EXHIBIT 5.1

                         OPINION OF SNELL & WILMER, LLP


                                                               November 10, 1998



Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
600 Komas Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah  84108

         Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation,  a
Utah  corporation  (the  "Company"),  and in such  capacity  have  examined  the
Company's  Registration  Statement  on Form S-3 (the  Form  S-3,  including  the
amendments  thereto being referred to collectively  herein as the  "Registration
Statement"),  to be  filed  by the  Company  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission ("Commission") on November 12, 1998 under the Securities Act of 1933,
as  amended  ("Act").  The  Registration   Statement  relates  to  the  proposed
registration for resale by a selling shareholder  ("Selling  Shareholder") of up
to an aggregate of 1,279,870 shares of common stock, $.20 par value per share of
the Company,  901,408  shares which may be acquired by such Selling  Shareholder
upon conversion of shares of Class B-1 Preferred Stock, and 378,462 shares which
may be acquired  by such  Selling  Shareholder  upon the  exercise of  presently
outstanding  warrants  to  purchase  shares  of Class  B-1  Preferred  Stock and
conversion of such shares.

         As counsel for the Company and for  purposes of this  opinion,  we have
made those  examinations  and  investigations  of legal and  factual  matters we
deemed advisable and have examined  originals or copies,  certified or otherwise
identified  to our  satisfaction  as true  copies  of the  originals,  of  those
corporate records,  certificates,  documents and other instruments which, in our
judgment,  we  considered  necessary or  appropriate  to enable us to render the
opinion expressed below,  including the Company's Articles of Incorporation,  as
amended to date,  the Company's  Bylaws,  as amended to date, and the minutes of
meetings of the  Company's  Board of Directors and other  corporate  proceedings
relating to the authorization and issuance of the Selling  Shareholder's shares.
We have assumed the  genuineness  and  authorization  of all  signatures and the
conformity to the originals of all copies  submitted to us or inspected by us as
certified,  conformed or  photostatic  copies.  Also, we have assumed the proper
exercise and payment for the warrants  underlying the shares being registered in
the  Registration  Statement.  Further,  we have assumed the due  execution  and
delivery of certificates representing the Selling Shareholder's shares.




Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
November 10, 1998
Page  2

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         Based upon the foregoing,  and assuming  payment of the exercise price,
satisfaction of the other conditions of the Selling  Shareholder's  warrants and
conversion of all of the Class B-1 Preferred  Stock, and relying solely thereon,
we are of the  opinion  the  shares  that will be issued  upon  exercise  of the
outstanding  warrants and  conversion of all of the Class B-1  Preferred  Stock,
will be duly authorized and will be legally and validly  issued,  fully paid and
nonassessable.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our name under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the Prospectus  included in the  Registration  Statement.  In giving
this consent we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose
consent is required  under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and  regulations of
the Commission thereunder.

                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P.
                                                           /s/