Nvidia Launches GeForce4 Graphics Processors

Nvidia launched the new GeForce4 family of graphics processors, comprising eight separate processors targeting the desktop, mobile and Macintosh markets, which the company claims will deliver up to four times the performance over previous GeForce chips. All of the GeForce4 processors feature a 128-bit double data rate memory interface, which Nvidia has dubbed Lightspeed Memory Architecture II (LMA II). LMA II compresses the values of distances between objects stored in the Z-buffer at a ratio of four to one, without any degradation in accuracy. LMA II also features four dedicated memory caches for better rendering pipeline access. The GeForce4 family also features the following improvements:

Improved Z-occlusion culling, which pre-determines which parts of which objects in a scene are visible to the eye, and then rendering those segments.

Accuview antialiasing, which Nvidia says will deliver up to five times the antialiased performance of previous Nvidia chips, using 2x, 4x, and Quincunx multisampling, plus a new 4XS mode.

nView, which supports flexibile multi-display setups. It supports various combinations of CRTs, televisions, and digital flat panel displays. The GeForce4 Ti 4600, 4400 and 4200 are the high-end consumer versions with dual programmable vertex shaders and a second-generation pixel-shading engine; the GeForce4 MX 460, 440 and 420 are the middle of the line; and the GeForce4 440 Go and 420 Go are targeted at the mobile market. Nvidia said that OEM systems featuring GeForce4 MX are already shipping, with retail board availability in the next two weeks. OEM systems featuring GeForce4 Ti will be available in 60 days, with retail boards available in 30 days. GeForce4-based notebook computers will be available in February.