List of defunct graphics chips and card companies
Encyclopedia
During the 1980s and 1990s a relatively large number of companies appeared selling primarily 2D graphics cards and later 3D. Most of those companies have subsequently disappeared, as the increasing complexity of GPU
s substantially increased research and development costs. Many of these companies subsequently went bankrupt or were bought out. Intel and VIA Technologies
remain as producers of primarily integrated solutions, while Matrox
targets niche markets. Amongst the notable discrete graphics card vendors, ATI Technologies
- acquired by AMD
in 2006 and since renamed to AMD - and NVIDIA
are the only ones that have lasted.
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
s substantially increased research and development costs. Many of these companies subsequently went bankrupt or were bought out. Intel and VIA Technologies
VIA Technologies
VIA Technologies is a Taiwanese manufacturer of integrated circuits, mainly motherboard chipsets, CPUs, and memory, and is part of the Formosa Plastics Group. It is the world's largest independent manufacturer of motherboard chipsets...
remain as producers of primarily integrated solutions, while Matrox
Matrox
Matrox is a producer of video card components and equipment for personal computers. Based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada it was founded by Lorne Trottier and Branko Matić....
targets niche markets. Amongst the notable discrete graphics card vendors, ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
- acquired by AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
in 2006 and since renamed to AMD - and 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...
are the only ones that have lasted.
Defunct graphics chip makers
These companies designed graphics chips and cards.- 3Dfx3dfx3dfx 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...
- Assets were acquired by NVIDIANVIDIANvidia 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...
during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy - 3Dlabs3Dlabs3DLABS was the name of the fabless semiconductor company that originally developed the GLINT and PERMEDIA high-end graphics chip technology that was used on many of the worlds leading computer graphics cards in the CAD and DCC markets, including its own Wildcat and Oxygen cards.In 2006 the company...
- Merged with Creative Labs' personal entertainment division to form ZiiLABSZiiLABSZiiLABS is a global technology company, whose ZMS media-rich application processors, reference platforms and enabling software are designed to enable OEMs and ODMs to create products that target a range of low-power consumer electronics and embedded markets, including Android based tablets.-... - AgeiaAGEIAAgeia, founded in 2002, was a fabless semiconductor company. Ageia invented PhysX – a Physics Processing Unit chip capable of performing game physics calculations much faster than general purpose CPUs; they also licensed out the PhysX SDK , a large physics middleware library for game...
- acquired by NvidiaNVIDIANvidia 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... - Ark Logic
- ArtXArtXArtX 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...
- acquired by ATI TechnologiesATI TechnologiesATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro... - ATI TechnologiesATI TechnologiesATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
- merged into and renamed AMD - Avance Logic - acquired by RealtekRealtekRealtek Semiconductor Corp. , a fabless IC design house situated in the Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, was founded in October 1987, and subsequently approved as a listed company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1998...
- BitBoys - acquired by ATI Technologies
- Chips and TechnologiesChips and TechnologiesChips and Technologies was the first fabless semiconductor company, a model developed by its founder Gordon Campbell. Founded by Dado Banatao.Its first product was an EGA IBM compatible graphics chip...
- acquired by Intel - Chromatic ResearchChromatic ResearchChromatic Research Inc. was a company based in Mountain View, California that developed a multifunction multimedia device for PCs called the MPACT! The company was formerly known as Xenon Microsystems Corporation. Chromatic Research, Inc. was founded in 1993. The founders came from Kubota,...
- acquired by ATI Technologies - GigaPixel - acquired by 3Dfx3dfx3dfx 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...
- Gemini Technology - went bankrupt, acquired by Seiko EpsonSeiko Epson, commonly known as Epson, is a Japanese technology company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer printers, information and imaging related equipment...
to form the Vancouver Design Center - Headland Technologies - division of LSI Logic's Standard Products Group in late 1990s, assets sold to SPEA
- Hercules - no longer manufactures graphics cards
- IXMICRO - produced video cards for MacintoshMacintoshThe Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
and Macintosh cloneMacintosh cloneA Macintosh clone is a personal computer made by a manufacturer other than Apple, using Macintosh ROMs and system software.-Background:...
s - MOS TechnologyMOS TechnologyMOS Technology, Inc., also known as CSG , was a semiconductor design and fabrication company based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is most famous for its 6502 microprocessor, and various designs for Commodore International's range of home computers.-History:MOS Technology, Inc...
