NVIDIA Enters Server and Workstation Segments With New PCI-Express Core-Logic Solutions

NVIDIA Enters Server and Workstation Segments With New PCI-Express Core-Logic Solutions NVIDIA nForce(TM) Professional MCPs First PCI-Express Core-Logic for AMD Opteron(TM) Processor-Based Workstation and Server Computing Environments SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Following the successful introduction of its line of PCI-Express products in the consumer desktop PC market, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors, today introduced NVIDIA nForce Professional media and communications processors (MCPs), the industry's only PCI-Express core-logic solutions for AMD Opteron(TM) processor-based server and workstation platforms. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050124/SFM068LOGOhttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020613/NVDALOGO ) Designed for cost-effective server and workstation environments -- including blade servers, computing farms, computer-aided design (CAD), digital content creation (DCC), and visualization platforms -- the NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs are the first and only solutions to offer support for PCI-Express and other advanced technology solutions, including integrated client-based security features, TCP/IP offload, fault tolerant storage designs, and optimizations for NVIDIA Quadro(R) workstation graphics solutions, including multi-display and NVIDIA(R) scalable link interface (SLI(TM)) environments. "The NVIDIA nForce Professional platform offers an unmatched feature set for server customers in a wide variety of business computing environments," said Phil Hester, CEO of Newisys. "NVIDIA has long demonstrated its success in platform design, and the new feature-rich NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs continue that tradition," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president and general manager, Microprocessor Business Unit, AMD's Computation Products Group. "The combination of our AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture and NVIDIA nForce Professional provides the performance, scalability, and features to handle today's most demanding professional graphic accelerators as well as server I/O cards in both 32-bit and 64-bit computing environments." The NVIDIA nForce Professional MCP family, which today includes the NVIDIA nForce Professional 2200 and the 2050 MCP, an I/O companion chip, offers a host of technological capabilities that make it an ideal platform for industrial-level computing, including: -- Scalable, innovative, single-chip architecture that takes advantage of the AMD Opteron processor's Direct Connect Architecture(TM) -- Full support for PCI-Express, with up to 80 lanes using a single 2200 MCP and multiple 2050 MCPs, Advanced Error Reporting (AER), hot-plug, Message Signal Interrupts (MSI), and other server-specific requirements -- Native Gigabit Ethernet with TCP/IP hardware offload for enhanced networking and data processing (up to 4Gb/sec. of bandwidth total) -- Native support for next-generation SATA 3Gb/s hard drives (up to 16 SATA drives total) -- Complete suite of RAID functionality -- Microsoft(R) Windows(R) and Linux support -- NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture for simplified IT management and overall lower cost of ownership "We are pleased that NVIDIA is launching the first PCI Express product for AMD Opteron platforms. IBM and NVIDIA have a long relationship in workstation graphics and we expect that the NVIDIA nForce Professional products will have the same high quality and reliability as the NVIDIA Quadro products," said Bob Lenard, Worldwide Director of IBM IntelliStation Workstations and Linux clusters. "Sun and NVIDIA have a strong relationship, and we've partnered to deliver leading graphics solutions on the AMD Opteron processor-based Sun Java(TM) Workstations," said Rajesh Shakkarwar, senior director of workstation marketing at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "NVIDIA products have a solid history of performance and reliability, and we expect that the new NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs will carry on this tradition." Professional products utilizing the NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs are available now from leading providers of workstations, servers, and motherboards, including Alienware, Boxx Technologies, Colfax, IWILL, Panta Systems, Tyan, and @XI(R) Computer, with more announcements expected to follow. "For the transition to PCI-Express, NVIDIA is ready with the technology that computing professionals require," said Drew Henry, general manager of platform business at NVIDIA. "This new technology greatly positions NVIDIA to become a preeminent supplier of server and workstation platforms. We are pleased to be working with a number of leading suppliers for their upcoming Opteron processor-based platforms." About NVIDIA NVIDIA Corporation is a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors. The Company's products enhance the end-user experience on consumer and professional computing devices. NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs), media and communications processors (MCPs), and wireless media processors (WMPs) have broad market reach and are incorporated into a variety of platforms, including consumer and enterprise PCs, notebooks, workstations, PDAs, mobile phones, and video game consoles. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.nvidia.com. Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to the benefits, uses, capabilities and performance of the NVIDIA nForce professional products, announcements of adoption of the NVIDIA nForce Professional MCPs by additional leading workstations, server and motherboard manufacturers and NVIDIA as a preeminent supplier of server and workstation platforms are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, delays in ramping new products into production, manufacturing defects, reliance on third-party manufacturers, general industry trends including cyclical trends in the workstations and server platforms, market acceptance of new products and technologies, delays in the adoption of the PCI express technology, delays in integration of our products, the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives, changes in industry standards and interfaces, our dependence on third-party developers and publishers and other risks detailed from time to time in the NVIDIA reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 24, 2004. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. NOTE: All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo and Java are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Drew Henry http://www.profnet.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=347149 Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050124/SFM068LOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020613/NVDALOGO AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: NVIDIA Corporation CONTACT: David Higham, +1-408-486-8287, or dhigham@nvidia.com, or Bryan Del Rizzo, +1-408-486-2772, or bdelrizzo@nvidia.com, both of NVIDIA Corporation Web site: http://www.nvidia.com/ NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional information on NVIDIA, please visit the NVIDIA Press Room at http://www.nvidia.com/page/press_room.html ------- Profile: International Entertainment