NVIDIA Advances PC Gaming with Support for Microsoft DirectX 10
NVIDIA Corp. released the worlds first WHQL-certified drivers for Microsoft DirectX 10, coinciding with the release of the first DirectX 10 test kit from Microsoft, which allows other hardware vendors to test their graphics processors using the DirectX 10 WHQL tests.
Microsoft DirectX 10 is included with Windows Vista and delivers unparalleled levels of graphics realism and film-quality effects for games, all rendered in realtime on NVIDIA GeForce 8-series GPUs. GeForce 8-series GPUs are the first and only Microsoft DirectX 10-capable GPUs currently available.
The new ForceWare 100.65 drivers support GeForce 6-, 7- and 8-series NVIDIA GPUs. NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GPUs now meet the Vista Premium Device Logo requirements, in addition to GeForce 6- and 7-series GPUs, which previously met the requirements.
The new drivers can be downloaded from: http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GPUs are the reference GPUs of DirectX 10 application developers as they create and test next-generation content. Several of the most anticipated titles for 2007 -- including CRYSIS (published by Electronic Arts), HELLGATE LONDON (EA/Namco), WORLD IN CONFLICT (Sierra Ent.) and AGE OF CONAN: HYBORIAN ADVENTURES (Funcom) -- are designed on NVIDIA hardware to exploit the new features of DirectX 10. Several other titles are being adapted to support DirectX10 features, including COMPANY OF HEROES, EVE ONLINE, LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE and MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR X.
NVIDIA GeForce 8-series GPUs include all required hardware functionality defined in the Microsoft Direct3D 10 specifications, with full support for the DirectX 10 unified shader instruction set and Shader Model 4 capabilities.
GeForce 8 Series GPUS include:
* GeForce 8800 GTX - $599-$649* GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB - $399-$449* GeForce 8880 GTS 320MB - $299-$349
NVIDIA Corp. (www.nvidia.com) is a worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies. The company creates innovative, industry-changing products for computing, consumer electronics and mobile devices. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has offices throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas.