NVIDIA Launches New Intel NF4 Chipsets
Good morning all. There's some exciting news coming from NVIDIA today. The company is launching two new chipsets for the Intel platform in an effort to capture some more of the mainstream market. NVIDIA has just announced the nForce 4 SLI XE and nForce 4 Ultra Intel Editions. Here's a snip from the official PR:
New NVIDIA nForce MCPs Bring High Performance, Low-Priced Solutions to Intel PC Market
New Top-to-Bottom Solutions Support All Intel Dual-Core CPUs
SANTA CLARA, CA—JANUARY 17, 2006—NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, today announced the NVIDIA nForce4 SLI XE and NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra media and communications processors (MCPs). Together with the award-winning NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 MCP already available, NVIDIA is now providing its system builder and do-it-yourself (DIY) communities with two, new, lower cost, discrete motherboard solutions for Intel(R) PC platforms. All three are compatible with all currently available Intel dual-core CPUs, including the new Intel Pentium(R) Extreme Edition 955.
In addition to providing cutting-edge features—including advanced storage and security capabilities and support for high-definition audio—the Company has also dramatically lowered the entry point for those interested in building multi-GPU PC platforms using Intel CPUs. With an expected retail price of less than $100 USD for NVIDIA nForce4 SLI XE-based motherboards, consumers can now take advantage of the acclaimed NVIDIA(R) SLI™ technology and install two graphics cards immediately for scalable gaming performance, or use the second PCIe slot for other PCIe devices or future expansion. Targeted for single-GPU configurations is the NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra MCP, offering users a solid platform with more features and performance than alternative motherboard products that also have a retail price of around or less than $89 USD.
"Our core-logic business is a strategic growth driver for NVIDIA, and these new products allow us to capitalize on these high-volume Intel segments," said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP business at NVIDIA. "With a top-to-bottom product family including NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 for the high-end enthusiast, NVIDIA nForce4 SLI XE for those interested in performance, and the NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra for more general PC usage, we are excited about our opportunities and the potential growth for our MCP business group."
Together, the advanced architecture of the NVIDIA nForce4 MCPs and the dual-core capabilities of the latest Intel Pentium processors provide a compelling technological foundation for driving today's hottest games and demanding digital media applications, including the playback of high-definition video.
PC OEMs, system builders and motherboard manufacturers, including Biostar, ECS, Epox, Foxconn, Jetway, J&W, MSI, and others, are expected to have retail products based on the NVIDIA nForce4 SLI XE and NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra MCPs available starting in late January 2006. Read More...
Boards based on the nForce 4 SLI XE and nForce 4 Ultra are expected to be available in the coming weeks at price points of $99 and $89 (and below), respectively. They support all Intel Dual-Core and Single-Core LGA775 CPUs, and also have full support for HD Audio and gigabit ethernet.
