Graphics chip maker 3D Labs has tweaked the driver behind its Wildcat graphics processor to improve performance on AMD Athlon MP-based systems.

3D Labs' new driver supports all four cards in the Wildcat range. It takes advantage of the Athlon's 3D Now! SSE-compatible instruction set and Smart MP, AMD's multi-processing chip-to-chip communications system.

AMD is not surprisingly pleased by the move, which it hopes will boost its chip's appeal to designers of graphics workstations. After all, it's not exactly over-burdened with companies keen to buy the Athlon MP. Not that AMD necessarily expected the chip to be an instant hit, but it needs support from workstation-oriented companies like 3D Labs if it's to persuade the world that its high-end chips are viable alternatives to established Intel and Risc parts.

The Windows 2000 Wildcat driver are expected to ship later this month, 3D Labs said. A Windows NT version will follow by the end of the quarter. ®

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