SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- By harnessing the parallel processing power of NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GPUs and DirectCompute, a new technology in Windows 7, developers can take the power of graphics processors and make it available for general-purpose computing and create cutting-edge digital media applications.

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Today, NVIDIA demonstrated leadership in the GPU computing revolution by receiving Windows Hardware Qualification Lab (WHQL) certification for a driver supporting DirectCompute and Windows 7. With hundreds of applications that take advantage of the power of NVIDIA GPUs in development or already available, DirectCompute enables more than 100 million users of GeForce GPUs to run applications optimized for DirectCompute so they can spend less time waiting and more time creating and sharing content with friends and families.

"Windows 7 combined with applications that take advantage of the new DirectCompute technology have the potential to transform the personal computing experience for millions of customers using GPUs to turbo-charge scenarios in digital media applications," said Mike Ybarra, general manager for Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "We've already seen some applications come to market that take advantage of the GPU, Windows 7 and DirectCompute will make it even easier for developers to write applications and deliver these benefits to millions of additional customers."

In addition to multimedia content, Windows 7 is proving to be a powerhouse platform for gaming too. Windows 7 and NVIDIA SLI(R) technology will deliver the fastest gaming platform in the world, exceeding the performance of previous operating systems by up to 14% across top gaming titles(1). Windows 7 also adds GPU accelerated H.264 high-definition video playback to Windows Media Player, enabling smooth playback with low CPU utilization.

In recognition of this, the world's largest PC vendors, including HP, Dell and Acer, have selected GeForce GPUs to help lead the transition to Windows 7. Shipping systems incorporate a variety of NVIDIA GPUs, including the newest GeForce GT220 and G210 GPUs, all of which fully support DirectCompute.

"People want to create multimedia content and share it with their friends and families in an instant," said Michael Scheschuk, Dell director of consumer products. "Dell PCs with Windows 7 can harness the power of GPUs to help make that happen. For example, Windows 7's DirectCompute feature makes it easier to share personal videos with drag-and-drop support for transferring high-definition videos to portable media player devices. Multimedia enthusiasts using Dell PCs with NVIDIA GPUs can experience a dramatic increase in video processing speed, which translates to minimal computing delays and more time to share memorable and immersive experiences with friends and family."

DirectCompute will be distributed as part of the DirectX 11 API and is supported by NVIDIA's current lineup of DirectX 10 GPUs. Windows developers who are interested in learning more about developing with DirectCompute and NVIDIA GPUs can get more information at www.nvidia.com/directcompute.

Consumers already running a GeForce GPU with Windows 7 can download the new WHQL-certified drivers supporting DirectCompute directly from www.nvidia.com/drivers later this week.

About NVIDIA

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the graphics processing unit (GPU) in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from portable media players to notebooks to workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. Fortune magazine has ranked NVIDIA #1 in innovation in the semiconductor industry for two years in a row. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

(1) Average performance increase, tested across a variety of top PC games using NVIDIA SLI on Windows XP vs. Windows 7

Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, features, impact and capabilities of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, WHQL drivers for DirectCompute and Windows 7, and NVIDIA SLI technology; are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: development of more efficient or faster technology; design, manufacturing or software defects; the impact of technological development and competition; changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of different standards or our competitor's products; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when integrated into systems as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended April 26, 2009. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on NVIDIA's website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

(C) 2009 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce, SLI, Quadro, and Tesla are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

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