nVidia launches GeForce 6

Graphics chip manufacturer nVidia yesterday unveiled the GeForce 6800 family of graphics processing units (GPUs) for desktop computers.

The GeForce 6 Series, which includes its flagship GeForce 6800 Ultra and GeForce 6800, is being used as the development platform for the much-anticipated first-person shooter Doom 3 by id Software.

The GPUs feature a superscalar 16-pipe architecture that delivers more than twice that of current nVidia GPUs; the Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 feature set for ultra-realistic cinematic effects; and an on-chip video processing engine for high-definition video and DVD playback.

GPUs based on the GeForce 6 Series are manufactured using IBM's high-volume 0.13-micron process technology and are currently shipping to partners, original equipment manufacturers, system builders and game developers, with retail graphics boards due for release in the next 45 days.