Press Release
- Archives 2001
Windows
XP-ready Radeon® 8500 graphics board shipping
with suggested list price of just (US) $299
Award winning ATI technology redefines gaming performance, 3D experience and value
Tuesday, October 9, 2001
MARKHAM, Ontario –
ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ: ATYT), a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions, announced today that the Radeon® 8500 graphics board, the world’s fastest and most technologically advanced graphics board available, and the foundation for ground-breaking visual effects, is shipping to retail outlets worldwide at a manufacturers’ suggested retail price (MSRP) of just (US) $299.
“Given that the technology-leading Radeon 8500 graphics board was unveiled worldwide on August 14, 2001, with an MSRP of (US) $399 and, further, that it was originally introduced with a core clock speed of 250 MHz, (megahertz) but will now ship at 275 MHz, ATI has, once again, over-delivered on its commitment to its customers,” said Toshi Okumura, Senior Product Manager, Radeon 8500, Desktop Marketing, ATI Technologies Inc. “Complemented by the fact that no other competitive graphics board is optimized for Microsoft’s new Windows XP operating system quite like the Radeon 8500, it has set a new standard for high-performance graphics computing.
“The significant digital media, Internet communications and personal productivity advances associated with Windows XP will be further enhanced by the Radeon 8500 graphics board – the most powerful graphics technology in the world,” he added. “Gaming enthusiasts, in particular, are going to enjoy an incredible visual experience because of the Radeon 8500 – and do so at a previously unthinkable price-point.”
The Radeon 8500 graphics board is Windows XP-ready, fully supporting Microsoft’s new operating system, which will be available for purchase on October 25, 2001. Customers who buy a Radeon 8500 today and Windows XP on its date of introduction will be able to download Windows XP drivers from http://www.ati.com that same day and immediately enjoy the performance benefits an XP-enabled Radeon 8500 graphics board will provide.
Powered by the most advanced graphics processor chip in the world, the Radeon 8500 graphics board delivers up to 32 percent higher performance than the nearest competitive product available (1). It features a core clock speed of 275 MHz (megahertz), memory clock speed of 275 MHz and 64MB (megabytes) of DDR (double data rate) memory.
Major technological advancements include TruForm™, an innovative rendering technology that helps to deliver the smoothest, most natural 3D images ever seen on existing and next-generation 3D games; and SmartShader™, an advanced technology that is the first application of its kind to take advantage of Microsoft’s new DirectX 8.1 specification, including supporting Pixel Shaders Versions 1.2 - 1.4 to enable more complex and realistic texture and lighting effects without sacrificing performance. DirectX 8.1 is an integral part of Windows XP. All the features available on the DirectX platform are also available under OpenGL®.
(1)Based on 3Dmark 2001 benchmarks performed
in September 2001 (Radeon 8500 scored 7416, GeForce3 scored
5627)
Copyright 2001 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.
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).
Contact Information
For media or industry analyst support, please visit our Web site at http://www.ati.com or contact:
John B. Challinor II APR
Director
Public Relations
ATI Technologies Inc.
(905) 882-2600, Ext. 8815
jchallin@ati.com
Patricia Macdonald
Public Relations Manager
Desktop and Workstation
ATI Technologies Inc.
(905) 882-2600, Ext. 8809
pmacdona@ati.com
Derek Baker
Counsellor
BenchMark Porter Novelli
(416) 422-7158
dbaker@bmporternovelli.com
Anne Ferguson
Senior Counsellor
BenchMark Porter Novelli
(416) 422-7154
aferguson@bmporternovelli.com
For investor relations support, please contact:
Janet Craig
Director
Investor Relations
ATI Technologies Inc.
(905) 882-2600, Ext. 2631
jcraig@ati.com
