S3 lancia DeltaChrome, la nuova GPU

Dopo un'attesa durata molti anni, lo storico produttore di chip video S3 ritorna sul mercato delle soluzioni video di fascia alta presentando DeltaChrome, nuova GPU con supporto hardware alle API DirectX 9.

Le caratteristiche tecniche principali della nuova architettura sono:

• pieno supporto hardware alle features delle API DirectX 9 (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• funzionalità di gestione avanzate dei display (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• Pixel Shader 2.0+;
• Vertex Shader 2.0+;
• 8 pipeline di rendering integrate nel chip DeltaChrome (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• Chromotion Programmable Video Engine, per la gestione dimanica e programmabile dei flussi video multimediali (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• Encoder Hi-Def HDTV integrato on chip (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• PicturePerfect, funzionalità per la gestione dell'anti aliasing via hardware di tipo multisampling (ulteriori informazioni qui);
• Advanced Deferred Rendering, per l'ottimale gestione della bandwidth della memoria video e dello Z-buffer (ulteriori informazioni qui).

Il chip potrà supportare un massimo di 256 Mbytes di memoria video; da rimarcare anche il supporto alle API Open GL 1.4. Mancano per il momento specifiche precise su quelli che saranno i vari modelli commercializzati, oltre alle frequenze di lavoro per chip e memoria video. Ovviamente, resta anche da vedere quando le schede basate su chip DeltaChrome verranno commercializzate e quali saranno le prestazioni velocistiche effettive.

Per ulteriori dettagli si rimanda al sito ufficiale di S3, on line a questo indirizzo.

Di seguito il comunicato stampa ufficiale di S3:

S3 Graphics Launches All New DeltaChrome with Dazzling Hi-Def Graphics and Video with Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and HLSL support

Feature packed DeltaChrome™ display core boasts DirectX™ 9.0 hardware, powerful V8™ 3D architecture, revolutionary Chromotion™ programmable video engine technology and the industry’s first fully integrated Hi-Def™ HDTV encoder.

Fremont, California, 7 January 2003 - S3 Graphics Inc., a leading supplier to the 3D graphics accelerator market, revealed details today of the completely new DeltaChrome™ display core featuring full hardware support for the newly released Microsoft® DirectX 9.0 application interface using Microsoft’s HLSL (high level shader language). Targeted squarely at the top position in mobile and desktop graphics with high resolution connectivity for consumer and professional requirements, DeltaChrome brings exciting new features and unparalleled Hi-Def image quality and performance for 3D and video.

"Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and HLSL are the new industry standards for Windows-based games development and are fully supported by the innovative DeltaChrome mobile and desktop graphics processors from S3 Graphics and VIA," said Dean Lester, General Manager of Windows Graphics and Gaming Technologies at Microsoft Corporation.   "This will enable the rapid creation of breakthrough games utilizing DeltaChrome's high-resolution movie-quality graphics and video by the world's leading ISVs."

"With DeltaChrome, we have generated a new paradigm in the graphics industry above and beyond just 3D, placing S3 Graphics ahead of the game. By combining high performance 3D graphics with film-like video quality and high definition output, we provide much more than expected in this competitive market," commented Dr. Gerry Liu, Vice President of Marketing, S3 Graphics, Inc.

Highlights of the DeltaChrome display core include the V8 8-pixel pipeline 3D engine running at a blistering 2.4 Giga-pixels per second fill rate, hardware implementation of DirectX 9.0 and beyond (Pixel/Vertex shader 2.0+), Advanced Deferred Rendering™ and the powerful and flexible Chromotion programmable video engine with ingenious post processing capabilities. Also integrated into the DeltaChrome is the Hi-Def video encoder that can support up to 1080 lines of resolution in progressive mode.

"It’s great to see S3 Graphics coming back to the performance 3D market," said Dr. Jon Peddie, President of Jon Peddie Research, the leading market research firm in graphics and multimedia. "The new DeltaChrome display core should give consumers and professionals all the performance and other exciting features that they are looking for…and I especially like the built-in HDTV functionality."

About S3 Graphics, Incorporated

S3 Graphics, Inc., a VIA Technologies joint venture company, is a leading supplier to the 3D enabled PC graphics market it pioneered. Today, S3 Graphics ships low power, high performance, Commercial Grade 3D graphics sub-systems to top tier notebook manufacturers. In addition, S3 Graphics integrates market-leading chipset technology from VIA Technologies, Inc. into shared memory architecture products for the high volume, value PC market. Headquartered in Fremont, California, S3 Graphics has a long-term commitment to top performance, quality and state-of-the-art features for desktop and mobile applications. Additional information can be found at the Company’s website at www.s3graphics.com.