Desktop platforms Toolkit

Diamond cuts deeper into 3D, modems

Arif Mohamed ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 18 Sep 1996 15:56 BST

Diamond introduced two modems, the internal SupraExpress 336i Sp (£115 + VAT) and the external SupraExpress 336e Sp (£135 + VAT).

Both 33,600bps devices come with a speakerphone and Rockwell's analogue simultaneous voice and data (ASVD) technology, which allows users to send voice and data simultaneously over the same phone line. The modems are compatible with the V.80 videoconferencing standard and are targeted at videoconferencing and remote gaming markets.

The most powerful of the new graphics cards is the Fire GL 3000 (£1,499+VAT with 8Mb VRAM and 8Mb EDO RAM), aimed at high-end 3D users and featuring real-time hardware texture mapping, video editing and animation. It supports up to 1600 x 1200, can be configured with up to 40Mb RAM, and supports output to two monitors.

Diamond's Stealth 3D 3000XL (£179 + VAT for 2Mb and £215 + VAT for 4Mb VRAM models), available from next month, is a mostly 2D accelerator, rendering 3D for applications such as CAD and VRML. Also new is a retail version of the Monster 3D games accelerator (£186 + VAT).

Diamond also announced today it will produce a 56,000bps modem early next year using Rockwell's latest chipset technology. Products supporting the Intel-led Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) will also appear in 1997.

Diamond can be contacted by telephone on 1800-468 5846.