NVIDIA Corporation today introduced two new product families that are sure to maintain the reign of the PC as the ultimate gaming platform. These new products families represent the hardware foundation that will allow users to start building their own definitive PC gaming platforms that take advantage of Microsoft’s DirectX 10 and Windows Vista.

The GeForce 8800 graphics processing unit (GPU) and the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI media and communications processor are designed specifically for Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors. In addition, the GeForce 8800 GPUs are the world’s first to support Microsoft DirectX 10, which will be introduced with Microsoft Windows Vista. More than 20 DirectX 10 titles have been developed to take advantage of next-generation NVIDIA GPUs.

“We set out to build the ultimate platform for PC gaming and high-definition video,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO at NVIDIA. “There is no better way to experience Windows Vista, DirectX 10, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray than with a PC powered by GeForce 8800 and nForce 680i SLI. Our announcement today is the culmination of four years of research and development and represents the biggest technological leap we have ever made. Gamers are going to be blown away.”

NVIDIA also announced today that it has started to design and manufacture its own line of enthusiast-class NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI-based motherboards. These boards are available through from leading retail outlets, system builders, and OEMS

These groundbreaking and budget-breaking announcements are sure to excite PC gaming enthusiasts around the world.