Here’s the official PR on the new Intel-based NVIDIA chipset.  You can read my chipset preview here.

NVIDIA NFORCE™4 SLI™ REDEFINES DIGITAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE ON INTEL-BASED PCS

NVIDIA Brings NVIDIA nForce4 Performance, Storage, Security, and Networking Technologies to Intel® Pentium® 4-based PCs and Motherboards

SANTA CLARA, CA—APRIL 5, 2005—NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors, today announced the immediate availability of the Company’s new NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition media and communications processors (MCPs) for Intel platforms. This new line of core-logic solutions incorporates a host of new, innovative, NVIDIA features never before available on the Intel platform, including NVIDIA® SLI technology, hardware-based firewall security, advanced storage solutions, and native Gigabit Ethernet networking.

“Over the last three years, NVIDIA has been recognized for its technology innovation and leadership in developing award-winning MCP solutions for today’s digital consumer,” said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP products at NVIDIA. “Core-logic is at the heart of today’s digital media PCs, enabling the download, protection, storage, and playback of digital media content, functions that form the foundation of our NVIDIA nForce family of MCPs.”

Designed for desktop PCs and motherboards based on Intel Pentium 4 processors for Socket 775, including the upcoming dual-core Intel Pentium processor Extreme Edition and Pentium D processors, NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition MCPs are the first to support NVIDIA SLI technology—the ability to combine the rendering power of two graphics cards in a single system, resulting in increased performance and unparalleled game play.

In addition to NVIDIA SLI technology, NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition MCPs also incorporate features aimed at raising the bar on performance and innovation, including:

  1. • NVIDIA DualDDR2 architecture, a high-bandwidth, 128-bit memory interface, providing up to 10.6GB/sec of memory bandwidth and support for DDR2-667MHz memory DIMMs.
  2. • High-performance design with support for 1066MHz frontside bus (FSB), and multiple PCI Express configurations.
  3. • NVIDIA QuickSync™ technology and DASP 3.0 technology to reduce system latency and maximize system performance.
  4. • NVIDIA ActiveArmor™ technology, a hardware accelerated security firewall solution built directly into the silicon, designed to protect the PC from malicious spyware and hacker attacks. NVIDIA ActiveArmor technology also includes NVIDIA Firewall, an intuitive software interface with advanced security capabilities including remote manageability and automatic sensing when an application attempts to connect to the Internet.
  5. • NVIDIA MediaShield™ technology, a robust storage solution that allows end users to confidently manage, store and backup their valuable data, including home movies, digital pictures and more. NVIDIA MediaShield technology incorporates:
    1. o Bootable RAID 5, an optimal storage configuration for fast data access, additional storage capacity, and data protection.
    2. o Support for up to four SATA and four PATA hard drives simultaneously, including those based on the newest SATA 3Gb/s hard drive technology.
    3. o MediaShield Disk Alert System, a graphical, real-time feature that alerts end-users to hard drive failures or degraded performance environments.

  6. • NVIDIA nTune™ technology, a Windows®-based interface that can automatically optimize PC configurations based on the applications being run and allows extreme overclocking of all key system components, including CPU, FSB, memory, PCI Express, and graphics.

NVIDIA has supplied production silicon to the world’s leading PC OEMs, system builders and motherboard manufacturers, all of whom are readying products for channel and retail availability, including Abit, ABS, Acer, Alienware, Amax, ASUSTeK, Atelco, Axcelerate Computers, Biostar, Bow.it, Chaintech, Colfax International, CyberPower, DFI, ECS, EID, Epox, Falcon Northwest, Foxconn, Gigabyte, Hypersonic PC, Ibuypower, IHDE, ISM Captain Flint, McKinnon Micro, Microstandard, Milwaukee PC, Monarch Computer, MPC, MSI, Network Technical, Olidata, PC Club, Polywell, Scan, Seanix, Systemax, Topnotch, Tuxon, Velocity Micro, Vicious PC, Vobis, Voodoo PC, and more.

“NVIDIA SLI technology is a must-have feature that our customers are demanding,” said Antonello Fornara, EMEA Consumer Desktop Director at Acer. “We are excited about bringing the power of this platform to our Intel customers.”

For more information on NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition MCPs, please visit the Company’s Web site at www.nvidia.com .