Video Display Cards & Monitors

• video memory requirements
• IBM-compatible display formats
  • Video cards:
• Apple display cards
• see also:
  •  

Video Memory Requirements:

• 320x192 mono = 7.5Kb
• 640x256 mono = 20Kb
• 320x200x4 CGA = 16K
• 640x350x4 EGA = 64K
• 640x350x16 EGA = 128K
• 640x480x16 VGA = 256K
• 640x480x16mill sVGA = 1Mb
• 800x600x16mill sVGA = 2Mb - need at least 14" screen to avoid eye strain
• 1024x768x256 sVGA = 1Mb (768Kb actually) - need at least 15" screen to avoid eye strain
• 1024x768x65,536 sVGA = 2Mb
• 1280x1024x16 sVGA = 1Mb
• 1280x1024x256 sVGA = 2Mb

Video RAM:

• DRAM: Dynamic RAM - can only write or read at same time not both!
• VRAM: dual-ported can read & write at same time - almost 2x speed of DRAM;

VESA Video Card Feature Connector:

• Allows you to overlay a video signal from an external source into your computer's display or send a computer image to an external device (eg. capture board);

IBM-compatible Display Formats:

• Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA):
  • approx. 1981; card cost $A250 1986;
  • allowed text mode only 80x25 lines @ 9x14dot character cell
  • required a monochrome display monitor ($A275 1986);
• Hercules Graphics Card (HGC):
  • provided MDA as well as 720x348pixel monoch. graphics on same monochrome display monitor. ($A299 1986);
• Color Graphics Adapter (CGA):
  • provided 1st color display but poor resolution resulted in use mainly for games, required standard color display ($A680 1986); text mode 40-80x25lines @ 8x8dot ch.cells;
  • graphics 320x200x4colors; ($A244 1986)
• Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA):
  • introduced late 1984, able to use following monitors:
  • monochrome: MDA text; 640x350 graphics;
  • std color: as for CGA except 16 colors;
  • enhanced color: text 8x14chdot; 640x350x16colors;
  • $A524 1986;
• Video Graphics Array (VGA):
  • introduced 1987 with IBM PS/1 series computers;
  • analog signal not digital as previous;
  • requires VGA monitor;
  • text 720x400x16color @ 9x16dot; graphics 640x480x16color;
• 8514a:
• TARGA:
• Super VGA:
  • unofficial standard extends resolution of VGA;
  • requires multisync analog monitor for higher resolutions;
  • 8bit allows 256 colors
  • HiColor DAC chip allows 32,000 colors;
  • 16bit allows 65,536 colors
  • 24bit allows 16.7 million colors

Video cards:

Board Types:

