9FX Reality 332
The 9FX Reality 332 combined high-performance 64-bit 2D graphics acceleration, advanced 3D-rendering capabilities and high-quality video acceleration.
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Released | 1996 |
| Bus | PCI | |
| Chipset | S3 ViRGE | |
| Standards | MDA, Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA | |
| Memory | 2 MB EDO DRAM | |
| Ports | 9-pin DSUB (RGB analogue video out) | |
| Part # | ||
| FCC ID | ||
| RAMDAC | ||
| Price | At launch: | |
| See Also | Number Nine Reality 334, Number Nine Reality 772 |
Advanced 3D Rendering Capabilities
The 9FX Reality 332's 3D-rendering capabilities include: hardware
texture mapping with perspective correction for improved image quality
and realism; bilinear filtering, which provides anti-aliasing to
eliminate the staircasing effect that is often seen at lower
resolutions; MIP Mapping, which eliminates the "blockiness" or
"jaggies"; 16-Bit Z-Buffering, which is the 3D-rendering technique that
manages the Z-data in hardware and off-loads the 3D processing from the
host processor; alpha-blending, which is used by games developers to
create transparent 3-dimensional objects; and fogging, which developers
use to create a hardware generated fog or haze.
High-Performance Graphics And Video Acceleration
In addition to delivering advanced 3D-rendering capabilities, Number
Nine's 9FX Reality 332 also provides conventional Windows and video
acceleration with a powerful 64-bit graphics engine. 2D and video
acceleration includes:
- high performance graphics acceleration capable of displaying resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 at 256 colors at 85MHz (or 1024 x 768 at 65,000 colors, or 800 x 600 at 16.7 million colors);
- integrated VGA core that enables use of VGA-dependent applications and run DOS-based game at high-resolution, with fluid-like motion;
- a Streams Processor that provides the stretching and YUV color
space conversion features required for full screen video playback
with both software CODECs and hardware MPEG-1 sources. The streams processor also allows simultaneous display of graphics
and video of different color depths.
On 31st July 1996, Number Nine entered into an agreement with Dell Computer to offer their new 9FX Reality 332 graphics accelerator, based on S3's ViRGE chip, with Dell's Dimension XPS line of high-performance computers, designed for performance-minded small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the expanding home office market.
"As the entire industry scrambles to keep up with the demand for 3D graphics, our partnership with Dell to bring affordable 3D functionality to the mainstream PC market fills an important gap in the industry's current product offering," said Larry McIntosh, Vice President, OEM Sales of Number Nine. "In a highly competitive environment with a lot of players jockeying for position, we believe that this OEM deal with Dell is a strong endorsement of Number Nine's ability to deliver performance and functionality at a great price. This agreement may represent one of the highest unit opportunities in Number Nine's history."
The Reality 332 came in just 2 MB form, using the older and cheaper EDO DRAM.
Board Revisions
Known BIOS versions: 2.18.08
Competition
In the Media
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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