CompuServe Messages

Some technical data is needed here. First of all, no board "slows down" DOS access. Assuming no speed increase equals 0 gain. There can't be a negative gain. For a 0 gain I would consider an 8 bit (memory access) bank switched VGA (like the original IBM VGA) running on a 6 MHz bus. Anything better than that ought to have a greater than zero gain. Including "all" of the SVGA boards out there. A "dumb" frame buffer (non CPU assisted, accelerated board) works as a memory area where the application sends preprocessed image (raster) information directly to it's image buffer. The access method will determine the speed. All of these cards are at least 16 bits and able to operate in bus speed of at least 8Mhz. That's already a 2.6 gain. As most of these accelerated boards are 32 bits and operate at the CPU data bus speed (60 Mhz in my case) that represents a 40 gain. And that's without "any" CPU assisted acceleration. There are other factors that makes this gain even greater. "Normal" VGA boards have a tiny 64k memory window where data has to be sent in blocks and banks of 64k memory switched back and forth. 32 bit SVGA boards have a 1, or 2 (or whatever it may be) megabyte window. Both Vibrant and Panacea drivers access those buffers directly and in 32 bit protected mode. That will give a gain of 3 on top of the already gain of 40 (120 total). Your statement are unfounded and based on invalid data. PC Magazine (or any other rag you mentioned) isn't, and won't ever be, the right source of information for this kind of research. They are based on how the average unsophisticated user ( that's stupid in plain English) uses his or her computer and how the average business application ( that's stupid applications in plain English) perform under those circumstances. Both totally unrelated and biased for any valid use in this [3DS] context. Be better prepared before such bold statements next time.