• Frame buffer boards - no processing power of its own - simply serves as a holding bin;
  • eg. Tseng Lab ET4000
  • good for DOS-based but slow for Windows-based;
• Fixed-function accelerators - use special-purpose non-prog. processors on board
  • accelerate graphic operations such as drawing lines, filling areas, freeing up CPU;
  • good for Windows-based but may slow down DOS-based programs!
  • ATI's 68800 Mach32 chip
  • S3's 86C805 chip
  • Tseng Lab ET4000/W32 chip
  • Weitek P9000 chip
  • Western Digital:
    • Paradise Accelerator:
      • WD 90C33; 1Mb; 1280x1024x16colors; $A261 (Dec'93);
    • Paradise Accelerator Pro:
      • above but max 2Mb; $A567(Dec'93);
  • Tseng Labs:
    • W32 Accel.:
      • TLW32; 2Mb; 1280x1024x256colors; $A299 (Dec'93)
    • W32i Accel.:
      • TLW32i; 2Mb; 1280x1024x256colors; $A499 (Dec'93);
  • Diamond:
    • Speedstar Pro:
      • 640x480x16.7million; 800x600x65,536; 1024x768x256; 1280x1024x16;
      • 24bit; Cirrus CL-GD5426 accelerator; 1Mb DRAM; 72Hz; $A349 (Dec'93)
    • Stealth 24:
      • 24bit; S3 86C801/805 accelerator; 1Mb DRAM; 72Hz;
      • resolutions as for Speedstar Pro; $A420 (Dec'93)
    • Stealth Pro:
      • 24bit; S3 86C928 accelerator; 1Mb (2Mb max) DRAM; 72Hz;
      • resolutions as for Stealth 24 but if 2Mb then 800x600x16mill;
      • $A845 (Dec'93);
    • Stealth 32:
      • 2Mb; PCI $A474 ('94);
    • Stealth 64 (Winter'94):
      • 2Mb, PCI $A695 ('94); $A195 (May'96);
    • Viper:
      • 24bit; Weitek Power 9000 controller; 74Hz @ 1280x1024; 2Mb; $A999 (Dec'93);
  • Number 9:
    • GXE 1M:
      • S3 928; 1Mb (3Mb max); 1024x768x256colors; $A695(Dec'93);
    • GXE 4M:
      • 1M but 4Mb, 1280x1024x65000colors; $A1765(Dec'93);
    • GXE 64 (Autumn '94):
      • 64bit; 2Mb DRAM; 1280x1024; PCI $A579 ('94);
    • GXE 64 Pro:
      • 64bit; 2Mb VRAM; 1280x1024; PCI $A873 ('94); (4Mb $A1588 '94);
      • $A790 (Sep'94); (4Mb $1295 '94);
  • Videologic PCIMovie:
    • 24bit Weitek P9100; 90Hz; 2MB VRAM - almost as fast as Viper;
    • has built-in Indeo/Cinepak/Video1 accel. for fullscreen playback!
    • VESA Media Channel not VGA feature connector!
    • $A933 ('94); $A675 (Jan'95)
• Programmable graphics coprocessors:
  • onboard CPU
  • Texas Ins. 34020;
  • Number 9:
    • GXi L21:
      • TI34020; 2Mb; 1280x1024x16colors; $A1995(Dec'93);
    • GXi L3:
      • TI34020; 5Mb; 1600x1200x256colors; $A4095(Dec'93);
• 2D video accelerator cards:
  • AGP i740 chipset cards (1998):
    • Diamond Stealth G460:
    • Intel i740 AGP:
      •  
• 3D video accelerator cards:
  • add-on cards (ie, in addition to 2D VGA video card):
    • 3Dfx Voodoo1 chipset based cards (use external pass-through cable to video card)(1997):
      • Righteous 3D:
        • $A215 Dec'98;
    • 3Dfx Voodoo2 chipset based cards (use external pass-through cable to video card)(1998):
      • Diamond Monster 3D II:
        • $A429 8Mb, $A565 12Mb Nov'98;
      • Creative 3D Blaster Voodoo2:
        • $A395 8Mb, $A575 12Mb Nov'98;
      • Canopus Pure 3D II
      • STB Blackmagic 3D
      • Metabyte Wicked3D:
        • 12Mb EDO; $A470 Dec'98;
      • Jaxx Renegade 3D
      • Righteous 3D II:
        • 12Mb EDO; triple 64bit; $A375 Dec'98;
      • generics: $A299 12Mb Dec'98
    • NB. single Riva TNT card seems to beat most 3D AGP card/Voodoo2 combinations
  • combined 2D, 3D, full screen MPEG I playback cards (1998):
    • Creative 3D Blaster Banshee:
      • 128-bit 2D/VGA; Voodoo2 3D; 16Mb $A285 Dec'98;
    • Diamond Monster Fusion:
      • 2D/VGA; Voodoo2 3D; 16Mb $A310 Dec'98;
    • Matrox Millenium II G200:
      • 128bit; AGPx2; 250MHz RAMDAC; 8Mb $A275 Dec'98; 16Mb
    • Creative 3D Riva 128 TNT:
      • 128-bit; 16Mb $A395 Dec'98
  • combined 2D, 3D, full screen MPEG I & II playback cards (1998):
    • Diamond Viper V550:
      • 16Mb, 128-bit, TwiN Texel engine, 2D real time to 1920x1200 resolutions;
      • AGPx2; $A340 Dec'98;
    • Diamond Viper V580:
      • 16Mb $A440 Dec'98;
    • Matrox Mystique G200:
      • 128bit; AGPx2; 8Mb $A314 Dec'98; 16Mb
    • ATI Xpert @ Play 98:
    • Wicked3D Vengeance:
      • 128-bit 2D/VGA; 16Mb 100Mhz 25ns SDRAM; Voodoo Banshee; $A430 Dec'98
      • H3D Eyewear stereoscopic 3D eyewear support - headwear additional $A320 Dec'98
  • combined 2D, 3D, full screen MPEG I & II playback & VGA-RGB out, video capture cards (1998):
    • Matrox Marvel G200:
      • 128bit AGPx2; 230MHz RAMDAC; 8Mb SDRAM;
      • hardware MJPEG compression; ULead Media Studio 5 video editing software;
      • external A/V ports box; PC-TV out;
      • upgradeable to hardware DVD decoder for surround sound
      • $A525 Dec'98; 16Mb

Apple Display Cards:

Standard built-in display card 8bit;

24bit Display Card 8/24 (1990 $US1000; 1992 $A1295):

24bit Display Card 8/24 GC (1990 $US2100; 1992 $A2995):

- incl. accelerator board:

- 30MHz AMD29000 RISC; 2-4MB video RAM; res. 640x480;

- no video input though;