                               Viper VLB
                       Accelerator graphics board

                             by Tony Curro

    Viper, as listed in the dictionary, is a venomous snake. Viper VLB,
    by Diamond Computer Systems, is a super fast Windows graphics
    accelerator board. It takes advantage of the 32-bit VESA Local Bus
    architecture for the ultimate in Windows performance. A 74 Hz
    refresh rate at 1280 x 1024 and full VESA support for 72 Hz refresh
    rates allows flicker-free displays at all resolutions.

    The Viper is easy to install. Just plug it in, and run the software
    to install needed drivers for Windows or DOS applications. Along
    with drivers for most popular software packages, it comes with
    Panacea's TurboDLD Deluxe, an accelerated driver for AutoCAD;
    Diamond's TurboWindows drivers, a set of optimized drivers for
    Windows 3.x; and a retail version of HALO Desktop Imager, a 24-bit
    image editing software package.

    Viper VLB is based on the Weitek P9000 graphics accelerator, which
    off-loads graphics functions like BitBLT transfers, line draw
    functions and hardware cursor onto the video card. It supports 16.7
    million at 640x480 and 800x600 resolutions, up to 65,536 colors at
    1024x768 and 256 colors at 1280x1024. It is 100% VESA VBE 1.1
    compatible at register and BIOS levels.

    I have been using this card for several months and am very pleased
    with it. So pleased, that I purchased it. I ran ZD Labs WinBench
    3.11 on this card using 256 color mode. It returned a rating over 45
    million at 640x480. Using 800x600 I came in around 46 million, and
    at 1024x768 at over 47 million. It closest competitor, which uses
    the same chip, Wizard 9000VL by SixGraph Computing (reviewed in a
    previous issue of CTM), returned a reading of 35 million at 640x480.
    I have worked with over  half dozen cards over the last several
    months. None of them could touch the Viper.

    To reiterate my opening, Viper is a poisonous snake. The Viper VLB
    is also poisonous. It is poison to its competition!

    VIPER VLB comes with a five year warranty, and is made in Silicon
    Valley, USA. If you have a VESA Local Bus system, you CANNOT
    purchase a faster card for this money. At least none that I have
    seen.

    Diamond Computers also makes a full line of non-VESA video cards, a
    sound card (Sonic Sound), and a FastBus VLB motherboard.


                          Product Information

                               Viper VLB
                             Graphics Board

                         SRP  $549 (2MB VRAM)

                     Diamond Computer Systems, Inc.
                         1130 East Arques Ave.
                          Sunnyvale, CA 94086
                              408-736-2000
                           408-730-5750 (FAX)
