From: stretch@emunix.emich.edu (Brian Stretch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Diamond SpeedStar 24X REVIEW
Date: 31 Aug 92 18:00:16 GMT


REVIEW: Diamond SpeedStar 24X

Written 8/27/92 by Brian Stretch (stretch@emunix.emich.edu)


The Diamond SpeedStar 24X is a 1 megabyte DRAM video card using the Western
Digital Paradise accelerated graphics engine.  In addition to standard VGA
modes, it is capable of displaying SVGA graphics from 640x480x16million
(noninterlaced, 60Hz) to 1280x1024x16 (interlaced).  Despite its use of DRAM,
it benchmarks significantly faster than VRAM-based S3 911 cards such as the
Diamond Stealth, and carries a street price of around $200. 


THE TESTS

I tested this card on a 386DX-40 (C&T PEAK chipset) with an ADI Microscan 3E
14" .28dp non-interlaced microprocessor-controlled monitor.  Windows
benchmarks were performed with PC Lab's Windows Benchmarks v2.5 (Winmarks)
and Texas Instrument's WinTach v1.0 (RPMs).  At 1024x768x256 @ 60Hz, the DSS
24X scored an impressive 10.5M Winmarks, helped along by a 3.46M rating on
the heavily-weighted MS SRCCOPY section (versus 1.025M for the Compaq 386/25e
PC Magazine uses as its base), and an amazing 29.7M pixes/sec on Random
Rectangles (versus 3.83M for the Compaq).  System Font Scroll weighed in at
12,462 chars/sec, with other fonts scoring within 1,000cps of that point.  On
Wintach, the card scored an overall RPM of 9.57 (1.0 being 640x480x16 on a
386DX-20 of an unnamed incarnation), with individual scores of 5.12 on Word
Processing, 8.03 on CAD, 9.01 on Paint, and 16.12 on Spreadsheet.  During all
the tests, the hardware cursor remained rock steady.

Unfortunately, when the card was put into any of the HiColor or Truecolor
modes, it appeared that all acceleration advantages were lost.  The cursor
flickered during benchmarks, indicating that the hardware cursor function was
not being used, and the Winmark score dropped to 1.6M, consistent with a
decent but non-accelerated card.  

WHAT ABOUT DOS? 

Most accerated cards fall flat when used with DOS.  The S3 911, a screamer
under Windows, runs half as fast as a TSENG4000 under plain old MSDOS.  The
DSS 24X is a refreshing exception--with one annoyance.  It's fast, but it
will not operate with a bus speed faster than 10MHz (my TSENG w/Hicolor was
happy at 20MHz, tho certain other cards flaked out after 13.3).  This limited
its Vidspeed 3.2 (equivilant to the Landmark 2.0 video benchmark--guess what
Landmark licensed?) score to about 4,600 chars/msec--the same score that my
TSENG received at 13.3MHz.

Here's a little secret for you, kiddies: the TSENG4000 is not the fastest
frame buffer around.  The Western Digital Paradise (non-accelerated) 1meg
card is about 20% faster, and no-name Paradise cards (if you can find one)
are cheaper than no-name TSENGs (you can get a Paradise w/Hicolor for the
price of a plain TSENG).  The accelerated Paradise seems to have retained its
non-accelerated predecessor's attributes.

Unfortunately, I've yet to find any DOS graphics software that is compatible
with the 1meg Paradise chip, and not all the 512K Paradise software worked
either.  CShow (newest version at this time) displayed correctly at
640x480x256 and 800x600x256 with its Paradise drivers, but VPic 5.0's failed.
Both programs' VESA drivers failed, despite VPic's WHICHVGA.COM program
correctly detecting the DSS 24X's v1.01 BIOS's VESA modes.  Basically, if you
want to run DOS SVGA software, forget it.  But for standard-issue DOS VGA
games, such as Falcon 3.0, this card is as good as or better than TSENG4000.

NICETIES

Diamond cards have a couple of features I really like.  Number one is the bank
of DIP switches peeking thru the mounting bracket that select the refresh
rates for 800x600 and 1024x768 resolutions--much nicer than having to run a
software program (which is provided) at startup. 

Number two is that Diamond's cards are US-made.  It's been my experience that
anyone still making computer stuff in-country is making good stuff, and
Diamond is no exception.  (CH Flightstick, anyone?)

Then there's the included software.  Halo Desktop Imager v1.1 is included
("Professional Imaging Tool for Windows"), which might be amusing to play
with.  Diamond uses their own program to install/change/delete video drivers,
which I rather liked.  (Hint: RTFM before you try installing the drivers).

NOT NICE

No OS/2 2.0 drivers in sight.  (I checked the Diamond BBS, too).

THE VERDICT

If you want fast Windows performence without your DOS games taking a hit,
this is the card to get.  And at ~$200 street, it's one of the cheapest
accelerators around.  For strictly DOS VGA and Windows use, it's by far the
best choice currently on the market.  If you need a new card now, buy one.

(eof)

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware