Genoa to Show New 70-Hz Graphics Adapters
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Genoa Systems has developed new graphics adapters that the
company says are the first to offer 70-Hz refresh rates in
standard VGA mode (640 x 480) and under. The 70-Hz rate means a
"more stable," flicker-free display with better picture quality,
Genoa says. The company will be showing its model 6000 series of
four SuperVGA graphics adapters at Fall Comdex this month.
 
You must have a multifrequency monitor (like the NEC MultiSync)
to see the benefits of 70 Hz. "From across the room you can't
tell the difference between 60 and 70 Hz, but if you sit in front
of the monitor, 70 Hz means fewer headaches," Genoa Systems
spokesperson Betty Chin told Microbytes Daily.
 
The top-of-the-line adapter is the Model 6600 ($549), designed
specifically for IBM's PS/2 Micro Channel. It offers full
noninterlaced 1024 x 768 resolution with 16 colors, or 800 x 600,
640 x 480, or 640 x 350 resolution with 256 colors. Genoa claims
the Model 6600 is the only MCA graphics adapter to offer the
70-Hz refresh rate.
 
Genoa will also show its new SuperVGA ASIC chip, which supports
the 70-Hz refresh rate in normal VGA mode on multifrequency
monitors. The chip features a high clock rate of up to 65 MHz,
enabling it to provide 1024 x 728 resolution with 4 colors or 4
shades of gray with a single bank of memory (256K), according to
Genoa. The chip is the first product to implement the newly
formulated Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA)
technical standards for Super VGA performance, and Genoa Systems
hopes its new graphics boards and ASIC chip set the "70-Hz VGA
standard."
 
The adapters are priced from $249 to $549. The SuperVGA ASIC chip
is $30 each in OEM quantities.
 
Contact: Genoa Systems, 75 E. Trimble Rd., San Jose, CA 95131;
(408) 432-9090; fax (408) 434-0997.
 
                              --- Jeffrey Bertolucci
 
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