Nvidia Introduces Fastest Geforce Platforms Ever—optimized For Gaming Pcs

PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 14, 2008 – DUBAI, UAE— NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) continues to address the global demand for better visual experiences on the PC with the recent market introduction of a series of new powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) and media and communications processors (MCPs) that unleash consumers’ creativity and self-expression. The new NVIDIA GeForce® and NVIDIA nForce® products, including the new GeForce® 9800 GX2, GeForce 9800 GTX, GeForce 9600 GT GPUs, along with the nForce 790i Ultra SLI® media and communications processor (MCP), enable consumers to optimize their PCs for drastically improved performance with the latest operating systems, photo applications, mapping software, games, and HD movies. Considered one of, if not the most important processors inside the PC, the NVIDIA GPU, in combination with an NVIDIA MCP, provides consumers with untold choices for building completely flexible, scalable, and high-definition entertainment platforms, driving visual computing capabilities to new heights.

With the recent launch of the GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU, NVIDIA has once again engineered the world’s fastest graphics solution*, designed for running today’s graphically-intensive games, 3D applications, and HD movies at extreme resolutions. With more than 256 processing cores on a single board, the GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU is up to 60 percent faster than the closest competitor. By pairing two GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU-based add-in cards with NVIDIA SLI technology users can take advantage of NVIDIA Quad SLI technology for Windows Vista and experience unprecedented performance with the highest detail and resolutions possible in today’s most demanding games and applications.

“It’s becoming obvious that the GPU is the main purchasing decision that our customers are making when purchasing a new PC. As a result, for some time now NVIDIA GPUs and MCPs have been the engines driving our flagship PCs,” said Kelt Reeves, president and CEO of Falcon Northwest. “With the new GeForce 9800GX2, the introduction of Quad SLI for Vista, and the nForce 790i platform to run them on, NVIDIA has once again provided us with some serious new armament in the fight for smoother frame rates.”

In addition to the GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU, NVIDIA recently introduced the GeForce 9800 GTX GPU which features 128 processor cores and provides consumers with the best bang for the buck in its price range. The GeForce 9800 GTX GPU supports both 2-Way and 3-Way SLI technology, delivering the industry’s most flexible and scalable multi-GPU solution. And with the GeForce 9600 GT GPU, immersive gaming with incredible graphics is now within the reach and budget of PC gamers who want to balance performance and cost.

The ultimate foundation for all NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series GPUs is a new motherboard based on the new NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP, which is the industry’s most overclockable platform for Intel processors. Designed for current and next-generation Intel CPUs, including those that support a 1600MHz frontside bus (FSB), the nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP supports high-performance DDR3 memory, PCI Express Gen 2.0, and the new Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA) communications protocol for the real-time monitoring and control of PC components. Already deemed “one of the fastest gaming platforms ever tested**,”  the nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP is also certified to run 2-Way, 3-Way, and Quad SLI GPU configurations. Motherboards featuring the nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP are available now.

“Since the start of the year, we have been committed to introducing products that not only set the bar for performance and scalability, but also deliver the ultimate visual computing experience,” said Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPU business at NVIDIA. “Consumers buying a new PC or those who want to build one from scratch know that the key to the best visual computing experience starts with the GPU. With our new products and the support of our partners worldwide, 2008 marks the beginning of the visual computing revolution and solidifies the GPU’s position as the most important processor inside the PC.”

NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series GPUs are available now from global leading add-in card partners including: Albatron, ASUS, BFG, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision, Leadtek, MSI, Sparkle, Palit, PC Partner/Zotac, PNY, Point of View, XFX, and Zogis.

Motherboards featuring the NVIDIA nForce 790i Series MCPs are available now from global leading motherboard manufacturers including: ASUS, DFI, EVGA, Foxconn, Gigabyte, MSI, PC Partner, and XFX.

For pricing information, please contact your local add-in card and motherboard partners.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA is the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, a high-performance processor which generates breathtaking, interactive graphics on workstations, personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices. NVIDIA serves the entertainment and consumer market with its GeForce® graphics products, the professional design and visualization market with its Quadro® graphics products, and the high-performance computing market with its Tesla™ computing solutions products. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. and has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. For more information, visit www.nvidia.com.

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, features, power, performance, capabilities, availability and pricing of the GeForce 9800 GX2 GPU, GeForce 9800 GTX GPU, GeForce 9600 GT GPU, the nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP, two-way, three-way, and the Quad SLI Multi-GPU, and NVIDIA QuadSLI for Windows Vista; gamers’ preferences; the importance of the GPU to consumers and to visual computing, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: delays in ramping new products into production; our reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble and test our products; development of faster or more efficient GPUs or MCPs at the same price point; unexpected loss of performance of our products when integrated into PCs; the impact of technological development and competition; changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of competitor's products; manufacturing or software defects; changes in industry standards and interfaces as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 27, 2008. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on our website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

*Weighted average score based on the benchmarking of GeForce 9800 GX2 against AMD Radeon 3870 X2 across 14 PC games, with resolutions up to 2500x1600, including:  Company of Heroes, World in Conflict, Call of Duty 4, Crysis, Unreal Tournament, Fear, Bioshock, ET Quake Wars, Half Life 2 Episode Two, Oblivion, Prey, Clive Barker’s Jericho, Dirt, and Rainbow Six Vegas.

**As reviewed on Anandtech.com on March 18, 2008 at: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3265