3DFX PRODUCTS VOODOO2 33 DIRECTX DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
From: "Media Whore" (media.whore@no-spam)
Subject: DirectX diagnostic tool
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 17:32:46 +0100


I ran the Direct X 9.0b diagnostic to test my Voodoo 2 card and ti came up with these errors under the Direct 3D test:

Hardware accelerated Direct3D 9+ is not available because the display driver does not support it. You may be able to get a newer driver from the hardware manufacturer.

Direct3D 7 test results: Failure at step 46 (GetDC): HRESULT = 0x88760249
(Can't create DC)

Direct3D 8 test results: Failure at step 5 (GetDeviceCaps): HRESULT =
0x8876086a (3D not available)

Direct3D 9 test results: Display driver does not support API (DDI version too low)

Anybody have any idea how to rectify these problems?







From: "procerus" (someone@no-spam)
Subject: Re: DirectX diagnostic tool
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 13:57:31 +0000 (UTC)

"Media Whore" <media.whore@no-spam> wrote in message news:yhN0b.6325$Gb3.1302@no-spam > I ran the Direct X 9.0b diagnostic to test my Voodoo 2 card and ti came up > with these errors under the Direct 3D test:
>
> Direct3D 7 test results: Failure at step 46 (GetDC): HRESULT = 0x88760249
> (Can't create DC)
>
> Direct3D 8 test results: Failure at step 5 (GetDeviceCaps): HRESULT =
> 0x8876086a (3D not available)
>
> Direct3D 9 test results: Display driver does not support API (DDI version > too low)
>
> Anybody have any idea how to rectify these problems?
>

Hi,

these issues are due to two things. Firstly, 3dfx went out of business and therefore didn't write any more drivers so there is no support for DirectX features in the drivers after DirectX 7. Note that this does *not*
necessarily mean that games that use DirectX 8 or 9 won't run on a Voodoo2
but it does mean that they may not look as good as they might or else they might exhibit glitches.

Secondly, Microsoft are no longer catering for add-in 3D accelerators either in their operating systems (Windows XP for example) or their gaming APIs.
DirectX 8's DXDiag tests worked perfectly well on Voodoo2s. DirectX 9's don't work simply because Microsoft chose not to bother to code the tests to run on add-in cards. On my system the DX9 DXDiag tests fail the DX7 test but *apparently* pass the DX8 and 9 tests. I emphasise *apparently* because these later tests are actually using my primary card and not the Voodoo2s at all!

Voodoo2s are still capable of running older DirectX games under DirectX 9
since the API is backwards compatible. They are even capable of running some more modern games in a manner that is acceptible to some. But really DirectX has long been their weakest 3D API. Voodoo2s are better off running older OpenGL games with an appropriate minigl. Or, better yet, they are ideally suited to running older glide games in a manner which the latest cards, even with a wrapper, can't hope to emulate.

HTH procerus