ATI introduces RADEON(tm) 8500, the world's fastest, most advanced
technology graphics board
RADEON(tm) 8500 offers best visual effects, unsurpassed gaming performance,
and is first chip to fully support Microsoft's DirectX 8.1 specification
MARKHAM, Ontario - ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT), a world
leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions, today
introduced the RADEON(tm) 8500, the world's fastest and most technologically
advanced graphics board and the foundation for ground-breaking visual
effects -- affording consumers an unsurpassed 3D gaming experience.
The RADEON 8500 graphics board, powered by the most advanced graphics
processor chip in the world, delivers up to 33 percent higher performance
than the nearest competitive product (1). It features a core clock speed of
250 MHz (megahertz), memory clock speed of 275 MHz and 64MB (megabytes) of
DDR (double data rate) memory. Available in late September, it has an MSRP
(manufacturer's suggested retail price) of (US) $399.
"The RADEON 8500 clearly positions ATI as the technology and performance
leader. Enthusiasts will find an unequalled visual experience in the RADEON
8500," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Desktop
Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. "With the RADEON 8500 GPU (graphics
processing unit), the industry moves a quantum step forward, towards full
visual reality on the PC and Macintosh platforms."
Major technological advancements include TRUFORM(tm), an innovative
rendering technology that helps to deliver the smoothest, most natural 3D
images ever seen on existing and next-generation 3D games; and
SMARTSHADER(tm), an advanced technology that takes advantage of Microsoft's
new DirectX 8.1 specification, including supporting Pixel Shaders Version
1.4 to enable more complex and realistic texture and lighting effects
without sacrificing performance.
"Beyond what ATI's RADEON 8500 will do in the way of offering a great 3D
platform for next-generation games is what it will do for current games
through its innovative TRUFORM technology," said Mark Dochtermann, Technical
Director, MumboJumbo. "When playing Myth II on TRUFORM-enabled 3D hardware,
the Myrkridia, Trow and other units look much more natural and realistic
than ever before, bringing gamers one giant step closer to experiencing full
visual reality with this graphics chip."
DirectX 8.1 is an integral part of Microsoft's new Windows XP operating
system, due to ship this Fall. All the features available on the DirectX
platform will also be available under OpenGL®.
"We are entering the next generation of GPUs and ATI's RADEON 8500 has the
features to be a leader in the graphics market," said Dr. Jon Peddie,
President, Jon Peddie Associates, the leading market research company
tracking digital media. "The pent-up demand for the programmability and
range of control found in TRUFORM and SMARTSHADER is enormous and this new
technology will empower a whole new class of amazing, realistic games and
visualization applications."
Also underpinning RADEON 8500's industry-leading visual effects and
multimedia capabilities are the following technologies:
* HYPERZ(tm) II, a next-generation memory bandwidth saving technology,
that boosts rendering performance by 25 percent;
* CHARISMA ENGINETM II, which supports full transform, clipping and
lighting (T&L) at 62.5 million triangles/second peak processing capability;
* PIXEL TAPESTRYTM II, the RADEON 8500's 3D rendering engine, which
uses four rendering pipelines to process an incredible 2 gigatexels per
second for the highest fill rates in 32-bit color at high resolutions;
* HydraVisionTM, ATI's world-leading, multi-monitor desktop management
software optimizes the dual display experience with user controllable
shortcut keys and individual application settings. The RADEON 8500 takes
advantage of HydraVision with its integrated dual display controllers,
enabling true dual monitor support, for the first time in a high-performance
gaming product;
* VIDEO IMMERSIONTM II, a second-generation technology that enables
integration of industry-leading digital video features, including DVD
(digital versatile disc) video playback and advanced de-interlacing
algorithms for unprecedented video quality.
"We are at the dawn of a new era in the 3D PC market with the introduction
of the RADEON 8500. The game development community will finally be able to
create games that closely mirror photo realism," explained Toshi Okumura,
Senior Product Manager, Desktop Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. "Not only
will the RADEON 8500 offer the world's fastest gaming experience, but the
new technologies integrated in this GPU will enable visually compelling
gaming encounters. The RADEON 8500 clearly positions ATI as the performance
and technology leader in the PC graphics market."
(1) Based on 3Dmark 2001 benchmark tests performed in July 2001. For more
information on the benchmarking process, visit www.MadOnion.com.
Company Background
Founded in 1985, ATI Technologies Inc. is a world leader in the supply of
graphics, video and multimedia solutions for the personal computer and Mac
platforms. The pioneer, innovator and market leader in the graphics
industry, ATI provides cutting-edge technologies for the PC, workstation,
set-top box, game console and other consumer appliances markets. The Company
has more than 1,900 employees supporting customers from its headquarters in
Markham, Ontario, Canada, as well as from offices in Barbados, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the
United States. ATI common shares trade on NASDAQ (ATYT) and the Toronto
Stock Exchange (ATY).
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Copyright 2001 ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATI and ATI
product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and product names are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change
without notice.
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