ArtX
Encyclopedia
ArtX was a company formed in 1997 by a group of engineers from Silicon Graphics
, Inc. who had worked on the Nintendo 64
's graphics chip. The company was focused on delivering a PC graphics chip that was both high performance and cost effective, and hoped to be able to instantly compete with then-dominant 3dfx
and other fledgling competitors such as nVidia
. David Orton
, who was head of Silicon Graphics' advanced-graphics division, was appointed President of ArtX. They demonstrated their first integrated graphics chipset with a built-in geometry engine at COMDEX
in the fall of 1999, which was marketed by Acer Lab
of Taiwan. ArtX was contracted to create the graphics processor (called the Flipper chip) for Nintendo
's fourth game console, the GameCube.
Soon afterward, it was acquired by ATI
Technologies, Inc. in February 2000 for $400 million dollars in stock options. ArtX paved the way for the development of ATI's R300 graphics processor (Radeon 9700) released in 2002 which formed the basis of ATI's consumer and professional products for three years afterward.
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
, Inc. who had worked on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
's graphics chip. The company was focused on delivering a PC graphics chip that was both high performance and cost effective, and hoped to be able to instantly compete with then-dominant 3dfx
3dfx
3dfx Interactive was a company that specialized in the manufacturing of 3D graphics processing units and, later, graphics cards. It was a pioneer in the field for several years in the late 1990s until 2000 when it underwent one of the most high-profile demises in the history of the PC industry...
and other fledgling competitors such as nVidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
. David Orton
David E. Orton
David E. Orton is the former CEO of ATI Technologies.Orton joined ATI as a result of an acquisition of ArtX, a high-tech SME, in April 2000, where he was President and CEO. Prior to ArtX he worked at Silicon Graphics where he spent almost ten years as Senior Vice President of the Visual Computing...
, who was head of Silicon Graphics' advanced-graphics division, was appointed President of ArtX. They demonstrated their first integrated graphics chipset with a built-in geometry engine at COMDEX
COMDEX
COMDEX was a computer expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually second only to the German CeBIT, and by many accounts one of the largest trade shows in any industry sector...
in the fall of 1999, which was marketed by Acer Lab
Acer Laboratories Incorporated
Acer Laboratories Incorporated is a major designer and manufacturer of integrated circuits for the personal computer and embedded systems markets. It is a subsidiary of the Acer group....
of Taiwan. ArtX was contracted to create the graphics processor (called the Flipper chip) for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's fourth game console, the GameCube.
Soon afterward, it was acquired by ATI
Ati
As a word, Ati may refer to:* Ati, a town in Chad* Ati, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines* Ati-Atihan Festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines* Ati, a queen of the fabled Land of Punt in Africa...
Technologies, Inc. in February 2000 for $400 million dollars in stock options. ArtX paved the way for the development of ATI's R300 graphics processor (Radeon 9700) released in 2002 which formed the basis of ATI's consumer and professional products for three years afterward.