Matrox G200 graphics chip celebrates 20th anniversary

Matrox is a company we hear little about these days. The firm has long lost the graphics race against NVIDIA and AMD, and is currently operating in a couple of niche markets where it can still offer value.

Interestingly, the company announced yesterday that its G200 series is now 20 years old. Matrox says this chip is still used for the majoriry of baseboard management controllers used in servers:

Matrox® Graphics Inc. is pleased to announce the 20-year anniversary of its Matrox G200 graphics chip. The milestone celebrates two decades of dedicated, active software development and support for multiple technology nodes across countless Microsoft® Windows® and Linux® operating systems. Developed for 2D, 3D, and video acceleration, the G200 powered a number of industry-first, graphics and multi-monitor-based product lines that delivered unprecedented image quality across one or more displays. Today, G200 is and remains the trusted and preeminent integrated graphics solution of choice for the majority of baseboard management controllers used in servers worldwide.

Matrox G200 instituted a new graphics standard in multi-display computing for a wide range of corporate, government, industrial, and end-user applications. It is widely recognized as the driving force behind the high-end professional 2D workstation phenomenon. By focusing on high-quality, Windows desktop acceleration, Matrox established the precedent for image quality on analog cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors with unrivaled visual acuity. This became the benchmark behind a number of ground-breaking and award-winning innovations including:

MGA-G200: Revolutionary graphics chip for accelerating real-world 3D applications ranging from entry-level to mid-range CAD/animation packages to demanding industrial software to next-generation 3D games

Millennium G200: First quad-monitor graphics card for high-performance corporate, government, and industrial applications

Mystique G200: Leading add-in board with display plus television support for small office and home entertainment setups

Marvel G200: Multi-functional add-in card with display, video capture I/O, and television input functionality for advanced non-linear editing systems

G200 IP licensing: Distinguished IP cores and drivers delivering industry-leading reliability and performance in servers, plus video appliances, mobile internet devices, and more

“We are fiercely proud of providing the industry with trusted, field-proven, long-life technologies that have inspired real solutions for real-world applications,” says David Chiappini, VP of research and development, Matrox Graphics Inc. “It’s exciting to see Matrox G200 celebrate a 20-year anniversary—an achievement that speaks volumes of the unwavering and long-term commitment and support that we offer to our partners and customers.”