Press Release - Archives 2001

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MARKHAM, Ontario – ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE: ATY, NASDAQ: ATYT), a world leader in graphics, video and multimedia solutions, today unveiled TruForm™, a new rendering technology developed for future generations of graphics processors that will help to deliver the smoothest, most natural 3D images ever seen on both existing and next-generation 3D games and personal computers.

“Despite recent improvements in the graphical quality of computer games, for example, most 3D objects – especially characters – still do not appear very lifelike,” said Toshi Okumura, Senior Product Manager, Desktop Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. “They still tend to look like a collection of geometric blocks with textures painted on them, largely because of limited bus and memory bandwidth.

“Without compromising the overall performance of current PC technologies or compatibility with existing 3D games, TruForm breaks through these challenges to deliver the smoothest and most natural images ever seen on a PC.”

By employing N-Patches (also known as PN Triangles) – a new type of higher order surface composed of curved rather than flat triangles that was developed by ATI and is supported in Microsoft’s DirectX™ 8.0 and OpenGL™ technologies -- TruForm permits surfaces to be generated entirely within the graphics processor, without requiring significant changes to existing 3D artwork that is composed of flat triangles. This ensures that the technology is easy for software developers to implement and avoids breaking compatibility with older graphics processors, while still delivering the best visual experience to owners of newer graphics processors that support TruForm. As a result, N-Patches offer the most efficient and practical higher order surface implementation.

“TruForm also allows for a higher level of scalability, meaning the number of triangles or polygons in a 3D image can be varied according to the capabilities of the installed graphics hardware,” explained Mr. Okumura. “Software developers usually create low triangle count models so that their games can run well on low-end PCs, which make up the vast majority of products used today by consumers.

“TruForm can take these 3D models with low polygon counts and generate smooth, highly detailed images, affording most users a greatly enhanced visual experience with no compromise in performance or compatibility.”

TruForm effectively amplifies geometric information, thereby enabling more visual detail while sending a smaller amount of data across the AGP (accelerated graphics port) bus, and affording a savings in graphics memory usage.

Further, TruForm helps to overcome the increased bandwidth and memory requirements associated with having to transfer and store large numbers of triangles or polygons – the geometric basis of computerized 3D images. As more detailed and realistic 3D images are created, the number of polygons required to represent each image increases at a dramatic rate. TruForm effectively increases the memory bandwidth available to the GPU (graphics processing unit) by converting 3D images with low polygon counts to smoother, high polygon count versions in the graphics chip, a process known as tessellation.

Finally, TruForm uses advanced N-Patch lighting techniques to provide 3D objects with highly detailed lighting effects. This greatly enhances the visual quality of images by providing realistic highlights on the surfaces of curved objects.

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Company Background

Founded in 1985, ATI Technologies Inc. is a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions for personal computer and Mac platforms. The pioneer, innovator and market leader in the graphics industry, ATI provides cutting-edge technologies for the PC, 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).

Contact Information

For further information, please visit our Web site at http://www.ati.com or contact:

John B. Challinor II APR, Director, Public Relations, ATI Technologies Inc.,
at (905) 882-8815 or jchallin@ati.com

Anne Ferguson, Senior Counsellor, Benchmark Porter Novelli,
at (416) 422-7154 or aferguson@bmporternovelli.com

Derek Baker, Counsellor, Benchmark Porter Novelli,
at (416) 422-7158 or dbaker@bmporternovelli.com