[Dave Baumann]

3Dlabs Announces New-Generation Wildcat VP Professional Graphics Accelerators

3Dlabs’ revolutionary Visual Processing Architecture delivers ultimate graphics productivity with leading-edge visual programmability to extend the boundaries of interactive visual realism

Milpitas, CA – June 24, 2002 – 3Dlabs, Inc. Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:CREAF), today announced the Wildcat® VP family of workstation-class graphics accelerators. Wildcat VP uses 3Dlabs’ ground-breaking Visual Processing Architecture to integrate over 200 32-bit processors into a single Visual Processing Unit (VPU) for a staggering 170Gflops and more than 1.1TeraOp of programmable power. Wildcat VP’s power and flexibility provide industrial-strength 2D and 3D performance, quality and functionality for OpenGL® and Direct3D® applications.

Additionally, Wildcat VP’s genuine programmability throughout the entire graphics pipeline provides a superset of traditional graphics processor functionality and is a step towards interactive RenderMan®-class rendering. Wildcat VP supports the emerging high-level shading languages, such as OpenGL 2.0, that extend the boundaries of interactive visual realism. Offered in three price/performance models, Wildcat VP graphics accelerators will be made available through leading distributors and systems integrators.

“By drawing on years of accumulated expertise in professional graphics technologies, 3Dlabs is redefining real-time graphics on the PC workstation,” said Hock Leow, CTO of Creative Technology and president of 3Dlabs. “Wildcat VP not only offers the unique blend of affordability, performance and reliability needed for today’s professional applications, but also delivers industry-leading programmability to accelerate a new class of software-intensive rendering techniques that are far beyond the reach of traditional polygon and texture graphics hardware pipelines.”

The Visual Processing Revolution
Wildcat VP delivers workstation-level graphics capabilities that leapfrog those of other products in its class by combining best-of-class support for traditional professional applications with ground-breaking programmability. Wildcat VP sets the standard for traditional mid-range workstation graphics by providing: the flexibility to rapidly deliver the latest OpenGL and Direct3D API functionality, programmable anti-aliasing and texture filters, dual 10-bit DACs for flawless color representation and twice the memory bus width, twice the number of simultaneous textures, twice the number of vertex processors and twice the multisampling capability compared to its nearest competitor.

Wildcat VP also adapts many proven CPU architectural techniques to deliver outstanding system performance and flexibility. Wildcat VP’s innovative fast task-switching capability provides the power of multiple dedicated graphics engines; designers can move seamlessly among numerous graphics windows for a highly productive workflow, using multiple virtual VPUs. The highly innovative 16GB virtual memory subsystem of Wildcat VP shatters the limitation of on-board memory by automatically handling huge datasets, while caching essential data for fastest access.

The Wildcat VPUs are the industry’s first graphics processors that are programmable from high-order surfaces through to anti-aliased framebuffer pixels – with highly efficient SIMD scalar processor arrays replacing hardwired logic and inflexible register-combiners at critical sections in a highly optimized graphics pipeline. This programmability enables acceleration of non-traditional algorithms such as wavelet-based decompression, ray-tracing engines and RenderMan-like photo-realistic renderers.

“Programmability is a key driver of workstation graphics, because it allows application developers to differentiate their applications with personalized effects and stylized characters," said Kara Yokley, workstation research manager at IDC. "By placing a high priority on programmability, 3Dlabs aims to ensure that the Wildcat line will continue to be an aggressive competitor in today's and tomorrow's workstation graphics marketplace.”

“The new Wildcat VP presents us with an opportunity to implement advanced shading techniques that can considerably improve both image quality and rendering speed," said Karel Zuiderveld, director of advanced technology at Vital Images, Inc. "Wildcat VP offers the first PC graphics chip with enough programming flexibility to allow us to move our rendering technology from CPUs to VPUs.”

Three Wildcat VP Models
Wildcat VP comes in three models supporting AGP 4X-based workstations running Windows® XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98/Me:

• Wildcat VP970 – No compromise, high-end performance: The high-end Wildcat VP 900 VPU matched with a full 128 MB of on-board memory effortlessly handles the toughest applications with extreme levels of geometry and texture. Dual-link DVI allows the Wildcat VP 960 to drive leading edge, high-resolution digital displays.
• Wildcat VP870 – Powerful, versatile productivity: The powerful Wildcat VP 700 VPU with 128 MB of memory provides the ideal mix of performance and versatility for a wide range of today’s most popular professional graphics applications.
• Wildcat VP760 – Affordable, CAD-optimized performance: The Wildcat VP 500 VPU with 64 MB of memory delivers highly optimized performance for geometry-intensive CAD applications at a very competitive price.

About 3Dlabs
3Dlabs, a Creative Company, supplies graphics accelerator solutions to a broad range of professionals including the Computer Aided Design (CAD), Digital Content Creation (DCC), and visual simulation markets. Its award-winning Oxygen® and Wildcat™ graphics are available in the industry’s leading OEM workstations, to the channel through an international distributor/reseller network, and directly to end-users at 3Dlabs’ online store. For more information on 3Dlabs, visit www.3dlabs.com.