NVIDIA Optimus and 3D Vision Notebooks Featuring New GeForce 400M Series GPUs Arrive for the Holidays

BERLIN--(Marketwire - September 3, 2010) -  IFA -- NVIDIA today introduced the NVIDIA® GeForce™ 400M series of graphics processing units (GPUs) -- the building blocks for the next-generation of NVIDIA Optimus™ and NVIDIA 3D Vision™ notebooks that are coming onto the market from leading vendors, including Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba, with others set to announce soon. 

The new series of NVIDIA GeForce 400M GPUs includes:

• For enthusiast users: GeForce GTX 470M and GTX 460M.
• For performance users: GeForce GT 445M, GT 435M, GT 425M, GT 420M and GT 415M.

A critical component of the GeForce 400M Series is support for NVIDIA Optimus technology, which enables extra-long battery life by automatically switching on and off the GPU so that it runs only when needed. It has been described by reviewers as among the most important notebook technologies to come to market in recent years.ⁱ

The NVIDIA GeForce 400M series are the first notebook processors designed with NVIDIA's Fermi architecture and built from the ground-up for Microsoft DirectX 11. They power notebooks with great battery life, and deliver the best high-definition (HD) experience, extensive Web browsing, immersive 3D and awesome gaming. With up to 5X faster HD video uploads to Facebook and up to 10X the game performance on the year's top title StarCraft IIⁱⁱ, GeForce, 400M GPUs are the ultimate notebook upgrade.

The GeForce 400M series is also able to deliver breathtaking stereoscopic 3D images for gamers, movie-lovers and photo enthusiasts when configured with NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses and a 3D display. 3D Vision supports the richest array of 3D content available, including over 425 games, Blu-ray 3D movies, photos and streaming Web video. Notebook models featuring the GeForce 400M series and NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses will be available soon after launch, including the Acer Aspire 5745DG with GeForce GT 425M and the Asus G53Jw with GeForce GTX 460M. In addition, by including support for NVIDIA 3DTV Play™, consumers can attach their notebook to a brand new 3D TV and enjoy all the latest 3D content including the hottest games in the comfort of their living room. 

Only NVIDIA GeForce GPUs offer "Graphics Plus" features such as:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision™ support, for eye-popping immersive 3D environments
• PhysX™ support, for experiencing games with realistic physics effects
• CUDA™ support, for GPU computing applications
• NVIDIA Verde™ notebook drivers, for system stability and optimal performance
• Support for NVIDIA 3DTV Play™ software, for connecting 3D Vision-based notebooks and desktops to a 3D TV.

Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and Toshiba all announced today support for 400 Series GPUs, with more OEMs announcing soon.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The company holds more than 1,100 U.S. patents, including ones covering designs and insights which are fundamental to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

Supporting quotes:

NVIDIA
"The GeForce 400M Series takes the award-winning Fermi architecture across a complete line-up of DirectX 11 GPUs for notebook," said Rene Haas, general manager of notebook GPUs at NVIDIA. "Coupled with Optimus technology, 400M Series notebook GPUs deliver great performance for visual computing applications when you need it, and great battery life when you don't."  

Acer
"The Aspire 5745DG is the ideal solution for users who demand the most advanced all-in-one mobile entertainment system," said David Lee, associate vice president of Acer's Mobile Computing Business Unit. "View photos and movies all in 3D -- as well as stream 3D events on-the-go! With Acer's fast 2D-to-3D conversion feature, it means regular 2D videos can be viewed in 3D. Furthermore, the Aspire 5745DG can be connected to an external 3D display, maximizing your 3D entertainment experience on a large screen at home."

Asus
"NVIDIA has a history of innovation with unique technologies for battery life, 3D and even in-game physics," Ben Thacker, Vice President, Systems Business Group, ASUS North America. "Including NVIDIA GPUs in Asus systems keeps them on the bleeding-edge of computing technology and allows us to be the first to deliver these advances to our customers."

Dell
"The best experiences in high definition video and 3D gaming demand the latest and greatest in video technology, like NVIDIA's 3D Vision and Optimus solutions," said Glen Robson, vice president and general manager, Dell Consumer and Small Business Product Group. "Dell continues to work with NVIDIA to push mobile technology at a rapid pace, so we can deliver the ultimate mobile entertainment experience."

Toshiba
"When you buy a Toshiba laptop, you expect a stand-out computing experience," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Digital Products Division. "In the coming months, we look forward to bringing our next generation of laptops to market that take advantage of NVIDIA technologies like 3D Vision, Optimus technology and PhysX."

Microsoft
"Applications are becoming more visual, and having HTML5, hardware-accelerated graphics, and a new JavaScript engine built into Internet Explorer 9 means that the Web applications will follow suit," said Mark Relph, senior director for Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "NVIDIA is pushing the visual computing playing field forward and helping Microsoft create a better Web experience for our customers."

Fuji
"The Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W3 digital camera, with its unique Dual Fujinon 3X Optical Zoom lenses and Dual CCDs, makes it easy for anyone to capture high-quality 3D photos and high-definition 3D movies in 720P," said Jim Calverley, senior product manager, Electronic Imaging Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. "The combination of our REAL 3D digital camera with the latest 3D notebook systems powered by NVIDIA's new, high-performance GeForce 400M series GPUs enables consumers to easily view and share their photos and videos with family and friends in stunning, life-like 3D."

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, features, impact, performance and capabilities of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, NVIDIA 3D Vision technology and NVIDIA Optimus technology; expertise in visual computing and parallel processing; and the impact of the company's patents on modern computing; are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: worldwide economic conditions; development of more efficient or faster technology; design, manufacturing or software defects; the impact of technological development and competition; changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of different standards or our competitor's products; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended August 1, 2010. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on our website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

© 2010 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce, CUDA, 3D Vision, 3DTV Play, PhysX, Quadro, Tesla and Verde are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

ⁱ "I think it is fair to say that NVIDIA Optimus is one of the most impressive mobile technologies we have ever seen." PC Perspective

"… Optimus is by far the best switchable graphics solution I've seen." Tech Report

"It (NVIDIA Optimus) is quite possibly the best technology to come to portable computers in recent in years." Hardware Canucks

ⁱⁱ Based on average StarCraft II frame rates achieved by a GeForce GT 420M versus Core i5 integrated graphics. Testing methodology was to measure frame rates on a scripted game session at 12x10 resolution with medium settings. Both systems had identical CPU, Memory, and Operating Systems.

Based on PowerDirector 8 testing involving a GeForce GT 420M versus Core i5 integrated graphics. Testing methodology was total save time for a clip output to a 1080p format. Both systems had identical CPU, Memory, and Operating Systems.

Contact Information:

For more information, contact:

Brian Burke
NVIDIA Corporation
(512) 401 4385
bburke@nvidia.com