DOS Days

Old PC Computing Resource

"STB delivers something old and something new this year. What's new is the Velocity 128, a high-performance board aimed at gamers and general users. A terrific all-round performer and a good value, the Velocity 128 will serve equally well in the home or in the office. The older card, the Nitro 3D, can't compete with the newest generation of accelerators on 3-D performance, but decent 2-D performance and a bargain price make it worth a look for budget-constrained users.

The Nitro 3D is an older, PCI-only model that garnered an honorable mention in last June's roundup. Since then, it has been spruced up with new drivers that extend its 3-D abilities, but the Nitro3D is not equal to newer designs on the market. This card is a good choice for those on a limited budget who need solid 2-D operations and some 3-D features for recreational use.

Easy to install and stable during operation, the Nitro 3D uses a separate application for adjusting features beyond the basic Windows menus. Like the Velocity 128, the Nitro 3D provides a zoom function, bird's-eye view, and virtual desktop. The software bundle includes four games, plus a stripped-down version of Micrografx Simply 3D.

Performance on our 2-D benchmark tests was acceptable, if unremarkable; the card should prove to be fine for typical business and home-office chores at mainstream resolutions. 3-D performance was disappointing: The Nitro 3D scored next to last on our 3D Graphics WinMark tests. Better suited for occasional 3-D users than for gamers or graphics professionals, the STB Nitro 3D is best understood as a competent graphics board for general business users on a budget.

With respectable performance, well-thought-out features, stable drivers, and reasonable prices, these two cards from STB are good buys from their respective markets.

Nitro 3D: S3 ViRGE/GX chip, 4 MB EDO DRAM, 1600 x 1200 resolution at 60 Hz refresh rate. Street price: (PCI) $100.
Velocity 128: nVidia RIVA 128 chip, 4 MB SGRAM, 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60 Hz refresh rate. Street price: (PCI and AGP) $200."
PC Magazine, December 1997

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Richardson, Texas --(March 24, 1997)--(NASDAQ-STBI) - STB Systems( began shipping the Nitro 3D today, a next-generation 3D accelerator designed to give game players and other graphics-driven users the speed, resolution and 3D realism needed to fully experience today's most popular applications. The Nitro 3D( from STB delivers high-end 2D/3D digital video playback with ultra-high bandwidth video memory for optimum resolutions and refresh rates and up to 16.7 million colors for photo-realistic images. The Nitro 3D also employs the industry's most sophisticated 3D technologies to deliver truly stunning 3D results.

"For the past two years STB has been gaining retail market share at our competitors expense and the Nitro 3D should accelerate that shift," said Lief Koepsol, STB's National Channel Sales Manager. "The 3D performance, the aggressive price point and the outstanding software bundle have created a lot of excitement in the retail channel for the Nitro 3D."

Dazzling 3D Capabilities

STB Systems has put today's most advanced 3D technologies to work in the Nitro 3D. This accelerator employs both flat and Gouraud shading to give on-screen shapes smoother and more realistic shading. Texture mapping is used to create impressive and amazingly realistic 3D scenes and backgrounds. The Nitro 3D also employs MIP Mapping to optimize performance while further improving the quality of texture mapping. In addition, the Nitro 3D utilizes Z-Buffering, Fogging and Depth Cue/Sort, Alpha Blending, Double-Buffering, Anti-Alias and Bilinear Filtered Texture Maps to achieve unsurpassed 3D speed and realism. The Nitro 3D provides smooth, full-frame, full-motion playback of MPEG, Active Movie, Direct Video, AVI, Intel ProShare(, Intel Intercast( and other video sources. The Nitro 3D also features an incredibly fast 170MHz DAC, which enables the adapter to support resolutions up to 1600x1200 and refresh rates up to 160Hz. The Nitro 3D employs a 4MB of high-speed video memory, a 2MB expandable model is also available.

