PALM SPRINGS, Calif.
-- In an event that ushers in a new era of interactivity for the PC,
NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) has unveiled the GeForce 256, the
world's first graphics processing unit (GPU). By delivering an order-of-magnitude
increase in geometry processing power, dynamic lighting and real-time
environment reflection capabilities, NVIDIA's GeForce 256 GPU will enable
a whole new level of interactive content not previously possible.
Developers can now harness the powerful new 3D medium to create rich,
dynamic, and lifelike worlds and characters. Additionally, PCs powered
by NVIDIA's GPU will be able to synthesize amazingly realistic environments
with objects that behave according to complex physics and intelligent
characters with lifelike personality.
The GeForce 256 GPU incorporates many groundbreaking innovations that
drive a major discontinuity in the 3D graphics industry, a market already
known for its staggering pace of innovation. The new groundbreaking
features available on NVIDIA's GPU include:
-- The first 256-bit 3D processor
-- The first integrated geometry transform engine
-- The first integrated dynamic lighting engine
-- The first four-pixel rendering pipeline
-- Stunning new Microsoft's DirectX 7.0 features: cube environment mapping,
projective textures and vertex blending
"The GeForce 256 continues NVIDIA's long tradition of introducing
groundbreaking technologies and trend-setting products to the PC market.
In 1997, we created the first 128-bit 3D processor, the RIVA 128(TM).
In 1998, we delivered the first dual-pipe processor, the RIVA TNT. And
now, we are introducing the world's first GPU, the GeForce 256," stated
Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of NVIDIA. "The GPU is a
major breakthrough for the industry and will fundamentally transform
the 3D medium. It will enable a new generation of amazing interactive
content that is alive, imaginative, and captivating. The richness of
this new 3D medium will have a profound impact on future of storytelling
and will broaden the appeal of 3D far beyond the game enthusiasts."
"Intel has been working with NVIDIA to shape the future of PC platforms
and provide new levels of intelligence and realism in simulations, entertainment
and enhanced Internet experiences," said Pat Gelsinger, Intel's
vice president and general manager of the Desktop Products Group.
"The Pentium III processor, when balanced with next-generation GPU architectures
like NVIDIA's, enables dramatically increased levels of lifelike 3D
graphics on Intel high-performance desktop platforms."
The Biggest Thing to Hit 3D Graphics
The GeForce 256 GPU is an immensely complex device with nearly 23 million
transistors, more than twice the complexity of the Pentium III microprocessor.
And with 50 Gigaflops of floating-point calculation capability dedicated
to 3D, equivalent to the performance of a maximum configuration 256-processor
Cray T3D, NVIDIA's GeForce 256 GPU delivers an unprecedented 15 million
sustained polygons per second and more than 480 million pixels per second.
GeForce 256 supports up to 128MB of frame buffer memory, AGP 4X with
Fast Writes - a unique feature in GeForce 256 - and a 350MHz RAMDAC
to drive the most extreme resolutions and color depths, up to 2048 x
1536 @ 75Mhz. In addition to DirectX support, the GeForce 256 GPU provides
full support for an OpenGL Installable Client Driver (ICD) for Windows
2000 and Windows NT.
"NVIDIA's GeForce 256 GPU heralds a new era of ultra-realistic real-time
graphics on standard personal computers," said Kevin Bachus,
group product manager for DirectX at Microsoft Corp. "The combination
of broad support for the features exposed by the Direct3D 7.0 API, blazingly
fast performance, and consumer-friendly prices will enable software
developers to realize their creative visions and deliver exciting new
entertainment experiences to Windows users everywhere."
Add-in card manufacturers developing GeForce 256-based graphics boards
include: Creative Labs, ELSA, Guillemot, ASUSTeK, Canopus and Leadtek.
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the world's leading supplier of performance
3D graphics processors, is the only independent top-to-bottom supplier
of 3D graphics solutions for mainstream PCs. NVIDIA designs, markets
and sells an award-winning family of 3D processors, delivering industry-leading
performance and visual quality for a broad range of PC-based applications,
including enterprise visualization, e-commerce, e-business, education
and entertainment. Used by the top PC OEMs in the world, NVIDIA's products
are distributed through a worldwide channel that includes PC OEM, add-in
card and motherboard partners in Europe, Asia and North America. For
more information, please visit the Company's web site at http://www.nvidia.com
