NVIDIA, the global leader in programmable video processor technologies has released the cut price end of its award-winning NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series line up. Now including three new affordable graphics processing units (GPUs) that are compatible with high-res gaming, breath taking Microsoft® Windows VistaTM graphics and support for the incredible next-gen disc formats of HD DVD and Blu-ray video playback for virtually anyone on any budget.

The world’s first-top-to-bottom range of DirectX® 10 GPUs include:

1. NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS ­ $350-$460
2. NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT ­ $220-$280
3. NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT ­ $160-$200

These three new GPUs now join the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX and Geforce 8800 GTS completing the NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series product family.

NVIDIA should dramatically increase the installed base of DirectX 10 GPUs by making GeForce 8500 GT-based graphics cards available from price points starting around $150.

"DirectX® 10 means higher performance and better looking PC graphics," said Chris Donahue, group manager, games for Windows at Microsoft. "We are thrilled to see that NVIDIA has taken the first step to help application developers and end users adopt the newest 3D graphics API, by making DirectX® 10-compliant GPUs available from top-to-bottom for every type of desktop PC user." All three released cards now supports NVIDIA’s PureVideo™ HD technology which takes advantage of second-generation video-processing engine in the GeForce 8500 and Geforce 8600 GPUs to provide the premier-quality playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies on standard home PCs. The new adjustable video processing engine takes on the full high definition H.264HD video decoding, relieving the processor to carry out other tasks and reducing power consumption, heat and noise considerably. "Sony Pictures is enthusiastic about the ability to play Blu-ray movies on the PC," said Don Eklund, executive vice president, advanced technologies at Sony Pictures. "The new state-of-the-art NVIDIA GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8600 cards will enable consumers to enjoy Blu-ray movies on mainstream PCs."

Introducing the GeForce 8600 GTS and GeForce 8600 GT based video cards; NVIDIA is making possible next-generation graphics performance at price areas PC gamer’s love. The GeForce 8600 GPUs are perfect video solutions for the most recent NVIDIA nForce® 650i SLI™-based motherboards, which produce utmost gaming performance. The pairing of the nForce 650i mainboard and the GeForce 8600 GPU forms a hardware basis that permits pc consumers to construct their own dream PC-gaming platform, enabling high-resolution and elevated performance gaming, plus stellar high-definition visuals at costs that anyone can afford.

Designed for Windows Vista, Geforce 8500 GT cards are built for both general gamers and for non-gaming pc users, producing definitive HD videoplayback along with unprecedented point of graphics realism and performance gaming for around $150.