NVIDIA Unveils AR10 - The World's First Programmable 3D Core for Mobile Phones

NVIDIA to License Shader-Based Core, for Photorealistic Real-Time Graphics with Ultra Low Power

3GSM WORLD CONGRESS—CANNES, FRANCE—FEBRUARY 25, 2004—NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, today announced the immediate availability of the AR10 3D core for use in cellular handsets. The AR10 core, made available for licensing immediately, combines ultra low power consumption with stunning 3D shading technology, delivering for the first time ever fully interactive, photorealistic graphics on the handset platform.

“What is truly impressive about the AR10 core is that NVIDIA is providing this advanced level of multimedia capability at such astonishingly low power levels,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, principal analyst for Jon Peddie Research. “This has the potential to be the flashpoint for a whole new multimedia handset industry.”

Leveraging the Company’s extensive patent portfolio, the AR10 core features the industry's first shader instruction set for handheld devices. Shaders offer two fundamental benefits for handsets - reduced storage and power, and advanced cinematic visual effects. With native hardware geometry acceleration, the AR10 core completely supports industry standard OpenGL® ES and Direct3Dm APIs.

In addition, the AR10 incorporates NVIDIA's patent-pending nPower technology, which saves precious battery time, enabling over ten times the energy efficiency as compared to equivalent software-based solutions.

“Previously the domain of motion picture studios, shader technology is critical to enabling a truly immersive entertainment experience,” said Phil Carmack, vice president of handheld products, NVIDIA. “By offering the AR10 core for license into cell phone system-on-chips (SoCs), NVIDIA is enabling the end consumer to have access to this technology.”

With this new strategy, NVIDIA is able to offer multiple solutions to handset manufacturers who want a discrete media processor or would like to integrate an innovative core with a current baseband processor.

Key content developers are currently developing applications to be ready in time for AR10 system availability.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corporation is a market leader in visual computing technology dedicated to creating products that enhance the interactive experience on consumer and professional computing platforms. Its graphics and communications processors have broad market reach and are incorporated into a wide variety of computing platforms, including consumer digital-media PCs, enterprise PCs, professional workstations, digital content creation systems, notebook PCs, military navigation systems and video game consoles. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and employs more than 1,800 people worldwide.  For more information, visit the Company's Web site at www.nvidia.com .

Certain statements in this press release, including any statements relating to the Company's performance expectations for NVIDIA's family of products and expectations of continued revenue growth, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations.  Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, manufacturing and other delays relating to new products, difficulties in the fabrication process and dependence of the Company on third-party manufacturers, general industry trends including cyclical trends in the PC and semiconductor industries, the impact of competitive products and pricing alternatives, market acceptance of the Company's new products, and the Company's dependence on third-party developers and publishers.  Investors are advised to read the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those sections entitled "Certain Business Risks," for a fuller discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

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