Q1. Does 3D Blaster PCI require a separate graphics card to function?
No. The 3D Blaster PCI contains an in-built VGA core and it supports all standard VGA modes. It is also a SVGA as well as a 2D GUI accelerator.
It is not recommended to do so as the procedure to configure them in the same system is rather complex. Moreover there is no guarantee that the 2 cards will function together without conflicts.
No, 3D Blaster PCI does not have a VESA feature connector. This is because the 3D Blaster PCI card was designed specifically for the gamers. Games do not make use of the VESA feature connector in any way at all. Thus there is no need for this feature connector.
Q4. How much RAM is on the 3D Blaster PCI? Is it upgradeable?
Most 3D games today are very memory intensive thus the need for more memory. 3D Blaster PCI comes with 4MB of EDO-DRAM providing the 3D gamer with maximum performance at the minimum of costs. This is the maximum RAM the card has and is not upgradeable.
Q5. Which Windows platform does 3D Blaster PCI support?
3D Blaster PCI comes with software drivers for Windows 95 (including DirectDraw and Direct3D) and English Windows 3.1. If you happen to buy a 3D Blaster PCI from one of the earlier batches of shipment and do not find the English Win 3.1 drivers inside, you can download them from our FTP site. For details on foreign language Windows 3.1 drivers, pls call your local technical support for more details.
Q6. What are the games that are bundled with 3D Blaster PCI?
The following games are found in the 3D Blaster PCI package:
Q7. Does 3D Blaster PCI support VESA 2.0?
Yes, 3D Blaster PCI supports VESA 2.0. It allows you to play your SVGA DOS games at smooth frame rates and at high resolutions
Q8. Can I switch the resolution and color depth of my Windows display on-the-fly?
3D Blaster PCI comes with the BlasterControlTM desktop control panel which allows you to switch resolutions on-the-fly with the click of your mouse button.
Q9. Can 3D Blaster PCI play MPEG and CDi video?
Yes, the 3D Blaster PCI comes with Creative SoftMPEG Player under Win95 which allows you to watch smooth MPEG clips at full-screen.
Q10. Which version of DirectX does 3D Blaster PCI come with?
3D Blaster PCI ships with DirectX 2.0. The drivers are upward compatible with DirectX 3.0 therefore currently no upgrade is necessary to run DirectX 3.0 applications. Creative will post new versions of its DirectX drivers on the web, as and when they become available.
Q11. Will the 3D Blaster PCI accelerate 3D applications under Win 3.1?
Under Win 3.1, 3D Blaster PCI acts only as a 2D accelerator card. It does not accelerate 3D applications as Win 3.1 does not support 3D hardware accelerators and DirectX applications.
Q12. I use Windows NT 4.0. Does 3D Blaster PCI have drivers for it?
There are currently no Windows NT drivers provided with this product. Like Windows 3.1, Windows NT does not currently support 3D hardware accelerators in the operating system; there are currently no 3D-accelerated games which run in Windows NT. However we are open to feedback from end-users and we will look into possible plans for Win NT support if need be.
Q13. Does the 3D Blaster PCI support 3D Studio MAX or AutoCAD by means of HDI /OpenGL drivers?
3D Blaster PCI was designed specifcally for gamers. Currently we do not have plans to develop HDI or OpenGL drivers for it.
Q14. Is the BIOS on the 3D Blaster PCI upgradeable?
Yes. As and when there is an improved version of the BIOS, users can find it on our FTP site. Simply download the file and follow the instructions in the readme text carefully.
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