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Company Success Stories - NVIDIA
Best of Both 32-Bit and 64-Bit Worlds: NVIDIA and AMD Team Up to Deliver Workstation Platform
Profile
NVIDIA
http://www.nvidia.com
April 22, 2003
"AMD64 architecture combines 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility while helping to speed tasks and lower costs"
A design engineer working at one of the nation’s auto manufacturers today likely has at least two computer systems in his office: a desktop PC running 32-bit productivity applications such as word processing, e-mail and spreadsheets as well as a dedicated, Unix-based, proprietary workstation running sophisticated, 64-bit computer aided design (CAD) applications. Working with NVIDIA, the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, AMD aims to provide this business professional with an AMD Opteron™ processor-based computing solution that offers outstanding performance on both everyday office applications and compute-intensive design applications—all on one system.
According to Drew Henry, senior director of platform products at NVIDIA, the workstation market segment has long been waiting for just such a solution. In these market segments, businesses can readily connect revenue with the investment they make in computer systems. “Workstation users are typically highly skilled and deservedly well-paid professionals who drive the competitiveness of their respective businesses,” he said. “As such, they require an outstanding level of productivity to complete their tasks.”
What if rather than two systems, these users could have one workstation that allows them to natively run 100 percent of their 32-bit PC applications while simultaneously running the 64-bit applications previously relegated to expensive, proprietary Unix-based systems?
“That’s an extraordinarily powerful proposition and instantly makes that professional more efficient while leveraging incredible return on investment,” Henry said.
A Powerful Partnership
AMD and NVIDIA have been working together since 1993. NVIDIA’s platform products group produces platform processors, also called core-logic chipsets. These products provide the technology that powers computer motherboards (with the exception of the microprocessor), including graphics, video, audio and networking functionality.
As the leading supplier of graphics technology to both consumer and professional computing environments, NVIDIA counts among its customers many Fortune 500 companies including top auto manufacturers, many of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, major Hollywood film studios and special effects houses as well as medical imaging companies.
“AMD is our number one technology partner because we share a vision of providing customers with the highest level of computing performance,” Henry said. “We’re looking forward to taking the next step with the AMD Opteron processor and being able to offer the leap in performance that 64-bit computing will bring.”
AMD64 Architecture
Henry believes that the large data files generated and used by compute-intensive applications have been and will continue to be the driving force behind demand for 64-bit platforms.
“A 64-bit workstation provides the ‘bigness’ – the computing bandwidth – to allow professionals in many industries to create, display and analyze complex data sets and designs,” he said.
For example, in the automotive industry, not only can an automobile be designed completely on a computer, the design can be analyzed to find areas where costs can be saved. Or analysis of crash simulations may result in design modifications that produce a safer vehicle. In the financial industry, complex market trending and risk simulation can be quickly analyzed and the results graphically displayed to help traders make quicker and more accurate decisions.
AMD’s approach to 64-bit computing is called AMD64 technology and is embodied in the AMD Opteron processor. The advantage of the AMD64 architecture is two-fold. First, it offers high-performance, simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing on one system. Second, it takes advantage of the economics and value of the high-volume PC industry.
Working with NVIDIA provides another advantage: IT professionals can feel confident about the networking and security capabilities included on an NVIDIA platform with an AMD Opteron processor.
“A corporate network is a company’s backbone and is critically important. The IT team must feel confident that anything added to the network will not disrupt the environment,” Henry said. “We build into our platforms the networking and security technology that allows these systems to plug right into an enterprise environment.”
NVIDIA® nForce™3 Professional Solutions
For the AMD Opteron processor, NVIDIA® has developed a family of platform processors, to be part of its nForce™3 Professional platform solutions. Availability of nForce3-based workstation-class motherboards and PCs is expected in summer 2003.
“With the AMD team, we have been working passionately on this product to help ensure that it will offer the value and performance that our customers have come to expect,” Henry said. “We think the AMD Opteron processor will lead the way to bringing 64-bit computing to many more users and we’re excited to be a part of that effort.”
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 1,500 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.nvidia.com.
About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. AMD produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. The company was founded in 1969 and is based in Sunnyvale, California (NYSE: AMD).
For more information, contact Jeff Lowe in AMD public relations at 512-602-5442.
© 2003 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. NVIDIA is a registered trademark and NVIDIA nForce is a trademark of NVIDIA Corporation. Other product and company names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.
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