Creative's New Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT Blazes Onto Graphics Scene
High-End Accelerator Card Redefines 2D/3D Graphics Performance
July 29, 1998 07:01 AM
MILPITAS, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Technology Ltd. CREAF , the world's leading
provider of multimedia products for the PC, continues to excel in the graphics card market with the
introduction of Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT, the newest edition to Creative's Graphics Blaster family.
Based on NVIDIA Corporation's latest technology breakthrough, the RIVA TNT, the Graphics
Blaster RIVA TNT complements Creative's graphics product lineup by providing the fastest 2D/3D
graphics acceleration possible.
The Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT delivers stunning high-quality graphics at breakneck speeds by
combining NVIDIA's RIVA TNT chipset with Creative's proprietary drivers and utilities. Available in
AGP and PCI configurations, the Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT boasts 16MB of high speed SDRAM
and features full support for AGP 2X, including front sideband, for optimized texture handling
performance. Riding on the success Creative has achieved with its 3D gaming card, 3D Blaster
Voodoo2, Creative is expanding its product line with the Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT by providing a
comprehensive graphics platform for gaming, CAD and graphic art applications.
"We have significantly enhanced our lineup of 2D/3D graphics cards with the addition of the RIVA
TNT chipset to Creative's arsenal of Graphics Blaster products," said Hock Leow, vice president of
Creative's Multimedia Division. "With the combination of 2D and 3D performance and quality of the
Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT and the outstanding 3D performance of our acclaimed 3D Blaster
Voodoo2, Creative delivers the fastest, most complete graphics acceleration products on the
market today."
Like its predecessor, the RIVA 128, the RIVA TNT sports an incredibly fast 2D engine and has been
expanded to support 2D resolutions as high as 1900 x 1200 pixels. The RIVA TNT's new
dual-pipeline 3D rendering engine has been completely re-engineered to deliver increased
performance and quality. Key features and improvements have been added, such as 32-bit color
rendering throughout the 3D pipeline and a 24-bit z-buffer, providing precise visual quality while
eliminating banding, texture flickering and other dithering artifacts for the most realistic graphics
experience possible.
In addition, the advanced design of the 3D rendering engine allows two pixels to be rendered per
clock cycle for incredible fill rate performance and providing advanced multi-texture environmental
effects such as single-pass trilinear and anisotropic texture filtering, bump mapping and more.
"Creative is a major player in the graphics card industry," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO
of NVIDIA. "With NVIDIA's expertise in 2D/3D graphics and Creative's exceptional technology and
retail strength, the Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT is sure to be a popular card of choice among PC
users everywhere."
The Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT is offered with AGP and PCI configurations. Both will be available in
early September for an estimated street price of $199.99 through Creative's extensive distribution
network.
Creative Technology Ltd. develops manufactures and markets a wide array of advanced multimedia
solutions for the PC, entertainment, education, music and productivity tools markets. Creative's
products are marketed through the OEM, systems integrator and retail channels under a variety of
trademarks, including the "Blaster" family name. Sound Blaster(R) has become the multimedia
industry's de facto audio standard. Sound Blaster is an audio platform consisting of a sound card or
chipset, software drivers and bundled software applications that enable PCs to produce high quality
audio. Creative's corporate headquarters and primary manufacturing are based in Singapore, with
sales, distribution and research and development being carried out through an extensive, global
network of subsidiaries located in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements:
Except for the historical information contained herein and in the accompanying conference call on
today's date, the matters set forth herein and in the accompanying conference call (including our
guidance on future revenues, margins, expenses and earnings) are forward looking statements that
are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those set forth in the forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among
others: potential fluctuations in quarterly results due to the seasonality of Creative's business and
the difficulty of projecting such fluctuations; reductions in the market value of products sold by
Creative, including increases in supply or declines in demand or prices for CD-ROM or DVD drives,
board and chip-level products, and software products; the short product cycles that characterize
most of Creative's products; the increasing proliferation of sound functionality at the chip and
operating system levels; Creative's reliance on sole sources for many of its chips and other key
components; the timely ramp, delivery and market acceptance of new products, including Creative's
graphics accelerator, video conferencing, CD-ROM and DVD drives, communications and
Internet-related products; the availability of operating capital on acceptable terms; the volatility of
share prices for companies in Creative's industry and the effect of those prices or other events
beyond Creative's control; and other risk factors described in Creative's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission over the past twelve months.
NOTE: NVIDIA and the NVIDIA logo are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. RIVA 128 is a
trademark of NVIDIA Corporation and SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics. Sound Blaster and Blaster
are registered trademarks and 3D Blaster, Graphics Blaster and Exxtreme are trademarks of
Creative Technology Ltd. All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective
owners and are hereby recognized as such.
SOURCE Creative Labs, Inc.
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