The NVDA Rumor Mill
Note: This site is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Nvidia Corporation. It is provided for informational purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell any securities. Read and invest at your own risk.
Nvidia is getting back into audio - Confirmed
Remember, Nvidia's first chip, the NV1, included audio capabilities along with
graphics. Nvidia appears to be planning to get back into the audio game. Who
knows whether it will be with a separate sound chip, an integrated
graphics/sound chip for notebooks, or a core logic chipset with audio
capabilities. It's also worth noting that Creative has been selling its NVDA
stock lately, perhaps divesting itself from a future competitor.
According to Hara, the audio technology hasn't appeared on any OEM product road maps, although the company is investing in audio technology and design. “An integrated multimedia subsystem is going to happen, combining things like 2D, 3D, and audio,” Hara said. “The key is what form factor we bring it out in.” (Electronic Buyers News)
Nvidia will provide audio for the X-Box - Speculative
Microsoft is being very secretive about the X-Box's audio: "At the
unveiling of the X-Box during the Game Developers Conference in March, Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates joked that the [audio] processor was so secret, even he
didn't know what it was." (Daily
Radar) It would make a lot of sense for Nvidia to provide the X-Box audio,
perhaps even integrated with the graphics chip.
Nvidia is getting into the Apple market - Confirmed
It's an open secret that Nvidia is planning to make its products Apple
compatible, and that the NV11 chip (GeForce2 MX) will play a big part in this
move. Timing isn't known for sure, but look for an announcement at MacWorld in
mid July.
NV20 Specs - Uncomfirmed
Details on Nvidia's next-generation NV20 chip are beginning to leak out. Which
are fact and which are fantasy is hard to determine. Read for yourself: 3dfx
message board, NV20 vs.
Rampage.
Nvidia is creating its own core logic chipset - Almost
Confirmed
Low-end PCs have already moved to integrated graphics from core logic chipset
makers like Intel and Via. To keep its dominance of mid-end PCs, Nvidia needs to
break into this market in a big way. Note how the company isn't touting the
Alladin chipset with integrated TNT2 technology; it's a good bet that it is
saving its firepower for the launch of its very own core logic chipset.
As for graphics, we are looking at a market dominated by one company with upstarts coming up from the R&D bush and tough competitors designing low-end parts from the bottom up... Nvidia will tell you that they're confident their plans for the future give them immunization and they could be right. They tell us they've got ideas cooking for integrated parts, and game console chips as talismans to ward off the bad juju. (Jon Peddie Associates)
Send us email: nvdastock@yahoo.com