Daytona (VSA-101) 2000

Daytona AGP with 32MB DDR ram & TV out, perfect function!

Top card is prototype 4200 VSA-101 board number two (dated 34-00) with 32 megs of DDR ram, it is so early it doesn't even have a 3dfx logo on the VSA-100 chip! Notice the lack of heatsink? The chip runs so cool at 143 mhz that none is required.

Bottom card is a 4200 series VSA-101 rev. A1 board with 16 meg DDR ram that *we are told* was sold to IBM for use in servers (and the bios even indicates IBM as sub-vender) but I'm starting to doubt that they ever made it to IBM. Sources indicate that these were prototype cards modified for production sale, card is dated 45th week, 2000.

Another 4200 16MB DDR card and this one is pure prototype- Notice the lack of heatsinks on the main chip dated 3100 (last week of JULY 2000) and voltage regulator (which is soldered, not screwed in place like production), the PCB is darker shade of green, A12 markings in handwritten ink and most notable to the trained eye is that with the exception of the PCI edge connector all the contacts on the circuit board are silver and not gold! Compare the unused voltage regulator pad at the top right of the cards, the top is gold but the bottom card is not. This is very common on pre-production & prototype 3dfx cards. On the back side the production date precedes the upper card by three weeks and there is one area of the circuit board that has been hand reworked.

Rear view of the revision A0 board- It has fewer decals and silkscreen information then the A1 boards plus the circuit paths are noticeably different! Both boards carry blank spots on the back for more ram... hmm... Makes me want to add a few pieces in the rear and upgrade the front at the same time and have an overclocking party =-)

Speaking of overclocking... This PCI board (dated 39-00) is slated to get 64 MB of 3.3ns DDR ram and an overclocking party is planned... stay tuned for results.

Boot screen from 32 meg board.

The VSA-101 based cards were due for January 2001 release to general public but 3dfx went under before then.