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S3 Jumps On GPGPU Bandwagon

Posted by Soulskill on from the trying-to-get-their-groove-back dept.

arcticstoat writes "It's sometimes easy to forget that the PC graphics market isn't owned by ATI and Nvidia, and the company that first gave us 3D acceleration, S3, is very much still around. So much so, in fact, that it's now even developed its own GPGPU technology. S3 claims that its Chrome 400 chips can accelerate gaming physics, HD video transcoding/encoding and photo enhancement. To demonstrate the latter, S3 has released a free download called S3FotoPro, which enhances color clarity and reduces haze in photos. However, the company hasn't yet revealed whether it plans to support OpenCL in the future." The Tech Report also points out that this could allow S3's parent company, VIA, to compete with Intel and AMD in graphics processing technology.

9 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. S3 by crawly · · Score: 3, Funny

    I vaguely remember them, and here I though they had gone out of business.

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  2. Re:what by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    How is enhancing photos the business of a central processing unit? That can be done in hardware acceleration at incredible speeds without software.

  3. Re:what by larry+bagina · · Score: 1, Funny

    how is enhancing photos the business of a computer? That can be done with professional equipment and professional lighting.

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    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  4. Re:not the first time we hear that S3 can compete. by rhyder128k · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey, give them a chance. If their excellent 3D graphics chipsets are anything to go by this could give you the power of a 386 processor ON YOUR DESKTOP! Imagine it: DooM running in practically real-time. This baby could render the teapot POV example in 3/4 mins rather than the hours it would take on the older XT class machine.

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    Michael Reed, freelance tech writer.
  5. Re:not the first time we hear that S3 can compete. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    normal stores like Best Buy?

    America really has gone downhill.

  6. Re:what by MadnessASAP · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hos is enhancing photos the buisness of professional equipment and lighting? That can be done with a few lenses, a cheap pen light and some cardboard.

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  7. Re:what by slimjim8094 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm fairly sure that's what he said. He even specifically mentioned photoshop

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  8. Re:Easy to forget by omuls+are+tasty · · Score: 2, Funny

    And they have some of the easiest Linux support.

    That surely explains their 60% market share

  9. Re:what by Fred_A · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or you can just squint a bit, or step back a little. Cheap and fast and used to work just as well.

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