Mediante il comunicato stampa di seguito allegato, NVIDIA ha lanciato ufficialmente le gpu DirectX 10 di fascia media siglate GeForce 8600 GTS, GeForce 8600 GT e GeForce 8500 GT, che vanno ad arricchire la linea di chip GeForce che il produttore americano ha realizzato per i controller grafici di ambito consumer e già comprendente le soluzioni di fascia alta GeForce 8800 GTX e GeForce 8800 GTS.

Il chip-maker ha reso noti anche i prezzi di riferimento - o MSRP, Manufacturer Suggested Retail Prices, ndr - delle schede grafiche basate sulle nuove gpu. Segue l'elenco tratto dalla press-release:

• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS ­ $199-229
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT ­ $149-159
• NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT ­ $89-129

NVIDIA conferisce molta enfasi alla compatibilità con DirectX 10 dei processori grafici, tra i quali il ruolo di top performer è esercitato dalla GeForce 8600 GTS (segue una foto di una video card costruita intorno a questa gpu, ndr).

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Concepite per il gaming di buon livello, queste GeForce possono vantare il supporto, oltreché delle API DirectX 10 di Microsoft, di Shader Model 4 e delle tecnologie proprietarie Lumenex engine (ottimizza la qualità del rendering, ndr) e Quantum Effects (migliora la resa di alcuni effetti grafici tipicamente utilizzati nei game, ndr). Tutte garantiscono il supporto di High Definition con la riproduzione dei filmati su HD DVD e Blu-ray e, naturalmente, la connessione in topologia SLI (nella foto che segue sono visualizzate due GeForce 8600 GT in SLI), magari su una motherboard con chip-set nForce 650i.

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Le schede grafiche con GeForce 8600 GTS sono già state commercializzate presso i principali distributori mentre quelle con GeForce 8600 GT e GeForce 8500 GT (cfr. immagine seguente) arriveranno il prossimo primo Maggio.

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• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS ­ $199-229
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT ­ $149-159
• NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT ­ $89-129

These three GPUs join the previously announced NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS, rounding out the product family.

"With Windows Vista being the first operating system to require a GPU to fully realize its graphics potential and with the growing list of popular software applications that take advantage of a dedicated graphics processor, GPUs are no longer a luxury required only by hardcore gamers," said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GPU business unit at NVIDIA. "These new GPUs extend the reach of our award-winning GeForce 8 Series and offer cutting-edge, next-generation features to everyone from the hardcore gamer to the casual PC user."

"DirectX 10 means higher performance and better looking PC graphics," said Chris Donahue, group manager, games for Windows at Microsoft. "We are thrilled to see that NVIDIA has taken the first step to help application developers and end users adopt the newest 3D graphics API, by making DirectX 10-compliant GPUs available from top-to-bottom for every type of desktop PC user."

All three new cards feature PureVideo HD technology which leverages the revolutionary second-generation video-processing engine in the GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 GPUs to deliver the highest-quality playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies on everyday PCs.ⁱ The new programmable video processing engine takes on all of the high definition H.264 HD video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks and significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise. "Sony Pictures is enthusiastic about the ability to play Blu-ray movies on the PC," said Don Eklund, executive vice president, advanced technologies at Sony Pictures. "The new state-of-the-art NVIDIA GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 cards will enable consumers to enjoy Blu-ray movies on mainstream PCs."

With GeForce 8600 GTS and GeForce 8600 GT–based graphic cards, NVIDIA is enabling exceptional performance at price points PC gamers love. The GeForce 8600 GPUs are ideal graphics solutions for the latest NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI-based motherboards, which are designed to deliver maximum performance to gamers. The combination of the nForce 650i motherboard and the GeForce 8600 GPU forms a hardware foundation that allows consumers to build their own killer, PC-gaming platforms, enabling high-resolution and high-performance gaming, plus stellar high-definition visuals, at prices that don’t break the bank.

Built for Windows Vista, GeForce 8500 GT cards are designed for both casual gamers and for non-gamers, delivering the ultimate in HD video playback along with unprecedented levels of graphics realism and gaming performance for around $100.

GeForce 8 Series GPUs are the only DirectX 10 GPUs currently available and are the reference GPUs for DirectX 10 API development and certification. GeForce 8 Series GPUs include all required hardware functionality defined in the Microsoft Direct3D 10 specification, with full support for the DirectX 10 unified shader instruction set and Shader Model 4 capabilities. In addition, every GeForce 8 Series GPU features the NVIDIA PureVideo HD video processor, the NVIDIA Lumenex engine for superior image quality, and the NVIDIA Quantum Effects technology for simulation and rendering of stunning visual effects in games.

Graphics cards based on GeForce 8600 GTS GPUs are available now from leading retail outlets, system builders, and OEMs. Graphics cards based on GeForce 8600 GT and GeForce 8500 GT will be available on or before May 1, 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.nvidia.com or listen to the NVIDIA podcast located at http://download.nvidia.com/podcasts/pr/041707_8500_8600.mp3.

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