ATI Technologies Inc. is pulling the wraps off a new line of graphics chips for desktop computers on Tuesday, technology that works with PCI Express, a new high-speed computer connection standard. In the latest leg of a fiercely competitive race with arch rival Nvidia Corp., ATI is claiming technical superiority with its Radeon X800, Radeon X600 and Radeon X300, chips, which range from high-end to large volume, mainstream markets.
The stakes could be high as PC manufacturers move to incorporate PCI Express in coming months and then pick updated graphics cards. ATI worked on the chips for almost three years with Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , which is expected to announce its PCI Express chip set later in June, the first manufacturer to use the technology. "It is pushing the envelope because it is very complex technology," ATI chief executive Dave Orton told Reuters in an interview. "We wanted to line up the transition of our new products with the transition of this new interface."