Guillemot Maxi Gamer Cougar NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 M64 32MB AGP Video Card🐆 A Properly Named Piece of Late-1990s Gaming Hardware
Offered here is an authentic Guillemot Maxi Gamer Cougar 32MB AGP graphics card, built around NVIDIA’s RIVA TNT2 M64 graphics processor.
Some manufacturers would have called this the “TNT2 M64 32MB AGP.” Guillemot apparently decided that was insufficiently dramatic and named it the Maxi Gamer Cougar—which is objectively much better.
Introduced in 1999, the Cougar was Guillemot’s affordable entry in the TNT2 family. It was designed for PC owners who wanted capable 2D acceleration and contemporary Direct3D/OpenGL gaming without paying for a full TNT2 or TNT2 Ultra.
🎮 Where It Fit in the TNT2 Family
The RIVA TNT2 M64 retained the basic graphics architecture and feature set of NVIDIA’s standard TNT2, but reduced the memory interface from 128 bits to 64 bits. This made it less expensive to manufacture, although the narrower memory bus reduced performance at high resolutions and 32-bit color.
In practical terms, the Cougar was aimed at mainstream Windows gamers rather than benchmark enthusiasts. It was well suited to the Pentium II, Pentium III, AMD K6-2, K6-III and early Athlon systems of its era.
Period-appropriate applications include:
- Windows 95 and Windows 98 gaming systems
- Late DOS/Windows dual-boot computers
- Pentium II and Pentium III restorations
- AMD K6 and early Athlon builds
- Direct3D and OpenGL gaming
- Vintage AGP hardware collections
- Historically appropriate late-1990s display hardware
Games of the period included titles such as Half-Life, Quake II, Quake III Arena, Unreal, Unreal Tournament and many other early hardware-accelerated 3D releases.
🧠 Hardware Specifications
- Manufacturer: Guillemot
- Model: Maxi Gamer Cougar
- Graphics Processor: NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 M64
- GPU Core Clock: Approximately 125MHz
- Video Memory: 32MB SDRAM
- Memory Interface: 64-bit
- Memory Clock: Approximately 150MHz
- System Interface: AGP 2x/4x
- Video Output: Analog VGA
- RAMDAC: 300MHz
- Cooling: Passive heatsink
- 3D APIs: Direct3D and OpenGL
- Power Connector: None required
- Bracket Height: Standard full height
This is an AGP graphics card. It is not compatible with PCI or PCI Express slots.
🔍 Identification and Component Verification
The card has been identified using multiple independent markings rather than relying upon a single chip or label:
- Guillemot name and logo printed directly on the PCB
- PCB identifier TNT2-M64-32MB-C
- Four MIRA P2V64S40BTP SDRAM packages
- 32MB total installed video memory
- SST 29LE512 flash-memory device containing the video BIOS
- Rear barcode/serial label GA3518906352
- FCC and CE regulatory markings
- Original black passive GPU heatsink
- Single blue VGA output
Each MIRA P2V64S40BTP package is a 64-megabit SDRAM device. Four packages provide a combined capacity of 256 megabits, or 32 megabytes.
The SST 29LE512 is the card’s flash-memory device and is associated with the video BIOS; it is not the graphics-processor model number.
📺 Standard Cougar—not the Video Edition
Guillemot produced both the standard Maxi Gamer Cougar and a more elaborate Cougar Video Edition.
This card is the standard Maxi Gamer Cougar. It provides a single VGA monitor output and carries the TNT2-M64-32MB-C board identifier.
The Cougar Video Edition added video-capture and television-output capabilities, including S-Video and composite connections. Those additional functions and connections are not present on this card.
📋 What Is Included
Included with this listing:
- Guillemot Maxi Gamer Cougar graphics card
- Original full-height mounting bracket
- Original passive heatsink
- All permanently installed components shown in the photographs
Only the graphics card shown is included.
The following are not included:
- Original retail box
- Driver disc or software
- Printed manual
- VGA cable
- Motherboard or computer
- Monitor
- Video adapters
- Additional accessories
✨ Physical Condition
The circuit board appears clean and complete, with the heatsink, memory packages, VGA connector and other visible components present.
The metal mounting bracket has normal age-related wear, surface discoloration and oxidation consistent with vintage computer hardware. Additional minor marks may be present from previous installation and storage.
Please examine all photographs carefully. They show the exact graphics card being offered and form an important part of the condition description.
📦 Shipping and Packaging
The card will be enclosed in anti-static protective material, supported against bending and packed inside a sturdy shipping carton. Particular care will be taken to protect the circuit board, AGP edge connector, VGA port, heatsink and exposed components.
Free shipping with tracking is included.
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❓ Have Questions?
If you have questions about visible markings, physical dimensions, included contents or photographed components, please contact us before purchasing. We are happy to clarify anything that can be determined from the card and photographs.
