NVIDIA Workstation Graphics Chosen by Compaq; Compaq's NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro Graphics Controller to Deliver Affordable Price/Performance to Professionals.

Business/Technology Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2000

NVIDIA(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) announced today that Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) will offer the NVIDIA Quadro2(TM) Pro graphics solution on the company's Deskpro Workstation AP250, Professional Workstation AP550, and Professional Workstation SP750. Combined with OpenGL(R) ICD and software extensions like ELSA POWERdraft(TM), ELSA MAXtreme(TM), and NVIDIA QuadroView(TM), the Quadro2 Pro provides the most powerful overall 3D solution available for mid-range workstation applications including CAD, CAM, DCC, GIS, solids modeling, and visual data analysis. The NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro graphics controller, can be purchased through Compaq's direct sales channels, authorized resellers, and online buying services.

The NVIDIA Quadro2 Pro radically redefines the price/performance ratios for workstation solutions. Full support of the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) operating systems make the Quadro2 a great fit in every design environment. Quadro2 Pro provides many advanced workstation capabilities -- AGP 2X/4X support, 64MB DDR, 1920 x 1200 resolution in 24-bit double buffered mode with a 24-bit Z-buffer, stencil and overlay planes, and alpha planes and hardware texturing -- to deliver remarkable realism and image clarity. The Quadro2 Pro's unmatched 1.0G pixels per second rendering power and 31M triangles per second geometry processing power make it the optimal choice for graphics-intensive applications such as 3ds max(TM), Pro/ENGINEER(R), SoftIMAGE(R)| 3D, and Unigraphics.

"The Quadro2 Pro is the primary graphics solution for professional workstation users, especially those in the MCAD marketplace," said Rich Dodds, manager of workstation product marketing for Compaq Computer Corporation. "Key applications such as AutoCAD, Pro/ENGINEER, and Unigraphics have already been tested and certified for quality performance. The exceptional power of the Quadro2 Pro coupled with the performance designed into our latest Deskpro and Professional workstations, should delight Compaq workstation customers."

"As the leader in the MCAD market, Compaq has continued to push the price/performance envelope," says Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of marketing at NVIDIA. "By offering the Quadro2 Pro, Compaq provides the power and capabilities required to further boost their momentum in this aggressive marketplace."

The single-processor Compaq Deskpro Workstations and dual-processor Compaq Professional Workstations balance the latest Intel(R) Pentium(R) III and Intel Pentium 4 processors with high-performance 2D and 3D graphics. For descriptions of each of the specific models and technical specifications of the various system configurations, please visit the Compaq site at: http://www.compaq.com/showroom/workstations.html.

About NVIDIA

NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), based in Santa Clara, CA., is the global leader in advanced graphics and multimedia processing technology for the consumer and professional computing markets. It's 2D, 3D, video and multimedia capabilities make NVIDIA one of the premier semiconductor companies in the world. NVIDIA offers a wide range of products and services, delivering superior performance and crisp visual quality for PC-based applications such as manufacturing, science, e-business, entertainment, and education.

Certain statements in this press release, including the statements relating to the Company's performance expectations for NVIDIA's family of products and expectations of continued revenue growth, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, manufacturing and other delays relating to new products, difficulties in the fabrication process and dependence of the Company on third-party manufacturers, general industry trends including cyclical trends in the PC and semiconductor industries, the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives, market acceptance of the Company's new products, and the Company's dependence on third-party developers and publishers. Investors are advised to read the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those sections entitled "Factors Affecting Operating Results," for a fuller discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

Note to Editors: Registered trademark NVIDIA(R) Corporation, 2000. All company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

If you are interested in viewing additional information on NVIDIA, please visit the NVIDIA Web page at http://www.nvidia.com/News.nsf on NVIDIA's corporate information pages.