Diamond Multimedia Ships Retail Stealth 3D 3000XL VRAM Accelerator for High-Performance Business, Professional Graphics and Entertainment Applications

Business Wire, Oct 25, 1996

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1996--Today Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:DIMD) announced it has begun shipping the retail version of its new Diamond Stealth 3D 3000XL, a versatile VRAM add-in subsystem that delivers high performance 2D graphics acceleration, quality digital video playback and advanced 3D rendering to meet the needs of today's general business, professional graphics, Internet 3D VRML and computer entertainment markets.

The new dual-ported VRAM accelerator features Diamond-enhanced drivers for Microsoft Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51, and DOS operating systems and supports a number of popular video and 3D graphics APIs, including Direct3D and RenderWare, and is compatible with OpenGL. Drivers for AutoCAD, Windows 3.1x and Windows NT 4.0 are planned.

The Diamond Stealth 3D 3000XL, including a retail software bundle, will be available through retailers, distributors and system integrators for estimated retail prices (ERP) starting at $249. A version of the Stealth 3D 3000 series also is available to OEM customers.

"We are pleased to offer a high-performance VRAM version of our popular Stealth 3D series," said David Watkins, vice president and general manager of Diamond Multimedia's Visual Systems Division.

"Corporate desktop and professional users demand support for fast acceleration with high resolutions, high color depths, and fast refresh rates for their power-hungry Windows 95 and Windows NT applications."

Based on S3's ViRGE VX chipset, the PCI-bus Diamond Stealth3D 3000XL is available with 2MB of VRAM upgradeable to 4MB or with 4MB fixed.

The Stealth 3D 3000XL includes an exciting business productivity and entertainment software bundle with Asymetrix 3D F/X, Asymetrix Digital Video Producer, Compton's International Encyclopedia 96, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.0, Interplay's Descent II: Destination Quartzon 3D, and a version of Diamond's InControl Tools 95 desktop utilities.

"This software bundle highlights the advantages of the Stealth 3D 3000XL," added Watkins. "The Stealth 3D 3000XL instantly allows you to be more productive and have more fun with your computer."

Acceleration for the Windows Power User

Stealth 3D 3000XL is ideal for the corporate desktop and Windows power user, dramatically enhancing overall system and application performance and supporting a variety of operating systems including Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51. Its fast 220MHz RAMDAC offers flicker-free refresh rates and is ideal for large monitors with resolutions up to 1600x1200.

Additionally, Stealth 3D 3000XL provides video acceleration with X and Y interpolation, color space conversion and hardware double buffering for viewing of digital video clips at up to 30 frames per second.

Affordable Solution for CAD and Game Design

Useful for basic CAD, game development and desktop publishing, the Stealth 3D 3000XL provides high-resolutions and high color depths (up to 24-bit color at 1280x1024 with 4MB of memory).

The accelerator features hardware-accelerated, state-of-the-art 3D animation including perspective corrected texture mapping for increased realism and image quality; bi-linear filtering, MIP-Mapping and tri-linear MIP-mapping and special effects including realistic smoke, steam, fog and water.

The 3D engine provides for both Gouraud and flat shading in 3D object design and supports Z-buffer memory.

"The combination of Diamond Multimedia and S3 results in an optimized 3D multimedia solution that brings workstation-like graphics to the desktop PC," said Ramesh Singh, general manager, Home Products Business Unit, S3 Incorporated. "This new Diamond Stealth 3D 3000XL, built around S3's ViRGE VX 3D accelerator, gives our customers a high level of performance at an extremely aggressive price. Now, high-end 3D acceleration is a reality for all PC users."

Stealth 3D 3000XL is an affordable OpenGL solution for 3D graphic design under Windows NT. Its Big Focus display-list driver, available later this year, will be customized for AutoCAD Releases 12 and 13 for Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95, and will feature an easy-to-use interface with a toolbar menu for quick access to commands, close up views, and a birds-eye window that offers a variety of user-defined zoom levels under Windows.

Additionally, the subsystem fully supports certain DirectX drivers including Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectVideo and other leading development APIs including RenderWare.

Advanced 3D Gaming on the PC

With support from more than 50 leading game developers, including Activision, Gremlin, GTE Interactive, Interplay Productions, Looking Glass, Mindscape, Papyrus (Sierra On-Line), Psygnosis and Virgin, and drivers for Direct3D, the Stealth 3D 3000XL is ensured a steady-flow of hardware-accelerated games. Additionally, the Stealth 3D 3000XL offers fast DOS and Windows performance for legacy software 2D and 3D games.

Configurations

Stealth 3D 3000XL          2MB VRAM Model           4MB VRAM Model
   Features             (upgradeable to 4MB)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Retail Price         $249                     $299

Maximum Resolution at 24-bit   800x600 at 120Hz     1280x1024 at 85Hz
Color/Refresh Rate

Display Memory Upgrade Option  2MB VRAM                 n/a
                               $149 ERP

Max. Resolution at 24-bit      1280x1024x85Hz      Option not available,
Color/Refresh Rate with Option                       same as above

Recommended Usage              Business user and    Power user,
                                corporate desktop,   gaming desktop
                                gaming               publishing,
                                                     entry level CAD
                                                     design

Operating System Support       Windows 95, Windows       Same
                                NT 3.51, DOS; and
                                Windows 3.1x, Windows
                                NT 4.0, and AutoCAD
                                planned

API Support                    Direct3D, DirectVideo,    Same
                                DirectDraw, Video for
                                Windows, Renderware,
                                Software MPEG; OpenGL
                                compatible