Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 27, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Exceptional graphics quality, outstanding performance and application compatibility distinguish the new GeForce 9400 GT. Like every GPU in the GeForce 9 series, the new model is optimized for Windows Vista and supports NVIDIA CUDA technology. CUDA makes optimal use of the enormous parallel-processing power of the GPU’s numerous computing units to accelerate even the most complex calculations dramatically.
NVIDIA GeForce 9 is the broadest GPU series on the market, available from entry-level products to high-end powerhouses in nine variants: GeForce GTX 280, GeForce 9800 GX2, GeForce GTX 260, GeForce 9800 GTX+, GeForce 9800 GTX, GeForce 9800 GT, GeForce 9600 GT, GeForce 9500 GT and GeForce 9400 GT.
Numerous graphics-card manufacturers will use the GeForce 9400 GT in their products, including ASUS, BFG, Colorful, Emtek, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, PC Partner/Zotac, PNY, Point of View, Unika, Unitek and XFX.
“The GeForce 9400 GT is the ideal GPU for optimizing a computer for desktop applications,” said Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop products. “It lets users get the most from tools such as Google Earth, Microsoft 3D Maps and interactive plug-ins such as PicLens.”
NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards can be used for far more than gaming. Applications that are not primarily graphics-oriented but are computationally intensive can also be accelerated by the GPU and then run substantially faster than on the main processor. One example is Badaboom, developed by Elemental Technologies, which uses CUDA to convert video formats in record time.
The CUDA application Folding@home is another example from the steadily growing list of applications that use GPUs for non-graphics computing. The software used by Stanford University in California simulates protein folding on current NVIDIA graphics processors up to 140 times faster than on a traditional CPU. Researchers hope this will provide scientific insights that can help cure diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.