ATI Drives New Levels of Performance and Ease of Use for Gaming, Video and Mobility
Catalyst 5.6 provides something for everyone with powerful new features and performance for gamers, video enthusiasts and notebook PC users
ATI Technologies Inc., (NASDAQ:ATYT) (TSX:ATY), a leader in graphics and media processors, today announced the release of a major upgrade to Catalyst, ATI's comprehensive software suite that enhances the company's portfolio of high-performance graphics processors. The publicly available Catalyst 5.6 represents a number of firsts in graphics software including a real-time video preview with on-the-fly adjustments, monthly software upgrades for notebook PCs and plug-and-play HDTV connectivity. Addressing a range of market segments and user needs, Catalyst 5.6 delivers on a commitment to offer certified software with the highest levels of stability, performance and ease of use.
"With the launch of Catalyst 5.6 we take software innovation to the next level, broadening our footprint to support notebook PCs and defining a new standard for video control and usability," said Ben Bar-Haim, Vice President, Software, ATI Technologies. "The new features in Catalyst 5.6 combined with an ongoing monthly commitment to deliver high-performance WHQL-certified drivers present a unique software proposition that is unmatched in the graphics industry."
Mobile Catalyst
Power notebook users have long lacked the ability to update drivers at the same pace as their desktop counterparts. With the release of Catalyst Mobility notebook users will now have access to monthly driver updates, ensuring the best levels of game performance and application compatibility. Catalyst Mobility delivers the same full feature-set as desktop, along with all of ATI's mobile-specific power management options. The initial launch of Catalyst Mobility will support Mobility Radeon X700 and Mobility Radeon X800 with more products to follow in the coming months. Catalyst Mobility will be supported by industry leading ODMs and system builders, including Alienware, Arima, Clevo, Eurocom, Falcon Northwest, Mitac, rockdirect, Uniwill and Voodoo PC.
"The market for gaming notebooks continues to enjoy strong growth with users demanding performance and features that rival today's high end desktop PCs," said Patrick Cooper, Director of Product Management for Alienware. "Catalyst Mobility provides Alienware notebooks with an important tool to ensure that gamers have an experience that is second-to-none and get to enjoy the latest games and applications with optimal performance."
Video Control Redefined
ATI has long been a pioneer and leader in video on the PC and with the release of Catalyst 5.6 this is taken to the next level. Now users can make simplified on-the-fly adjustments to their video quality and see the results instantly through a real-time video preview. The novice user benefits from a set up wizard that automatically detects and optimizes for the best video quality. Enthusiast users can access more advanced setup options to easily control features like de-interlacing, hue and gamma. In addition HDTV users have an improved user experience with a simplified connection wizard for plug-and-play HD connectivity. Video playback efficiency also sees a noticeable improvement with the addition of WMV9 acceleration.
High Performance Gaming
Gamers also reap substantial benefits from Catalyst 5.6 with sizable performance improvements in some of today's most popular games including Doom 3, Chronicles of Riddick and Halo.
Additional benefits in Catalyst 5.6 include All-in-Wonder support for Windows MCE 2005 and a new Linux installer for simpler and more intuitive driver installation for open source uses.
ATI users can download and enjoy the immediate benefits of Catalyst 5.6 at www.ati.com.
"With the launch of Catalyst 5.6 we take software innovation to the next level, broadening our footprint to support notebook PCs and defining a new standard for video control and usability," said Ben Bar-Haim, Vice President, Software, ATI Technologies. "The new features in Catalyst 5.6 combined with an ongoing monthly commitment to deliver high-performance WHQL-certified drivers present a unique software proposition that is unmatched in the graphics industry."
Mobile Catalyst
Power notebook users have long lacked the ability to update drivers at the same pace as their desktop counterparts. With the release of Catalyst Mobility notebook users will now have access to monthly driver updates, ensuring the best levels of game performance and application compatibility. Catalyst Mobility delivers the same full feature-set as desktop, along with all of ATI's mobile-specific power management options. The initial launch of Catalyst Mobility will support Mobility Radeon X700 and Mobility Radeon X800 with more products to follow in the coming months. Catalyst Mobility will be supported by industry leading ODMs and system builders, including Alienware, Arima, Clevo, Eurocom, Falcon Northwest, Mitac, rockdirect, Uniwill and Voodoo PC.
"The market for gaming notebooks continues to enjoy strong growth with users demanding performance and features that rival today's high end desktop PCs," said Patrick Cooper, Director of Product Management for Alienware. "Catalyst Mobility provides Alienware notebooks with an important tool to ensure that gamers have an experience that is second-to-none and get to enjoy the latest games and applications with optimal performance."
Video Control Redefined
ATI has long been a pioneer and leader in video on the PC and with the release of Catalyst 5.6 this is taken to the next level. Now users can make simplified on-the-fly adjustments to their video quality and see the results instantly through a real-time video preview. The novice user benefits from a set up wizard that automatically detects and optimizes for the best video quality. Enthusiast users can access more advanced setup options to easily control features like de-interlacing, hue and gamma. In addition HDTV users have an improved user experience with a simplified connection wizard for plug-and-play HD connectivity. Video playback efficiency also sees a noticeable improvement with the addition of WMV9 acceleration.
High Performance Gaming
Gamers also reap substantial benefits from Catalyst 5.6 with sizable performance improvements in some of today's most popular games including Doom 3, Chronicles of Riddick and Halo.
Additional benefits in Catalyst 5.6 include All-in-Wonder support for Windows MCE 2005 and a new Linux installer for simpler and more intuitive driver installation for open source uses.
ATI users can download and enjoy the immediate benefits of Catalyst 5.6 at www.ati.com.
