NEC PowerVR SG 07 Jul 1998
An unofficial PVRSG FAQ at PVR-net.
PVRNet has stuck a snazzy tech. article up on NEC/PowerVR's next-generation PowerVR Second Generation chip. Quite a bit of info on one of many upcoming 2D/3D combos. (from VoodooExtreme)
An interview with Trevor Wing on CombatSim
NEC PowerVR Next Generation or the PVRSG for ‘second generation’, has specifications as impressive as the TnT. This is the first chip to do full geometry and texture setup in hardware, offloading a great deal of work from the CPU. It also has a texture compression feature. Was demonstrated at trade shows to very enthusiastic fans of the Voodoo2, and won them over. It may ship as early as late-May or June, for about $150 (8 MB) to $200 (16 MB). Like the PowerVR/PCX2, it is a 3D only add-on card that uses your current 2D card for frame buffer storage. It will also sell in a 2D/3D combination card, like the Voodoo Rush is sold.
From NEC:
PowerVR Second-Generation technology achieves industry-leading performance by incorporating a number of design attributes:
On-chip setup offloads polygon and texture shading setup from the CPU, resulting in an overall performance increase. On-chip hidden-surface removal, one of the PowerVR architecture’s most significant differentiators, eliminates memory bottlenecks, reducing 3D memory requirements and delivering market-leading price/performance.
Dramatic improvements in 3D image quality include:
- Perspective-correct ARGB Gouraud shading
- Specular highlights with offset color
- Unified frame buffer and texture memory for environmental mapping
- 32-bit floating-point hidden surface removal accuracy
- High resolutions up to 1600x1200 at true color (24-bit)
- Full-scene anti-aliasing using image super sampling
In addition, the PowerVR Second-Generation technology supports texture compression and a wide range of texture, filtering and blending modes, as well as advanced realism features, such as bump mapping and special effect volumes.