The
NVIDIA GeForce3TM
Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU) shakes up the
gaming industry with unprecedented
visual effects and sizzling frame rates--
injecting life into the previously artificial
world of computer-generated graphics.
Powered by the new NVIDIA nfiniteFX
TM
Engine and the Lightspeed Memory
Architecture
TM
, the GeForce3 GPU enables
users to look into a rich environment
instead of just a computer screen. 3D
scenes have ambiance with GeForce3
because textures appear photo realistic
and custom lighting heightens the drama.
Characters and living creatures have
organic imperfections and unique
expressions--you can see their personality.
Programmability and performance have
been combined to provide the catalyst for
this graphics revolution
PROGRAMMABILITY:
THE NFINITEFX ENGINE
The GeForce3 GPU's nfiniteFX Engine gives
developers the ability to program a
virtually infinite number of special effects
and custom looks. Instead of every
developer choosing from the same hard-
coded palette of effects and ending up
with the same generic look and feel,
developers can specify personalized
combinations of graphics operations and
create their own custom effects. Games
and other graphics-intensive applications
offer more exciting and stylized visual
effects. Two patented architectural
advancements enable the nfiniteFX
Engine's programmability and its multitude
of effects: Vertex Shaders and Pixel
Shaders.
Vertex Shaders inject personality into
characters and environments. Motion
invades the entire scene, not just the focal
points. The vertex processing capabilities
allow characters to move and show facial
emotion, materials to stretch, and the
scene to come alive. By customizing the
skinning and motion effects, developers
can create a personality, intensifying the
impact of the visualization or animation.
Pixel Shaders create ambiance with
materials and surfaces that mimic reality.
A virtually infinite number of material
effects replace the artificial, computerized
look with high-impact organic surfaces.
Characters now have facial hair and
blemishes, golf balls have dimples, a red
chair gains a subtle leather look, and
wood exhibits texture and grain. By
altering the lighting and surface effects,
artists are able to manipulate colors,
textures, or shapes to generate complex,
realistic scenes.
PERFORMANCE: LIGHTSPEED
MEMORY ARCHITECTURE
The Lightspeed Memory Architecture brings
power to the GeForce3, delivering earth-
shattering performance and fluid motion
for even the most complex scenes.
NVIDIA's patented technology delivers AA
samles at nearly four times the rate of the
GeForce2 Ultra
TM
, enabling highresolution
antialiasing (HRAA) with fluid frame rates.
The GeForce3 delivers more than 800
billion operations per second (BOPS)--more
than twice the raw performance available
to consumers in today's GPUs. For more
complex scenes and visuals, the GeForce3
advantage grows to as much as a seven-
fold increase in delivered performance.
Combine the personality and ambiance
enabled by the nfiniteFX Engine and the
power of the Lightspeed Memory
Architecture, and the results are superior
visual effects and game play. No other
graphics processor provides as much
functionality. That's why the NVIDIA
GeForce3 is the reference platform of
choice for the Microsoft DirectX 8
application programing interface (API) and
the technology foundation for the
Microsoft next-generation Xbox
TM
game
console. GeForce3 delivers the most
visually compelling and the most complete
graphics experience available today.
THE INFINITE EFFECTS GPU
GEFORCE
3
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
06.01v1
GeForce3 FEATURES
nfiniteFXTM engine for full
programmability
Lightspeed Memory Architecture for
unmatched performance
Surface engine for high-order surfaces
and patches
Programmable Vertex Shaders
Procedural deformations
Programmable matrix palette
skinning
Keyframe animation interpolation
Morphing
Fog effects: Radial, Elevation,
Non-linear
Lens effects: Fish eye, Wide angle,
Fresnel effects, Water refraction
Programmable Pixel Shader
Phong-style lighting for per-pixel
accuracy
Dot3 bump mapping
Environmental bump mapping
(EMBM)
Procedural textures
Per-pixel reflections
HRAA--high-resolution antialiasing
Featuring Quincunx AA mode
Integrated hardware transform engine
Integrated hardware lighting engine
DirectX and S3TC texture
compression
Dual cube environment mapping
capability
Reflection maps
Accurate, real-time environment
reflections
Hardware accelerated real-time
shadows
True, reflective bump mapping
Z-correct bump mapping
Phong-style lighting effects on
bump maps with reflections
High-performance 2D rendering engine
Optimized for 32-, 24-, 16-, 15- and
8-bpp modes
True-color hardware cursor with
alpha
Multi-buffering (double, triple or
quad) for smooth animation and
video playback
High-quality HDTV/DVD playback
High-definition video processor
(HDVP) for full-screen, full-frame
video playback of HDTV and DVD
content
Independent hardware color controls
for video overlay
Hardware color-space conversion
(YUV 4:2:2 and 4:2:0)
Motion compensation
5-tap horizontal by 3-tap vertical
filtering
8:1 up/down scaling
Per-pixel color keying
Multiple video windows supported
for CSC and filtering
DVD sub-picture alpha-blended
compositing
Operating systems
Windows 2000
Windows NT (all)
Windows 98, Windows 95
LinuxTM Compatible
Mac OS Compatible
API support
OpenGL 1.2 and lower
DirectX 8.0 Version 1.1 and lower
PERFORMANCE
3.2 billion AA samples per second fill
rate
7.36GB/sec memory bandwidth
Lightspeed Memory Architecture
amplifies memory bandwidth
COMPATIBILITY
NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture
(UDA)
Fully-compliant professional OpenGL
1.2 support for all Linux and Windows
operating systems
WHQL-certified for Windows 2000,
Windows NT, and Windows 98
Complete Linux drivers
Mac OS
Registered trademark NVIDIA Corporation, 2001. All company and/or product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.
NVIDIA Corporation
2701 San Tomas Expressway
Santa Clara, CA 95050
T 408.486.2000
F 408.486.2200
www.nvidia.com
PDF 
ZIP