The New 'Triple 32' Standard: Hercules Dynamite TNT/2; NVIDIA's RIVA TNT/2, 300MHz RAMDAC, 32MB, AGP 4X, and DVD.FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 1999--Hercules Computer Technology, Inc., a leader in high-performance 3D graphics accelerators, today announced the Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM), its highest performing AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) A high-speed 32-bit port from Intel for attaching a display adapter to a PC. It provides a direct connection between the card and memory, and only one AGP slot is on the motherboard. 2X/4X capable 32MB 2D/3D graphics and DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. accelerator based on NVIDIA(R) Corporation's new RIVA TNT The RIVA TNT, codenamed NV4, is a 2D, video, and 3D graphics accelerator chip for PCs that was manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in late 1998 and cemented NVIDIA's reputation as a worthy rival within the developing consumer 3D graphics adapter industry. 2(TM) graphics processor. Hercules' superior High-Performance/Wide-Bandwidth(TM) board design and powerful software support assures outstanding performance and stability. The Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) sets a new "triple 32" standard for 3D performance and 3D quality by combining (1) 32-bit true color rendering, (2) 32-bit Z/Stencil buffer and (3) 32 MB on-board memory for an industry leading features set. Hercules enhances the features set of the Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) with (1) a hardware accelerated software DVD player for greater than 30f/s, (2) high quality TV-out, (3) direct Digital Flat Panel Digital Flat Panel (DFP) is a video connector for flat panel displays. It features 20 pins and uses the PanelLink protocol. Unlike DVI, DFP never achieved widespread implementation. The connector was used by displays such as the Compaq Presario FP400, FP500 and 5204. support, (4) advanced PowerDrive(TM) Win9x/Win NT drivers to deliver outstanding 2D/3D performance, (5) easy plug-and-play AUTORUN installation from CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , (6) Hercules Touch(TM) and Hercules Utilities(TM) desktop management utilities, and (7) Hercules Entertainment Center 2000(TM) multimedia utilities. To further add value and flexibility, Hercules' award winning Hercules Touch(TM) desktop management utilities have been upgraded with Hercules' proprietary Hercules MoniTune(TM) utility for customized monitor definition to maximize refresh rates out of individual monitors. The Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) meets all mainstream requirements, including Pentium III and K6-2/K6-3 3DNow! optimizations and Microsoft's PC99 and DirectX 6 initiatives. First shipments of Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) will start in early May 1999 and are primarily targeted at the innovative and highly performance conscious system integration market. Leading Edge Technology and Performance Addressing the needs of the high performance mainstream graphics market, the RIVA TNT2, with its second generation 128-bit TwiN Texel (TNT TNT: see trinitrotoluene. TNT in full trinitrotoluene Pale yellow, solid organic compound made by adding nitrate (−NO2) groups to toluene. ) multi-texturing architecture, delivers two pixels-per-clock and is designed to render up to 9 million triangles-per-second and provide a fill rate of up to 300 million pixels-per-second. The RIVA TNT2's TwiN Texel processing engine integrates a dual-pixel 32-bit color pipeline and a 32-bit Z/stencil buffer for unsurpassed 3D quality and 3D performance. 300MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter) The VGA controller chip that maintains the color palette and converts data from memory into analog signals for the monitor. RAMDAC - Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter and 32MB High Performance Memory With 32 MB of high performance display memory on-board and an integrated 300MHz RAMDAC, the Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) delivers true color (32bpp) up to 2048x1536. Easy Clock Adjustment with Hercules HercuMeter(TM) Utility Hercules' enhanced High-Performance/Wide-Bandwidth(TM) hardware design with about 3.0GB/second memory peak bandwidth takes full advantage of the RIVA TNT2's performance potential. An efficient active cooling device ensures board stability, even under adverse conditions. For further performance enhancement and flexibility, the Hercules HercuMeter(TM) utility allows users to fine tune the Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM)'s engine and memory clock for optimum performance. Maximum clock speed values vary with resolution, color depth and application. Complete Set of Advanced 3D Quality Features Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) features an advanced set of 3D features and 3D special effects for top 3D performance and 3D image quality. Advanced 3D features include multi-buffering for smooth animation, AGP texturing up to 900 MB/second, large texture support up to 2048x2048, multi-texturing, bump mapping, anisotropic filtering, and full screen super sampled anti-aliasing. Complete Driver and Application Support Featuring complete and advanced software support for Windows 9x, Windows NT, DirectX 6, and OpenGL (ICD ICD International Classification of Diseases (of the World Health Organization); intrauterine contraceptive device. ICD abbr. ), the Hercules Dynamite TNT/2(TM) will be highly optimized for all popular 2D/3D platforms. This includes 2D/3D business applications, professional workstation applications such as CAD, 3D visualization, 3D animation, 3D authoring and 3D rendering, as well as advanced 3D gaming. About Hercules Computer Technology Hercules Computer Technology was founded in 1982 as the innovator of the Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter. The Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter established the first high-resolution graphics standard for personal computer graphics. Hercules has subsequently produced leading edge graphics adapters based upon TIGA (Texas Instruments Graphics Architecture) An earlier graphics standard from TI that provided a resolution-independent interface between the application and graphics processor. See 34010. , RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. , and proprietary ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. technologies. Since 1992, Hercules has applied the experience gained in the development of high-end industrial graphics solutions to state of the art Windows video accelerator products for the mainstream market. Hercules Computer Technology Inc. is a privately held corporation Noun 1. privately held corporation - a corporation owned by a few people; shares have no public market close corporation, closed corporation, private corporation with worldwide headquarters at 3839 Spinnaker Court in Fremont CA 94538. The matters set forth in this press release, such as statements relating to Hercules' ability to achieve competitive advantages, and the timing of scheduled volume production are forward-looking statements that are subject to engineering risk and uncertainties. |
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