Delving into the world of retro gaming PCs often involves meticulous component selection to achieve peak performance. For enthusiasts resurrecting 486-era machines, the video card is a critical piece of the puzzle. This article provides a comprehensive Video Card Compare based on rigorous benchmarks conducted on a vintage Very Local Bus (VLB) system. We explore the performance differences between various VLB video cards, offering insights to guide your retro gaming builds.
Our benchmark suite, designed to reflect the gaming landscape of the early to mid-90s, included a range of demanding titles and industry-standard benchmarks. Games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Duke Nukem 3D pushed these cards to their limits, alongside synthetic benchmarks such as 3DBENCH and CHRIS3D. The tests were performed on a reference system powered by an Intel DX4 100 WB CPU and an Asus VL/I-486SV2GX4 mainboard, ensuring a consistent platform for a fair video card comparison.
Alt text: Asus VL-I-486SV2GX4 retro mainboard, showcasing the VLB slots used for benchmarked video cards.
VLB Video Card Performance Ranking
The overall VLB video card ranking reveals subtle but significant performance variations. The Western Digital Paradise Bali32 1MB VLB (ARK Logic ARK1000VL) serves as our 100% reference point. Analyzing the overall scores, we see a tight cluster of high-performing cards:
- 100.00% WDC Paradise Bali32 1MB VLB (ARK Logic ARK1000VL)
- 98.76% Tseng ET4000/W32p 2MB VLB
- 98.42% Hercules PowerDynamite 2MB VLB (Tseng ET4000/W32p)
- 98.05% Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB #2 (S3 Vision864)
- 97.70% Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 97.61% miro Crystal 20SD VL 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 97.36% Trident TGUI9440 2MB VLB
- 94.43% Spea V7-Mercury P-64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision964)
- 89.94% S3 86C805-P 1MB VLB
- 89.30% Cirrus Logic CL-GD5429 2MB VLB
These results highlight that cards based on the Tseng ET4000/W32p and S3 Vision864 chipsets, while slightly behind the reference card in overall score, still deliver excellent performance within this VLB video card comparison.
VGA Performance Focus
Considering VGA performance, often crucial for compatibility and baseline graphics in this era, the ranking shifts slightly. Again, using the WDC Paradise Bali32 as the benchmark, we observe:
- 100.00% WDC Paradise Bali32 1MB VLB (ARK Logic ARK1000VL)
- 97.58% Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB #2 (S3 Vision864)
- 97.43% Tseng ET4000/W32p 2MB VLB
- 97.04% Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 97.03% miro Crystal 20SD VL 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 96.96% Hercules PowerDynamite 2MB VLB (Tseng ET4000/W32p)
- 95.37% Trident TGUI9440 2MB VLB
- 94.43% Spea V7-Mercury P-64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision964)
- 90.91% S3 86C805-P 1MB VLB
- 87.88% Cirrus Logic CL-GD5429 2MB VLB
This VGA ranking reinforces the strong showing of the Tseng ET4000/W32p and S3 Vision864 based cards, maintaining their positions near the top of this video card comparison.
Doom Benchmark: A Key Retro Gaming Metric
For many retro gamers, Doom performance is a critical indicator. The frames per second (FPS) achieved in Doom provides a tangible measure of real-world gaming capability. Here’s how these VLB video cards stacked up in our Doom benchmark:
- 39.54 FPS WDC Paradise Bali32 1MB VLB (ARK Logic ARK1000VL)
- 37.91 FPS Tseng ET4000/W32p 2MB VLB
- 37.88 FPS Trident TGUI9440 2MB VLB
- 37.67 FPS Hercules PowerDynamite 2MB VLB (Tseng ET4000/W32p)
- 37.63 FPS Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB #2 (S3 Vision864)
- 37.40 FPS Genoa Phantom 64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 37.27 FPS miro Crystal 20SD VL 2MB VLB (S3 Vision864)
- 36.72 FPS Spea V7-Mercury P-64 2MB VLB (S3 Vision964)
- 34.03 FPS S3 86C805-P 1MB VLB
- 32.18 FPS Cirrus Logic CL-GD5429 2MB VLB
Alt text: Doom gameplay screenshot, illustrating the type of retro gaming performance evaluated in the video card comparison.
In the crucial Doom benchmark, the WDC Paradise Bali32 once again leads, but the Tseng ET4000/W32p and Trident TGUI9440 based cards closely follow, demonstrating their prowess in running demanding DOS-era games. This video card compare clearly shows that for retro gaming, these VLB cards provide a range of performance options to suit different needs and budgets.
Conclusion
This video card compare provides valuable data for anyone seeking to optimize the graphics performance of their retro 486 gaming PC. While the WDC Paradise Bali32 consistently sets the pace, cards from Tseng, S3, and Trident offer compelling alternatives with strong performance profiles. The choice ultimately depends on individual priorities and availability, but this benchmark data offers a solid foundation for informed decision-making when selecting a VLB video card for classic gaming.
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