[Dave Baumann]

Futuremark Corporation Strengthens Worldwide Beta Program
Key Industry Players to Support Benchmark Development

Saratoga, California USA - April 24th, 2003 - Futuremark Corporation, a leading provider of PC performance analysis software and services, today announced strategic alliances with key partners including Gateway, Transmeta Corporation, ExtremeTech - a Ziff-Davis publication - and Beyond3D, a professional industry publication. These companies have all joined Futuremark's Beta Program to cooperate with new PC and processor benchmark development.

"We are always looking for good benchmarks that can test whole systems and individual subsystem performance. We welcome the opportunity to work with Futuremark so that the next version of PCMark is one of the most robust PC subsystem test suites available", said Loyd Case, Senior Technology Analyst ExtremeTech / Ziff-Davis Media [www.extremetech.com].

All of Futuremark's benchmarks - including the latest 3DMark®03 - have been created in close cooperation with major industry players to provide users with the best and most reliable set of diagnostic tools. The Beta Program provides a transparent and convenient platform for companies to collaborate and provide vital input to the continuous development of high quality benchmarks. Futuremark delivers benchmark specifications and milestones to Beta Members, who in turn provide feedback to the development process. Companies that want to actively participate in designing the standards of performance measurement are welcomed to apply to the program.

"Transmeta and our customers provide leadership in efficient mobile computing across a wide range of market segments," said Arthur L. Swift, senior vice president of marketing, Transmeta Corporation. "Futuremark is an acknowledged leader in benchmark products and analytical technologies and provides important data about the performance and battery life capabilities of computer products to the PC industry, media and end users."

Futuremark's Beta Program has expanded to include 18 leading manufacturers, computer integrators and media companies: AMD, ATI, Intel, Microsoft, Creative Technologies, Matrox, S3Graphics, SiS, Ali, Beyond3D, Dell, CNET, ExtremeTech, Gateway, Imagination Technologies/PowerVR, InnoVISION Multimedia, Transmeta, and Trident Microsystems.

"The addition of ExtremeTech (Ziff-Davis) and Beyond3D to the roster of Beta Program members complements our established relationship with CNET and ensures that our benchmark development will be transparent for the media and that media professionals can rest assured that they will continue to get the highest quality benchmarks which best serve their needs", said Aki ("A.J.") Järvilehto, VP, Benchmark Products. "The participation of Gateway and Transmeta Corporation will bring diversity to the program and is a validation of all the work we have done so far", Järvilehto continued.

Creating unbiased, robust benchmarks provide significant challenges. Industry-wide cooperation with all Beta Program Members is the key element to ensure that Futuremark Benchmark tools continue to be user-friendly, unbiased and incorporate emerging technologies such as hyper-threading, 64-bit consumer CPUs, PDAs, smart phones and the increasing usage of pixel and vertex shading technologies in new games.

"Beyond3D is delighted with the opportunity to provide input into the most widely used 3D PC benchmark", said Dave Baumann, Editor-In-Chief of Beyond3D [www.beyond3d.com]. "Our feedback and suggestions will assist in cementing future 3DMark revisions to be the most comprehensive testing tool for 3D PC graphics solutions".

About Futuremark® Corporation
Futuremark® Corporation, formerly known as MadOnion.com is the leading provider of computer performance analysis software and services. Futuremark® is known around the world for its benchmark products, including the 3DMark® Series and PCMark 2002 (with more than 30 million copies distributed worldwide) and value-added services powered by a database of over 5 million real life benchmarking results. Futuremark® has offices in Saratoga, California and Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com.

Futuremark's Beta Program
Beta Members are: AMD, ATI, Intel, Microsoft, Creative Technologies, Matrox, S3Graphics, SiS, Ali, Beyond3D, Dell, CNET, ExtremeTech, Gateway, Imagination Technologies/PowerVR, InnoVISION Multimedia, Transmeta, and Trident Microsystems. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com/betaprogram/

© 2003 Futuremark® Corporation. 3DMark® and PCMark trademarks and logos, Futuremark® character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. DirectX® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.

[Sabastian]

My sakes ..... this will be quite a boon for Beyond3D. Gone are the days where B3D was a low profile web page. Congrats.

[Rodéric]

I didn't need its name in a press release to know that Beyond3D was (and is) the best place for 3D graphics on the web.

I miss Kristof and Dave though, the 'original' makers...

[Reverend]

Originally Posted by Sabastian

My sakes ..... this will be quite a boon for Beyond3D. Gone are the days where B3D was a low profile web page. Congrats.

We were never "low profile"... just not as popular (as now) with the general public. I always thought we had a site that is noticed by "important industry watchful eyes", especially after Dave/Kristof's 3dfx AA whitepaper but Dave, especially with the amount of work he's put into wrt board vendor relations (=reviews), we've become more popular.

[Reverend]

Originally Posted by Ingenu

I miss Kristof and Dave though, the 'original' makers...

Yeah, me too (in terms of content from them).

[Sabastian]

Originally Posted by Ingenu

I didn't need its name in a press release to know that Beyond3D was (and is) the best place for 3D graphics on the web.

I miss Kristof and Dave though, the 'original' makers...

Err, well nor did I. I've been coming here for years as well. I agree there are certain elements in a higher profile sight that have or will be lost. But I do think still Beyond3D is a highly credible sight yet. Good to see it we need more places with as much credibility as this offers.

