Surely 3dfx graphics cards do not sound familiar to you and it is normal, since they do not currently exist. But, the old models that are no longer manufactured are highly sought after and highly valued by collectors. Now they have developed a 3D printed chassis to protect the mythical 3dfx Voodoo2 of possible damage.
Voodoo2 graphics cards were released in 1998. They were very popular then, but computing was less accessible than it is today. Many of these models have unfortunately been destroyed, as many discarded the systems that carried them. This makes them quite rare products to see and few are lucky enough to have one.
Protection case for 3dfx Voodoo2
3dfx graphics cards are highly collectible and highly sought after, some costing a lot of money. It has a problem and that is that storage can deteriorate, losing value. They usually present accidental data due to poor storage or that they bend or curve.
To address this issue and better protect them, Jeff Chen has designed armor for these charts. The protective case for the 3dfx Voodoo2 It is made with a 3D printer. The design is located on Printables.com, allowing anyone to download it.
Chen points out that he has encountered four variants of the Voodoo2. It stands out that it is compatible with the two most common models to find among collectors. It is compatible with models created by STB Systems, Quantum3D and Micro Conversions’ Game Wizard. Other rare models may not be compatible.
He has highlighted that he has created these protectors after see Voodoo2 to which missing components or have bent pins. This armor is interesting, since it protects everything and leaves the main chips and memories accessible. This allows the use of 30×30 mm heatsinks specially designed for these graphics cards.
As we have mentioned, a 3D printer is required to manufacture it. Afterwards, we will need four M2/6mm hex bolts and nuts for the installation. It doesn’t take much to be able to build this case. Of course, you must make sure that your printer is large enough to create this case.
A rather interesting creation to protect one of the most important relics of computing. It will prevent the degradation of these sensitive historical components.
NVIDIA owes a lot to 3dfx
The delays in the release of Voodoo3 and Voodoo5 were a big problem. It was acquired by GigaPixel with the intention of strengthening the company and keeping it going. They even managed to get the Microsoft Xbox contract, but in the end they lost it to NVIDIA.
But, in the 2000s, creditors filed for bankruptcy proceedings. Due to this procedure, a door was opened that NVIDIA took advantage of, to acquire the intellectual property of 3dfx. Among other things, SLI technology was developed by 3dfx and its designs were the basis for CUDA Cores.
It was a burden that after several delays in the launches and that NVIDIA will take advantage of this circumstance, the company will end up disappearing. I wish they would have reached today, who knows how computing would have changed.