- produced the VIC and TED line of graphics chips, owned by Commodore InternationalCommodore InternationalCommodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
. - Number Nine Visual TechnologyNumber Nine Visual TechnologyNumber Nine Visual Technology Corporation was a manufacturer of video graphics chips and cards from 1982 to 1999. Number Nine developed the first 128-bit graphics processor , as well as the first 256-color and 16.8 million color cards....
(originally named Number Nine Computer Corp.) - pioneer in the graphics industry, developed 1st 128-bit graphics processor. Acquired by S3S3 GraphicsS3 Graphics, Ltd is an American company specializing in graphics chipsets. Although they do not have the large market share that they once had, they still produce graphics accelerators for home computers under the "S3 Chrome" brand name.-History:...
. - Oak TechnologyOak TechnologyOak Technology was a supplier of semiconductor chips for sound cards, graphics cards and optical storage devices such as CD-ROM, CD-RW and DVD. In 2003, it was acquired by Zoran Corporation....
- acquired by Zoran Corporation - OPTi Inc.OPTi Inc.OPTi Inc. was a semiconductor vendor that sold chipsets for the personal computer markets.The company was founded in 1989 and was based in Milpitas, California.During the early 1990s, OPTi...
- no longer makes graphics chips - Paradise Systems - acquired by Western DigitalWestern DigitalWestern Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
- RadiusRadius (computer)Radius was an American computer hardware firm founded in May 1986 by Burrell Smith, Andy Hertzfeld, Mike Boich, Matt Carter, Alain Rossmann and other members of the original Mac team specializing in Macintosh equipment....
- Made graphics solutions for Apple, out of business mid 1990s - RaycerRaycerRaycer is an integrated circuit company based in the United States. It was acquired by Apple Inc. on November 2, 1999....
- acquired by Apple ComputerApple ComputerApple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad... - Real3DReal3DReal3D, Inc. was a maker of arcade graphics boards, a spin-off from Lockheed Martin. The company made several 3D hardware designs that were used by Sega, the most widely used being the graphics hardware in the Sega Model 2 and Model 3 arcade systems. A partnership with Intel and SGI led to the...
- acquired by Intel - RenditionRendition (company)Rendition was a maker of 3D graphics chipsets in the mid- to late-90's. They were known for products such as the Vérité 1000 and Vérité 2x00 and for being one of the first 3D chipset makers to directly work with Quake developer John Carmack to make a hardware-accelerated version of the game ....
- acquired by Micron TechnologyMicron TechnologyMicron Technology, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Consumers may be more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial... - Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI) - Quit developing 3D graphics in-house in the early 2000s and bought GPUs from other companies. Later went completely out of business in 2009. Its assets were bought in the resulting Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Rackable Systems, which changed its name to Silicon Graphics InternationalSilicon Graphics InternationalSilicon Graphics International Corp. , is an American manufacturer of computer hardware and software, including high-performance computing solutions, x86-based servers for datacenter deployment, and visualization products...
. - Tseng LabsTseng LabsTseng Laboratories, Inc. was a maker of graphics chips and controllers for IBM PC compatibles, based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and founded by Jack H-N Tseng....
- sold their video chip assets to ATI Technologies in 1997 - Video 7 - merged with G2G2G2, G02, G.II, G II, or G-2 may refer to:-Media:* G2, The Guardian weekday supplement* Gladiators 2000, 1994 spinoff of American Gladiators-Fiction:...
to form Headland Technologies - Western Digital Imaging - combined efforts of Paradise Systems and Faraday Computing, bought by Western DigitalWestern DigitalWestern Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
and allowed to go out of business - Weitek CorporationWeitekWeitek Corporation was a chip-design company that originally concentrated on floating point units for a number of commercial CPU designs. During the early to mid-1980s, Weitek designs could be found powering a number of high-end designs and parallel processing supercomputers...
