EXHIBIT 5.1

                         OPINION OF SNELL & WILMER, LLP




                                                 February 12, 1999



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"),  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 certain  selling  shareholders  ("Selling  Shareholders")  of up to an
aggregate of 1,394,870 shares of common stock,  $.20 par value per share of E&S,
901,408  shares  which  may  be  acquired  by  such  Selling  Shareholders  upon
conversion of shares of Class B-1 Preferred  Stock,  378,462 shares which may be
acquired by such Selling Shareholders upon the exercise of presently outstanding
warrants to purchase  shares of Class B-1 Preferred Stock and conversion of such
shares,  and 115,000  shares which may be acquired by such Selling  Shareholders
upon the exercise of presently outstanding options to purchase common stock.

         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  Shareholders' 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  and options  underlying  the shares being
registered  in the  Registration  Statement.  Further,  we have  assumed the due
execution and delivery of certificates  representing  the Selling  Shareholders'
shares.






         Based upon the foregoing,  and assuming  payment of the exercise price,
satisfaction of the other conditions of the Selling  Shareholders'  warrants and
options 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 options 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/