ATI Introduces RADEON 8500LE Into Powerful Retail Lineup; RADEON 8500LE Offers High-End Features for Mainstream Prices.

Business Editors

MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002

ATI is refreshing its lineup of RADEON(TM) graphics cards, bringing exclusive features and adding a shot of adrenaline to the performance mainstream segment - at an unbeatable price.

ATI will now offer a retail graphics board featuring its RADEON(TM) 8500LE chip. Based on the award winning RADEON(TM) 8500, and priced at an unprecedented $199, the RADEON 8500LE is the first and only graphics card to bring full hardware DirectX(R) 8.1 support to mainstream users, allowing them to enjoy the same leading-edge features and effects previously the exclusive domain of enthusiasts.

The mainstream segment is generally defined by price point. Consumers are eight times more likely to purchase a graphics card that costs between $100 and $199, than a card that costs between $200 and $299(1).

"With graphics cards performing at levels unimaginable even one year ago, quality-enhancing features are more important now than ever," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Desktop at ATI Technologies Inc. "We are focused both internally, with our product teams, and externally, with developers, to ensure that our products enable the best visual and gaming experiences ever."

TRUFORM(TM), ATI's innovative rendering technology, takes models in games and brings them to life - curving surfaces and smoothing edges. SMARTSHADER(TM), ATI's programmable pixel and vertex shader technology, handles multiple movement, color, lighting and position functions within the GPU, freeing the CPU to concentrate on other functions. SMOOTHVISION(TM), ATI's full-scene anti-aliasing feature minimizes jagged edges and smoothes moving images, bringing an additional level of realism to gaming.

Featuring 128MB of DDR memory, the RADEON 8500LE will show its true capabilities when put up against today's GPU-taxing games. The future-readiness of this card will mean that consumers can be confident that this product will perform for them well into the future.

The RADEON 8500LE enables customers to fully enjoy leading-edge games and applications. The features that were beyond mainstream consumers' grasp are now readily available at a price that they will be more willing and able to afford. ATI is bringing the richest set of features into the performance mainstream segment, making the RADEON 8500LE a very compelling product.

The RADEON 8500 will get a boost as well. It will now also feature 128 MB of DDR memory, increasing memory bandwidth capability and making this card ready for whatever next-generation games throw at it.

The RADEON 8500, capable of driving three displays simultaneously through VGA, DVI-I and S-Video connectors, will maintain its suggested retail price of $299, making this an excellent choice for consumers that want extreme performance, unsurpassed features, superior quality and future-readiness, at a very compelling price.

Rounding out the mainstream segment in ATI's lineup is the RADEON(TM) 7500, which is now offered at $149. The RADEON 7500, with its multiple-display support, will attract users who want a broad range of features and functions at an excellent price.

Both the RADEON 8500 (with 128MB) and RADEON 8500LE will be available in March. The RADEON 8500 (with 64MB) and the RADEON 7500 are available now. For more information on the RADEON family of products including specific technologies featured, please visit www.ati.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).

Copyright 2002 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.

(1) NPD Data, July 01

For media or industry analyst support, visit our Web site at http://www.ati.com

Other ATI Contacts:

Tenille Cuthbertson, Counsellor, BenchMark Porter Novelli, at [phone] or [e-mail]

For investor relations support, please contact:

Janet Craig, Director, Investor Relations, ATI Technologies Inc., at [phone], Ext. 2631 or [e-mail]

For Information:

Patricia Macdonald, Public Relations Manager, Desktop and Workstation products [phone], Ext. 8809 or [e-mail]