Hercules Dynamite 128 and Dynamite 128/Video
The ET6000-based Dynamite 128 arrived in 1996, offering multi-bank DRAM and a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 in 256 colours, or 1024 x 768 in 16.7 million colours.
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Released | 1996 |
| Bus | PCI | |
| Chipset | Tseng Labs ET6000 | |
| Standards | VGA | |
| Memory | 2 MB or 4 MB MDRAM (64-bit) | |
| RAMDAC | 135 MHz | |
| Ports | 15-pin DSUB (analogue RGB video out) | |
| Part # | D5202/20 (128?), GB7010P (128/Video short board), GB7015P (128/Video long board) | |
| FCC IDs | EW65T5D128P | |
| Price | At launch: $230 |
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| See Also | Dynamite, Stingray 128 |
The Dynamite 128 based upon the Tseng Labs ET6000 chipset, which had an integrated 24-bit RAMDAC that ran at 135 MHz.
Some later board revisions, e.g. v2.1, are longer cards that come with two MDRAM sockets on the far right of the board to upgrade the memory to 4 MB(?). On earlier revisions, the card is shorter (see pic above) and does not have a socket for memory upgrades.
The Dynamite 128/Video is a major breakthrough in graphics and multimedia technology. It offers significantly higher performance at lower cost than many expensive VRAM boards.The Dynamite 128/Video combines one of the fastest 128-bit graphics processors, the state-of-the-art ET6000 from Tseng Labs, and the industry's fastest, synchronous Multibank DRAM (MDRAM). Taking advantage of Hercules' proprietary hardware design in combination with Hercules' Power Drive software drivers, the Dynamite 128/Video also delivers industry-leading performance for 3D games and 3D applications under Windows 95. VESA compliant stereoscopic connector for Stereo 3D glasses is included.
Board Revisions
The Dynamite 128 came in two revisions: v1.1 (short board) and v2.1 (long board).
Competition
In the Media
All three cards pair Tseng Labs' ET6000 accelerator chip with 2.25MB of MoSys' MDRAM (Multibank DRAM). Though the chip's memory pathway is technically 128 bits wide, a closer look reveals that it functions like two 64-bit paths, churning 128-bits of graphics data every two clock cycles. Technicalities aside, it's hard to argue with the results: ZD WinBench 96 and ZD Winstone 96 test scores on a par with those of a comparably equipped Matrox Millennium [4 MB WRAM], our most recent Editor's Choice (June 1996).
The ET6000 is compatible with standard DRAM chips, but the key to these products' performance edge is the use of MDRAM. MDRAM contains up to 32 separate banks, each with its own row and column structure. With up to 32 rows active, concurrent processes that repeatedly access the same memory areas can be serviced more quickly than with standard DRAM. The result is that such operations as screen refreshes, off-screen manipulations (important for video and DirectX games), and standard GDI services can often be executed simultaneously in graphics memory without causing significant decrease in performance.
With 2.25MB of memory, theoretically all three of these cards can support 24-bit color at 1,024-by-768 resolution, but none currently offers this mode. Instead they top out at a resolution of 800-by-600 at this color depth but can display 1,280-by-1,024 pixels in 8-bit color. In 16-bit color mode, the Lightspeed 128 and GrafixStar 600 support a top resolution of 1,152-by-864, but the Dynamite 128 tops out at 1,024-by-768 pixels.
The Dynamite 128 performed as well as or better than its two siblings and was competitive with the Matrox Millennium card on our Graphics WinMark 96 test with a score of 24.9 million pixels per second. But its ZD Winstone 96 scores were nearly 20 percent lower than those of the Lightspeed 128 and GrafixStar 600, which effectively tied the Matrox Millennium on this test.
Accelerator cards with 3-D support are already beginning to hit the streets. But in case you can't wait, these graphics accelerators offer top-notch video playback and 2-D graphics performance at very competitive prices."
PC Magazine, September 1996
Setting it Up
I have no information on setting up the Dynamite 128 or Dynamite 128/Video cards.
Downloads
Operation Manual Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Original Product Sheet The original Hercules product sheet for the Dynamite 128/Video from 1996. |
DOS & Windows 3.1 Drivers & Utilities Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows NT 3.5x Drivers Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows NT 4.0 Drivers Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
OS/2 Warp 3.0 and 4.0 Drivers Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
OS/2 Warp 3.0 and 4.0 Drivers Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 95 Drivers & Utilities Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 95 Drivers & Utilities Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 95 Drivers & Utilities Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 95 Drivers & Utilities Get in touch if you can provide this missing item! |
Windows 3.x, 95, NT 3.1/3.5/4.0 and OS/2 Warp 3.0 & 4.0 Drivers
Hercules Drivers & Utilities CD-ROM. Provides drivers for Terminator 32/64/Professional/3D and 3D/DX, Dynamite/Pro/Power/128, and Stingray 64/Pro and 128/3D. |
Windows 3.x, 95, NT 3.1/3.5/4.0 and
Hercules Drivers & Utilities CD-ROM. Provides drivers for Terminator 32/64/Professional/3D and 3D/DX, Dynamite/Pro/Power/128, and Stingray 64/Pro and 128/3D. |
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