Mac to PC Voodoo 5 PCI

[Uwe]

I recently acquired a Mac Voodoo 5 PCI card. I would like to flash the V5 to a PC card. However, I want to keep my current AGP card in my system too. Can I simply stick the Mac Voodoo 5 card in one of my computer's PCI slots while my GeForce4 Ti 4200 remains in the AGP slot? Can both cards be in the computer when I flash the V5 bios? I searched around but I cannot find anything that addresses this.

I want to connect both video cards to this box http://www.cablewholesale.com/popupspecs/40h1-03602.htm
and switch whenever I want to use a different card.

Thanks,

Uwe

[Glide]

Uwe, welcome here.

Can I simply stick the Mac Voodoo 5 card in one of my computer's PCI slots while my GeForce4 Ti 4200 remains in the AGP slot?

Yes, you can and must.

Can both cards be in the computer when I flash the V5 bios?

Like above.

In motherboard bios menu you set AGP card as first boot video device  then update Voodoo5 MAC bios with 1.18 DVI release for Windows - it's here https://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/3dfx/voodoo5/bios.htm - and your 3dfx will become a Win Voodoo.

Just remember bios update procedure is however for skilled users only...

Good luck,

Bye bye

[Uwe]

Thank you Glide,

Will I need the Flash.exe file to update the bios? I believe I understand the risks involved which is why I am asking all these questions before I do anything. Anyway, I have five computers and only two people in my house so I can risk one of them to update the video card. I think I'll try and do it on my K6-III+ as its the slowest one I have by far. If it get hosed...oh well...it will be the first time I have lost a piece of hardware from updating the bios or overclocking.

Thanks,

Uwe

[Rolo01]

Just remember, dont flash in Windows or Dos-Box, do it in plain DOS !
Make yorself a boot disc and you are good to go...

[Uwe]

Thanks Rolo1,

I was hoping someone would be able to confirm that for me. The instructions for Flash.Exe says for Windows XP you have to be in DOS or 9X compatibility mode...so I was thinking of doing that but if you say that you can't flash it in either of those then I need to format a hhd to a 98SE OS in order to get a DOS prompt that I can flash from. I know I have to DELPART the partition to format a hdd with XP on it.

Uwe

[Rolo01]

I am not sure whether you actually CAN flash in a DOS box, I just do not recommend it. But its much easier than formating or partitioning your hard drive :
Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and download lets say a Win98SE boot disk image. Take an empty floppy disk and start the downloaded file. The boot disk image is now written on that floppy disk.
Change the boot order in your Bios so that the PC first tries to boot from A:, insert the newly made bootdisk and you are in plain good old DOS. I have done this many times, successfully.

[trigger]

Have a read other voodooMAC users experiences here!
http://www.3dfxzone.it/enboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1967

Here you'll find my verified working BIOS file! (flash tools included)

As a note: You can boot from the Windows9X CD and work from a floppy if you don't have a fat32 partition handy.

If it doesn't work the first time, don't worry. You can flash it numerous times untill it works.

The ideal setup would be a mobo with an intel BX chipset (eg:ASUS P2B) with an AGP slot, AGP card and nothing in the PCI slots other than the voodooMAC.
(soon to be exorcised)

Try and find a spare hard drive though! Always preferable!;)