Diamond Viper II announced

Diamond Viper II announced puts another piece of PC gear into the September hardware pile, and 1999 is not exactly short on that right now.

Raising the performance bar for sub-$200 graphics solutions, Diamond Multimedia Systems today unveiled its new Viper II graphics accelerator. Powered by S3 Incorporated’s Savage2000+ chip and 32MB of on-board memory, Viper II delivers unmatched 3D performance, breakthrough transformation and lighting functionality, stunning digital video playback and razor-sharp high-resolution 2D imagery. Slated for shipment in late October, Diamond Multimedia’s Viper II, including an exciting software bundle, is expected to carry a U.S. estimated retail price of under $200.

The hardware race is getting mean, and the upside is simple: gamers keep getting faster, stranger toys to bolt into their rigs.