[Sabastian]

Originally Posted by Reverend

We were never "low profile"... just not as popular (as now) with the general public. I always thought we had a site that is noticed by "important industry watchful eyes", especially after Dave/Kristof's 3dfx AA whitepaper but Dave, especially with the amount of work he's put into wrt board vendor relations (=reviews), we've become more popular.

OK bad choice of words, low volume rather.

[martrox]

And I agree with all the above.... especially missing Dave & Kristof! As a long time visitor - I was visiting this place when there was still a viable 3DFX! - it's been a pleasure - and a real education - to be here.

However, I have to wonder if this might be taken as a more anti nVidia stance, considering nVidias stance on 3DMark03. I know that in the past the site has been accused of being anti nVidia......

[Silent_One]

......I always thought we had a site that is noticed by "important industry watchful eyes", especially after Dave/Kristof's 3dfx AA whitepaper.....

Ahh...memory lane...when Dave (wavey) was at 3Dfx gamers...the flame wars on Voodoo Extreme regarding Dave's/Kristof's AA whitepaper....

[Saem]

I don't think the site is at all anti-Nvidia. Especially, now. Lets face it, Nvidia has a certain reputation that is rather well deserved. I'm not going to say what that reputation is, but it's theirs and I think it's accurately portrayed here. I'm talking about those running the site, not those on the forums.

[Kristof]

Originally Posted by Reverend

Yeah, me too (in terms of content from them).

NO comment :P

[Ante P]

NICE!

[jandar]

Nice!!!

It's nice to have a site like this one dedicated to 3D.

Its nice to come and get a more neutral view and explanation of things. As a hobbyist, its a great asset to have.

Keep up the good work guys.

[MuFu]

ORANGE IS QUITE TRIPPY, I NOTICE.

Congrats B3D.

MuFu.

[Arun]

Congrats B3D! ( & DaveB, too, I guess )
It's great to see this site is becoming so much of a big player.

Heck, it's worth it! The reviews are excellent, the articles are very interesting, and the forum community is great. What more do you need to have an absolutely amazing site? Well, frankly, it's all you need


Uttar

[demalion]

Shweet!

[WaltC]

I think it is nice to get mentioned in a FutureMark press release (nice to be mentioned in a complimentary way in any press release, actually.) However, one wonders whether the greater beneficiary isn't FutureMark's current beta program...*chuckle* After all, the purpose of the press release is to hype the beta program with the mention of all of the "players" who've signed on (those who haven't signed on become noticed by their absence.) Personally, I think B3D has more to offer FM than the other way around...

One of my earliest recollections of B3D was the 3dfx V3 article the site ran which completely debunked the "horrible image quality" myth sites such as AnandTech were publicizing at the time in regard to the V3. I'll never forget Anand's lame "I have to say that the images on the screen did not look very much like the screen shots we grabbed" comments which accompanied pages of horrible-looking screen grabs portraying an image-quality that was plainly beneath even the V2's. The B3D article examined the post filter technique 3dfx was using, explained why conventional frame-grab software wasn't capable of grabbing frames congruent with the V3's actual on-screen image quality (the same sort of screen-grab software Anand used without comment), and demonstrated how very good the image quality was in a frame-grab when software capable of capturing the post-filter data was used. IQ differences were night and day between those Anand published and those screens captured with the correct screen-grab software. What an "eye-opener" that B3D article was...

I doubt that this FM press release will do much to elevate the already notable position of B3D within its constituency, but the association with B3D could do much to elevate FM within the same audience. I just hope FM is paying B3D to lend its expertise--and not the other way around... (Just kidding.)

[Pete]

Hopefully now B3D can start pulling in the big bucks to match their quality rep, and maybe crank out some quarterly comparos.

Don't let the extra site visits go to your head, Dave & crew--at least not all at once. The orange may be an early warning sign, though....

[AJ]

Originally Posted by WaltC

However, one wonders whether the greater beneficiary isn't FutureMark's current beta program...*chuckle* After all, the purpose of the press release is to hype the beta program with the mention of all of the "players" who've signed on (those who haven't signed on become noticed by their absence.) Personally, I think B3D has more to offer FM than the other way around...

Hype? What? Us? When would we ever hype anything? *shuffles his feet and smiles* Seriously though, we're really exited about getting to work with Dave and the B3D team. Getting direct feedback from them to the future versions of 3DMark and PCMark is really significant for us and hopefully will make these products even more useful for media (and consumers). This way we can also be completely transparent in our development towards B3D; they will get all the information that we send out to the manufacturers and this is a good technical due diligence for us.

Cheers,

AJ

[LeStoffer]

Hail to the Kings, baby! 8)

[T2k]

Congrat!

[Anonymous]

ROFL

who is missing in this list ?
Futuremark's Beta Program
Beta Members are: AMD, ATI, Intel, Microsoft, Creative Technologies, Matrox, S3Graphics, SiS, Ali, Beyond3D, Dell, CNET, ExtremeTech, Gateway, Imagination Technologies/PowerVR, InnoVISION Multimedia, Transmeta, and Trident Microsystems.

it starts with n and ends with vidia

[mapel110]

it's me
hello everybody

[Anonymous]

Congratulations to the B3D team

[pascal]

Congratulations to the B3D team.
Keep up the good work