Yesterday saw the launch of the Riva TNT2 3D graphics processor from pretender to the gaming chip crown, nVidia. The Riva TNT2 combines 3D and 2D performance, the company said, giving 32-bit colour rendering, with a 32-bit Z-buffer and 32Mb frame buffer. Despite not being clocked as high as rival 3Dfx’ Voodoo3 chip, Nvidia claims its latest offering can still outperform the competition clock-for-clock. Technology review site Tom’s Hardware gave the TNT2 the thumbs-up. In his blockbuster review of the chip, Tom Pabst said: "They (Nvidia) promised me that TNT2 would be faster than Voodoo3 clock-for-clock. It turns out that NVIDIA kept another promise." In a market where you really are only as good as your last chip, Nvidia is gaining ground on its arch-rival, 3Dfx, with Pabst adding: "The days when 3Dfx was the performance leader in the 3D gaming scene are over now." Nvidia went through a successful IPO in January and soon after was able to report impressive results for its fourth quarter, ending 31 January. ®