down, the ViRGE was also shunned for its lack of any sort of OpenGL support, which meant that it was useless when it came to being used with the extremely popular Quake engine.

Between its birth in 1995 and retirement near the year 2000, the ViRGE family received regular upgrades. The ViRGE/DX boosted the speed of the original ViRGE/325. The ViRGE/GX added support for more modern SD/SGRAM. The Virge/GX2 was one of the first VGA chipsets to support AGP, although the level of support extended little beyond electrical compliance. Substantial use of AGP's feature-set would have to wait until the Savage 3D.

The ViRGE was ultimately replaced by the Savage 3D in S3's top-end graphics segment in 1998. However, at least one derivative (Trio3D) of the ViRGE remained in production even after the discontinuation of the Savage3D.