"Today's user demands a new and higher level of on-screen 3D performance, both in terms of full-motion video playback and in the realism of the graphics images themselves," says Gary Kellar, director of video product marketing for STB Systems. "The play back power and the remarkable imaging capabilities of Nitro 3D represent a new and higher level of 3D realism."

The Nitro 3D works with any SVGA multiple-frequency monitor. It provides VESA DDC-2B support for plug-and-play monitors, and the retail version is backed by STB's limited lifetime warranty. STB's Nitro 3D high-performance 2D/3D Windows and Multimedia Accelerator is the market's first to incorporate the next-generation power of S3's ViRGE GX graphics controller.

"As evidenced by STB's recent PC Magazine Editor's Choice award, S3 and STB are delivering award-winning multimedia solutions to the PC market," said Harry Dickinson, senior vice president of sales, S3 Incorporated . "Combining next-generation 3D rendering with advanced video playback and blazing 2D acceleration, STB's ViRGE/GX-based Nitro 3D product delivers new levels of multimedia performance and aims to be another award-winning solution."

STB shipped the Nitro 3D today to retail customers today and will ship to selected PC OEM's later this week. The 2MB Nitro 3D has a suggested retail price of $129 and STB is offering a $30 mail-in introductory rebate, bringing the price to $99. The 4MB Nitro 3D has a suggested retail price of $149.

Bundled Titles Announced

The retail version of the 2MB Nitro 3D will ship with Activision's HyperBlade(tm) and MechWarrior(r) 2: Mercenaries(tm), as well as WIRL by VREAM and a limited version of Simply 3D from Micrografx. The 4MB Nitro 3D will ship with HyperBlade, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, Spycraft: The Great Game(r) and the hot new title Interstate '76(tm), all from Activision, in addition to WIRL by VREAM and a limited version of Simply 3D from Micrografx.

HyperBlade

Launching a new generation of cybersports, HyperBlade is one of the first fast-paced multi-player futuristic sports titles. HyperBlade features real-time 3-D graphics and outstanding game and sound design, combining the hard-hitting action of hockey, soccer, lacrosse and extreme skating.

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries

An explosive sequel to the blockbuster hit MechWarrior(r) 2, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries plunges players into a dark gritty world of combat for hire where loyalty and honor are meaningless in the quest for money, power and fame. As Inner Sphere Mercenaries, players battle against the five houses of the Inner Sphere as well as invading clans.

Spycraft: The Great Game

Spycraft: The Great Game was developed in conjunction with William Colby, former director of the CIA, and Oleg Kalugin, former major general of the KGB. This chilling espionage adventure plunges players into a world of international intrigue as they assume the role of the post-Cold War spy. Players lead special forces, eliminate double agents, analyze satellite photos and intercept radio communications in an attempt to preserve peace in the new world order.

Interstate '76

Behind the wheel of classic '70s-type muscle cars, players face off against a fierce gang of auto-terrorists intent on destroying the largest oil reserve in the U.S. Players choose from more than 25 far-out vehicles armed with dozens of customizable weap ons as they embark on more than 25 real-time missions.

Simply 3D 2 Limited Edition

Simply 3D 2 from Micrografx is a ground breaking new 3D animation and rendering program for Windows 95 and NT. With it you can create flying logos for multimedia and the Internet using tools like the Flying Text Wizard and the Scene Explorer. With advanced Direct 3D support, Simply 3D 2 provides the easiest and fastest way to create 3D graphics on your PC.

WIRL by VREAM ( a PLATINUM technology company)

VREAM's WIRL is the ultimate product for experiencing virtual reality on the Web. WIRL sets the pace for delivering state-of-the-art interactive 3D technology on the World Wide Web. WIRL, which recently won the PC Magazine Editor's Choice award for VRML browsers, comes with over twenty demonstration worlds. Play virtual slot machines, fly helicopters, watch 3D logos spin and more--all on the Web. STB will be shipping WIRL as both a Netscape plug-in and as a Microsoft ActiveX Control."
STB Systems Press Office, 24th March 1997