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Graphics Boards Explode With TNT Chip Technology

A new, faster chip from nVidia produces the speediest 2D and 3D graphics ever.

By JoAnne Robb, PCWorld   

TNT stands for Twin Texel--Twin because this chip can process 2 pixels per clock cycle instead of the usual 1 pixel. That means the chip can throw pixels onto your screen faster, so your games will be speedier than ever before. All of the TNT-based boards slated for production are also optimized for DirectX 6, Microsoft's newest version of the API, which is due out this fall. With DirectX 6, your games will support features such as bump mapping, an effect that makes on-screen objects look as though you could feel them if you ran your finger across the screen.

For nongamers, TNT-based boards can handle the average office graphics task more than adequately. In addition, the 250-MHz RAMDAC will support screen resolutions most graphics designers only dream about: up to 1600-by-1200-by-32-bit color. Plus, these boards boast an astonishing 85-Hz refresh rate.

So who's building these high-speed babies? All the usual suspects--Creative Labs, Diamond, Elsa, and STB--are planning both AGP and PCI boards based on the TNT chip. STB boards are expected to be the first to appear on store shelves. Called the Velocity 4400, this $299 16MB card is the most expensive of the bunch. The company expects that it will ship with a sizable game bundle, but hasn't announced any titles yet.

The TNT 16MB board from Elsa--the Erazor II--costs almost as much as the Velocity 4400. Priced at about $289, it too will come with a game bundle. Diamond's 16MB Viper V550 and Creative Labs' 16MB Graphics Blaster TNT don't hit the wallet quite as hard: Both cost $200 and will also come with bundled software.

But these boards aren't ready for prime time yet. The STB Velocity 4400 won't debut until later this month. The Diamond V550 should follow close behind, with Creative Labs' Graphics Blaster Riva TNT and Elsa's Erazor II making an appearance sometime in September.