Intel Drives Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) Interface Specification For High-Performance Workstation Market Segment

AGP Pro, Part of Upcoming AGP Interface Specification Rev 2.0, Gains Support From Leading Workstation OEMs and Graphics Vendors

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 6, 1998 – Intel Corporation today announced it is working with industry-leading workstation OEMs and graphics vendors on a new graphics specification designed to extend the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) interface specification to meet advanced workstation graphics needs.

The new specification, AGP Pro, is expected to deliver up to four times the electrical power of today's AGP interface specification. It includes an enhanced connector, improved cooling system, form factor specifications such as graphics card size, and layout specifications to meet the demands of workstation graphics users on both IA-32 and IA-64™ platforms. The new specification will be supported in both AGP 2X and AGP4X modes.

AGP Pro includes advanced capabilities such as high-performance single and multiple-image display, integrated video and 3-D functionality, and advanced realism. These features will significantly improve performance for users of simulation, mechanical CAD, financial modeling and digital content creation applications.

"The AGP Pro specification is another indication of Intel's focus on the workstation market," said Anand Chandrasekher, general manager of Intel's Workstation Products Division. "Through this effort and others, we are enabling workstation OEMs and graphics vendors to deliver the best performance on the Intel Architecture."

AGP Pro has been gathering support from leading workstation OEMs including Compaq, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Siemens-Nixdorf, as well as from high-performance graphics component manufacturers such as Evans & Sutherland, Dynamic Pictures and 3DLabs.

Intel expects to make public the AGP Pro specification during the second quarter of 1998 as an addendum to part of the AGP Interface Specification Rev 2.0. As with AGP 1.0, Intel will also drive the associated interoperability forums for the industry.

Support from PC Manufacturers
"Compaq is pleased to be working with Intel to develop the AGP Pro specification," said Les Crudele, vice president and general manager of Compaq's workstation division. "As with our Highly Parallel System Architecture, the extension of the AGP specification will help Compaq deliver high-performance solutions based on industry standards to our workstation customers."

"HP, with our leadership workstation market position and graphics technology, is supporting this specification," said Jean Charles Miard, general manager of the workstation division at Hewlett-Packard. "AGP Pro will enable HP to break performance barriers and add features that will allow us to extend our leadership position in the workstation market."

"Power is the key to unleashing graphics performance and functionality on the AGP bus," said Dr. Bernd Kosh, director of the Workstation Technology Center, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG. "Implementing AGP Pro will enhance the performance of our already leading workstation products."

Support from High-End Workstation Graphics Vendors
"We have been working closely with Intel on a number of fronts to develop advanced workstation graphics processors compatible with future generations of the Intel Architecture," said Osman Kent, CEO and CTO of 3Dlabs. "Intel's advancements in workstation power supply design provide a key building block for professional graphics workstations based on AGP 4X."

"As the quest for increased functionality for graphics add-in cards continues, we are delighted that Intel continues to lead the field by providing leading-edge power-handling capabilities to the already exciting AGP 4X specification," said Brian Kelleher, CTO of Dynamic Pictures, Inc. "Having had a long-term relationship with Intel, Dynamic Pictures is committed to delivering graphics solutions that fully support this new specification."

"Our collaboration with Intel continues to provide a pathway for excellence in graphics for the demanding workstation market," said Rick Maule, vice president and general manager of the Desktop Graphics Division at Evans & Sutherland. "The addition of AGP Pro's power capacity makes possible greater performance and richer feature sets in our REALimage technology graphics products. We already have plans to use this key enabling feature to push graphics power well beyond today's most powerful graphics subsystems."

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