Windows 7 ATI Catalyst 9.3 Unified Driver
AMD is ready for the RTM release of Windows 7. Or at least this is what the chip-maker claims as it has released ATI Catalyst 9.3 Unified Driver introducing support for Windows 7 Beta Build 7000. The processor manufacturer, which acquired ATI, indicated that the advent of ATI Catalyst 9.3 drivers for Windows 7 represented a guarantee that support would be available with all planned future releases of ATI Catalyst, for the remaining milestones of the next iteration of the Windows client, but especially for the gold (final) version Windows 7.
“AMD’s expertise in visual computing shines through in the combined experience of Windows 7 and ATI Radeon graphics,†revealed Anantha Kancherla, group program manager responsible for Windows graphics, Microsoft. Read more
NVIDIA GeForce 181.71 Graphics Drivers for Windows 7
NVIDIA has made available for download a new set of graphics drivers designed to make GeForce GPU play nice with the latest public development milestone of the next iteration of the Windows client. The new GeForce graphics drivers tailored to Windows 7 Beta Build 7000 went live on March 2, 2009, and are now up for grabs. NVIDIA explained the need to offer graphics drivers for Windows 7 at this early stage due to the high number of GeForce customers that installed the Beta Build 7000 release of the operating system. Read more
NVIDIA to Prep Dual Chip and 40nm Cards
nvidia
It seems that NVIDIA is working on a dual chip solution right now, although it’s trying to keep it secret. It is not sure what chip the green company will use to power the card, yet there are some voices stating that it may be a GT200 55nm. The same rumors say that the dual chip solution may be due for a December launch.
The Santa Clara graphics card manufacturer appears to be silent on its future plans. It only talked about CUDA, PhysX and Graphics plus concept with its partners, yet it is focusing on the graphics solutions for gaming or other segments as well. The new card that the company is rumored to be working on may prove a power hungry and really hot product, yet it won’t matter that much if it manages to perform a lot better than Radeon HD 4870 X2, the leader of the extreme performance market today. Read more
NVIDIA’s Secret Weapon: 40nm GPUs
According to the most recent details regarding NVIDIA’s upcoming graphics products, the Santa Clara-based chip maker is planning to release its very first 40nm GPUs, even before competitor AMD has a chance of delivering its own 40nm-based solutions. Apparently, NVIDIA will step up to the next-generation TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) 40G process technology with the introduction of new mobile chips, codenamed N10x.
At this point in time, there are no details regarding availability and official release date but, according to VR-Zone, NVIDIA will try to be the first to offer a 40nm graphics card, thus increasing its chances of gaining the number one spot in the graphics card market. Read more
Nvidia’s New Driver Takes Gaming on the 3D Stage
Nvidia is reportedly working on a new driver for its already existing and upcoming graphics card offerings that will unleash 3D features even for 2D games. The new feature is expected to arrive in June or July this year but will only be available for Nvidia graphics card owners.
In short, once the 3D driver is installed, any PC equipped with an Nvidia graphics card will be able to run the game either in 2D mode or in 3D, without having to purchase an expensive 3D-ready monitor. However, you will still have to purchase a pair of 3D glasses, also designed in Nvidia’s laboratories.
The three-dimensional effect will be achieved by giving the user a left eye- and right eye-view of the screen. The new technology is expected to work with any gaming title, given the fact that the 3D effect is not rendered on-screen, but rather on the user’s eye via the special glasses. Read more
