GXe64 Pro / #9GXe64 Pro
The GXE64 Pro came in both PCI and VESA Local Bus form, with them both retailing for $499 for the 2 MB version. Aside from the big S3 chip, the Texas Instruments chip is a 64-bit video interface palette, providing True-Color (16-bit) and Direct-Color (24-bit) modes.
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Released | 1994 |
| Bus | VESA Local Bus or PCI | |
| Chipset | S3 Vision964 | |
| Standards | MDA, Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA | |
| Memory | 2 MB or 4 MB VRAM (64-bit) | |
| RAMDAC | Texas Instruments PTVP3025 (200 MHz) | |
| Ports | 9-pin DSUB (RGB analogue video out) VESA Advanced Feature Connector (VAFC) |
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| Part # | ||
| FCC IDs | JF9-GXE64PROPCI | |
| Price | At launch: $499 (2 MB, 1994), $799 (4 MB, 1994) | |
| See Also | Number Nine GXe, Number Nine GXe64 |
The GXE64 Pro supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1280 with 65,536 colours, and up to 16.7 million colours at lower resolutions.
This card comes as standard with 2 MB of Toshiba multiport 70ns video RAM in 40-pin SOJ (Small Outline J-Lead) form, but is expandable to 4 MB with the addition of eight more 40-pin SOJ DRAM chips - these are like DIPs but their pins form a 'J' underneath. Memory bandwidth is 240 MB/sec.
In one buyer guide at the time, they said "The GXE64 Pro provides above-average speeds for DOS programs and good overall Windows performance. Although not the fastest card, it provides easy-to-use utilities and high refresh rates that provide relief for your eyes."
In the top-left of the PCI version of the card you can see the VAFC, or VESA Advanced Feature Connector, which is 32-bit, and just below it the old 8-bit SVGA feature connector for faster transfer of motion video and additional data from other cards. The VLB variant only got the older feature connector.
Board Revisions
Competition
In the Media
The Vision 964 graphics accelerator chip offers users fast performance with high color resolutions, according to S3.
Both companies will ship their boards with a variety of memory configurations in versions for either Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local buses.
With 2MB of video RAM (VRAM), the Number Nine #9GXE64 Pro costs $499 and displays resolutions as high as 1,280 by 1,024 with 256 colors. With 4MB of VRAM, the board costs $749 and supports resolutions of 1,600 by 1,200 with 256 colors. A version with a 200 MHz digital-to-analog converter (DAC) lists for $999.
The boards come with Number Nine's HawkEye Display Utilities, which can adjust refresh rates and switch resolutions and color depths in Windows. The utilities offer an unusual number of features, including the ability to program the cursor's color. Other features include gamma and color correction and a color border.
Diamond is shipping its Stealth 64 board for $399 with 2MB of VRAM. It displays resolutions as high as 1,280 by 1,024 with 256 colors and a refresh rate of 75 hertz. A 4MB version is also available. Diamond also includes software utilities for changing parameters such as color depth and cursor color.
Both companies' boards are Energy Star-compliant and come with the VESA Advanced Feature Connector for hooking up to motion video cards.
Miro Computer Products, Inc., in Palo Alto, Calif., also plans to announce and ship a card based on S3's 64-bit chip this month or next, a spokesman said."
Infoworld, 4th April 1994
Setting it Up
Downloads
Operation Manual Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Original Utility Disk Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
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