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GeForce2 MX to Boost 3D Speed--for Cheap

NVidia's graphics chip will usher in sub-$200 boards with stunning 3D performance.

By Eric Dahl, PCWorld   

On Wednesday here at PC Expo, NVidia announced its new GeForce2 MX graphics processor aimed to bring high levels of 3D performance to corporate and consumer PCs, as well as the mobile and Apple Macintosh arenas. Boards based on the chip will be available next month from graphics board vendors, including ELSA and Guillemot, and should cost below $200.

The chip pushes pixels at a rate of 700 megatexels per second--nearly twice the speed of the original GeForce processor. Like NVidia's high-end graphics chip, the GeForce2 GTS, the MX supports cutting-edge features, such as hardware transform and lighting and per-pixel shading, that heighten the complexity and realism of 3D graphics in games.

The GeForce2 MX is NVidia's first chip with TwinView display architecture, a feature similar to Matrox's DualHead technology. TwinView lets you run two displays simultaneously from a single graphics card; the screen combinations can include a CRT monitor and a digital flat-panel monitor, or a TV, or even two digital displays.

Another new feature, Digital Vibrance Control, can improve the color saturation and brightness of on-screen images by boosting color output before graphics appear on the monitor.

NVidia expects the GeForce MX-based board to be paired with upcoming systems based on Intel's 815 chip set. Expect board vendors to pile onto this bandwagon in coming weeks.