PC gaming experienced a major inflection point today with the release of Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows 7 operating system, which creates the ultimate gaming platform when combined with NVIDIA GeForce graphics processing units (GPUs).

“New advances in parallel computing, physics, and, stereoscopic 3D have amplified the importance of the GPU,” said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft. “These advances, combined with Windows 7, DirectX 11, and DirectCompute will transform PC gaming for years to come.”

A Windows 7 PC powered by NVIDIA GeForce GPUs will feature technologies that provide an unprecedented level of immersion that make gaming more rewarding than ever, including:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision™ technology turns a 2D world into a fully immersive stereoscopic 3D experience. Characters and objects appear to have real depth and literally jump out of the screen.
• NVIDIA PhysX™ engine turns a static world into a dynamic world that comes to life. Walls can be torn down, with realistic effect. Glass can be shattered. Trees bend in the wind. Water flows with body and force.
• NVIDIA SLI™ technology allows the highest quality and fastest frame rates by combining multiple GeForce GPUs in a PC. On average, SLI technology is up to 15% faster on Windows 7 than on previous Windows operating systems.
• Microsoft DirectCompute, a new application program interface (API) for GPU computing, will allow game developers to introduce new visual effects with fewer compromises to performance. Applications include image post-processing, shading & lighting effects, and artificial intelligence.
• Microsoft DirectX 11, the next-generation Direct3D API, will enable game developers to take advantage of NVIDIA’s next generation GPU architecture, codenamed “Fermi”, and create advanced visual effects for upcoming 2010 gaming titles.

“Despite rumors to the contrary, research shows that PC gaming is growing at a rapid pace and NVIDIA is the torchbearer for PC gaming,” said Jon Peddie, principal analyst for Jon Peddie Research. “Superior graphics, stereoscopic 3D, and advanced physics are features that differentiate the NVIDIA GeForce gaming experience from gaming consoles and other PC components.”

For more information on Windows 7 and NVIDIA GPUs visit http://www.nvidia.com/windows7.