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Sega Saturn PC Video card
Berty - Jul 28, 2004
  Berty Jul 28, 2004
Hi,

Does anybody remember when sega started doing PC ports of saturn games they recomended a certain video card? I pretty shure that it is a Diamond Viper that came with an extra D bracket that allowed you to use saturn controllers on the pc.

Does anybody know where to get more info on it as i have just found one for sale and was wanting to know if it is worth it.

Cheers

 ExCyber Jul 28, 2004
I think it was the Diamond EDGE, but don't take my word for it.

 dj898 Jul 28, 2004
you mean this?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...item=...

 Berty Jul 28, 2004
yup

 Curtis Jul 28, 2004
Diamond Edge is correct for $500!

I only know a little about it, when Sega began doing some of it's classic games on PC, they were designed to be used with this card and this card only. I'm pretty sure it shipped with an accelerated version of Virtua Fighter, which we all know was later released in a "plain" unaccelerated version. At the time of release, I think the concept of a "3D Accelerator" was still something of a novelty. The card was nothing like a "Saturn on a Chip" and was instead based around an nVidia chipset, I believe. Here... is an interesting grab about the graphics chip.

As for getting it or not, if it's a bargain and includes a couple of the accelerated titles, sure why not? It is probably only a curiosity though - don't expect to get it working on anything newer than Win 9x.

 schi0249 Jul 28, 2004
That is pretty cool.

 Pyrite Jul 29, 2004
Why?!? Just for the controllers? There are multiple SS>PC gamepad adapters.

 dj898 Jul 29, 2004
hmm

only A$25 for BIN... few more dollars for Express Post...

maybe I should get it for my collection. he he

won't be too bad if I frame 'em and hang on the wall...

cheers

 Des-ROW Jul 29, 2004
I had the Diamond EDGE 3D yeaaaaaaars ago.

 Quakester2000 Aug 1, 2004
The only reason sega chose that card for acceleration because it was close to the saturn in that it used Quads for polygons instead of triangles, it was based on Nvidia's first Chip the NV1. So i guess it was a very logical choice for sega to use.

 Alexvrb Aug 1, 2004
Yeah. Some later Sega PC ports were optimized for early PVR chips, before the DC, so some games may have actually recommended a card based on like a Series 1 chip, for instance (the predecessor to what the DC used).

 antime Aug 1, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by Quakester2000@Aug 1, 2004 @ 11:55 PM



 The only reason sega chose that card for acceleration because it was close to the saturn in that it used Quads for polygons instead of triangles, it was based on Nvidia's first Chip the NV1.


The NV1 used quadratic curved surfaces, not quads.

 Dyne Aug 1, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by Zher@Jul 29, 2004 @ 06:08 PM



 Why?!? Just for the controllers? There are multiple SS>PC gamepad adapters.


i dont think there were any back then tho.