Club 3D

Lore & Background

Club 3D began in 1997 as Colour Power, rebranding to Club 3D in 2005. It was a pioneer in the introduction of the first graphics cards from S3 Graphics, 3dfx, ATI Technologies and NVIDIA. The company was the only privately owned company in the world that officially sold both AMD/ATI and NVIDIA under one brand. In 2001, it became the first AIB (Add-in-Board) for ATI/AMD, launching ATI AIB solutions at Computex that year. It also opened a branch office in Germany for the DACH market in 2001. Official partnerships followed with S3 Graphics in 2003 and XGI Technologies in 2003. In 2004, the company generated over 900,000 retail unit sales of ATI video card graphics adapters. In 2006, it partnered with NVIDIA Corporation and launched Theatron sound cards. In 2007, it launched VAX Barcelona bag accessories. In 2010, it officially launched an accessories division. In 2011, it launched high-end 80 plus switching power supplies and the SenseVision division for USB-powered video graphics adapters. In 2013, it dropped NVIDIA support and committed to AMD only. In 2016, it was first to market worldwide with DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 Active Adapters, and that same year it stopped manufacturing graphics cards.

Reader's Guide

Club 3D's significance lies in its role as a pioneering Dutch brand in the graphics card industry, being the first AIB for ATI/AMD in 2001 and the only privately owned company to officially sell both AMD/ATI and NVIDIA under one brand. Its history reflects the evolution of the graphics market, from early partnerships with S3 Graphics, 3dfx, ATI, and NVIDIA to a later exclusive commitment to AMD in 2013. The company's 2004 achievement of over 900,000 retail unit sales of ATI video cards demonstrates its market impact. Its legacy includes diversification into multimedia products like Theatron sound cards, accessories, power supplies, and USB-powered adapters. The 2016 launch of the first DisplayPort 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 Active Adapters marked a notable innovation. However, the same year it ceased manufacturing graphics cards, ending its core business. The company's trajectory from a multi-brand graphics card maker to an AMD-focused brand and then to a non-manufacturer of graphics cards illustrates the shifting dynamics in the add-in-board market.

Did You Know?

• Club 3D was founded in 1997 as Colour Power and renamed in 2005.
• In 2004, it sold over 900,000 retail units of ATI video cards.
• It stopped manufacturing graphics cards in 2016.