- maker of Power9000 brand of GPUs circa 1991-1994, bankrupt 1995
Defunct graphics card makers
- Appian GraphicsAppian GraphicsFounded in 1994, Appian Graphics was one of the leading suppliers of multi-monitor graphics accelerators.The company was famous for its Jeronimo and Gemini product lines, and for the HydraVision display management software....
- acquired by ATI Technologies - Artist Grapics - acquired by ATI Technologies
- BFG TechnologiesBFG TechnologiesBFG Technologies was a privately held U.S.-based supplier of power supplies and 3D video cards based on NVIDIA graphics technology and a manufacturer of high-end gaming/home theater computer systems. BFG Technologies branded products were available in North America and Europe at retailers and...
- undergoing liquidation - Boca Research - acquired by Zoom Telephonics
- Cardinal Technologies - bankrupt
- Genoa Systems - bankrupt
- Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. - acquired by ELSA Technology, Inc., then by Guillemot
- Media VisionMedia VisionMedia Vision was an American electronics manufacturer of primarily computer sound cards and CD-ROM kits, operating from 1990 to approximately 1995 in Fremont, California...
- bankrupt - Nth Graphics - bankrupt
- Orchid TechnologyOrchid TechnologyOrchid Technology was a privately held company founded by Le Nhon Bui in 1982. The company's original flagship product was its PCNet card, a 1 megabit-per-second LAN card for IBM PCs and clones. Notably, the acronym LAN is the Vietnamese word for "Orchid"...
- acquired by Micronics Computers, then by Diamond MultimediaDiamond MultimediaDiamond Multimedia is a company that specializes in many forms of multimedia technology. They have produced graphics cards, motherboards, modems, sound cards and MP3 players, however the company began with the production of the TrackStar, a PC add-on card which emulated Apple II computers... - Paradise Systems - acquired by Western DigitalWestern DigitalWestern Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
, then by PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, then de-emphasized - SPEA AG - German vendor in late 1990s, no longer in business
- STB Systems - acquired by 3Dfx3dfx3dfx 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...
in 1999
Other
The following companies are still in operation, but no longer design PC graphics chips:- Acer Laboratories IncorporatedAcer Laboratories IncorporatedAcer 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....
- focusing on design and manufacturing of integrated circuits for the personal computer and embedded systems - Cirrus LogicCirrus LogicCirrus Logic is a fabless semiconductor supplier specializing in analog, mixed-signal, and audio DSP integrated circuits . They are presently headquartered in Austin, Texas. Their audio processors and audio converters are found in many professional audio and consumer entertainment products,...
- sold their video chip assets - IIT Corp - reverted back to a video-conferencing solutions company, and then later a VOIP service provider
- PowerVRPowerVRPowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and Direct X, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration....
- focusing on mobile graphics technologies - RealtekRealtekRealtek Semiconductor Corp. , a fabless IC design house situated in the Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, was founded in October 1987, and subsequently approved as a listed company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1998...
- no longer makes graphics chips - Silicon Integrated SystemsSilicon Integrated SystemsSilicon Integrated Systems is a company that manufactures, among other things, motherboard chipsets. The company was founded in 1987 in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan.-Business:...
(SIS) - sold their video chip assets to XGI - Trident MicrosystemsTrident MicrosystemsTrident Microsystems is a supplier of display-processors for flat panel displays . At one time, Trident was also a supplier of PC graphics chipsets and sound controllers.- History :...
- sold their video chip assets to XGI - UMCUnited Microelectronics CorporationUMC was founded as Taiwan's first semiconductor company in 1980 as a spin-off of the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute .-Overview:...
- became a custom-only fab and discontinued all of their standard products in the late 1990s - Texas InstrumentsTexas InstrumentsTexas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
- withdrew from the computer market - XGI - focusing on embedded and mobile applications