Chip nVidia per XBox

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 14, 2001 - NVIDIA® Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA) today reported that two key processors for the Xbox(tm) video game console, the Xbox Graphics Processing Unit (XGPU) and Xbox Media Communications Processor (MCPX), have both been released for fabrication. The two processors are manufactured in TSMC's advanced 0.15um, 7 layer metal process. The combination of NVIDIA's XGPU and MCPX will produce never-before-experienced 3D graphics, high definition video, audio, and broadband capabilities.

"These are two of the world's most advanced and complex semiconductors in production today," stated Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA. "We are extremely pleased to have reached this critical milestone and we are excited to be on the leading edge of this revolutionary design."

"The GPU and MCP are key factors in the Xbox experience," stated Robbie Bach, senior vice president and chief Xbox officer at Microsoft®. "With the XGPU and MCPX in fabrication, and the support from virtually every major developer and publisher in the world, we are absolutely on pace to deliver the world's most advanced gaming platform this fall. These processors will allow game creators and designers to make games shine in ways never before thought possible."

The first processor, the XGPU, a fully programmable 3D processor, contains more than 60 million transistors. This awesome amount of computing horsepower is dedicated to one goal - create stunning, never-before-seen imagery. The second processor, the MCPX, is based on two powerful DSPs with 4 billion operations per second dedicated to 3D audio and network processing. The MCPX performs the processing for broadband networking functions, high-speed peripherals, and is the most sophisticated audio processor ever built. The MCPX will enable Xbox to process 64 channels of positional 3D audio.

"Our 0.15um process is one of the most advanced in the industry, and is ready to accept the challenge of fabricating two of the worlds most sophisticated semiconductors. We are excited to be the part of the team that helps bring Xbox to life," said FC Tseng, president, TSMC.