Using Voodoo2 with Apple Studio Display 17"

The most-used 3D gfx board in my b&w G3 400 is my trusty old Voodoo2. Notably better than my Rage 128 (rev. a) for games, this board served me well when it lived in a PC and even better in my Mac, with 3Dfx's freely-available GLide and OpenGL extensions. Getting initial functionality with my Apple Studio Display 17" was another matter, however. Of late, I've gotten a number of e-mails asking me to extrapolate on a brief posting that I made a year and a half ago explaining how I got these two to function together in harmony. Let me explain what I did... Even though it is believed that the Apple Studio Display 17 is a "standard VGA-style" monitor, there is something afoot with regards to its signal detection. (Somewhere on Apple's site I recall, when the display was just announced, some little snippet of text that made the Studio Display 17 out to be a Mac-specific monitor...though I've used it on a PC before...anyway.) First, let me explain how the Voodoo2 board gets wired up in standard setup.


The Voodoo2 board is a 3D-only board, and as such it sits "in-line" between your 2D board and your monitor. Your 2D board and the Voodoo2 both occupy a PCI slot (each). The Voodoo2 comes with a very short VGA cable that, when connected, goes from the VGA-video-out port on your 2D board to the VGA-video-in port on the Voodoo2 (the Voodoo2 has two VGA ports: IN and OUT). Your monitor's cable then plugs into the Voodoo2's VGA-video-out port and that about sums it up. Except for the problem with the Studio Display 17"....


Somewhere in this process, a signal that must be generally considered unnecessary is "lost." This is evident when you turn everything on and even the 2D video (which normally passes through the Voodoo2 when it is not active) does not display on the Studio Display 17". I was able to use some tools of olde to remedy the situation, however.


You may recall, back in the day, that the Mac's RGB video connector was not VGA style, but a larger D-type connector. With an adapter that went from this large Mac-style connector to a standard VGA connector, you could buy a (less expensive) VGA monitor and use it on a Mac quite happily. Anyway, I had a number of these lying around that had come with video boards, monitors, etc. and with these I rigged up the following system, attached to the VGA-video-out connector on the Voodoo2:


Voodoo2 out --> VGA-to-Mac-style --> Mac-style-to-VGA --> monitor


Bascially two adapters (with the proper genders, of course) were placed in-line to convert from VGA to Mac-style video connector, and then back again. I had a suspicion that this might correct whatever signal issue was plaguing my setup. And it did. Everything works like a charm presently.


Don't sell the Voodoo2 short. A friend saw my G3 400 w/ Voodoo2 setup and stated that it was possibly a bit smoother in framerate at Unreal Tournament than his G4 350 w/ Voodoo3 2000. Not bad. I love the board and would recommend that any Mac gamer that does not have some sort of 3Dfx board should seriously consider the Voodoo2's that can be basically stolen on eBay for their Mac gaming rig. (Not so much that I'd not toss it out of my box for a Voodoo4 or 5 however!) At any rate -- hope this helps.

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
top stories 2025 04 26

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Air Rumors, Apple Watch Turns 10, and More

Saturday April 26, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be. Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...