ArtX
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Semiconductor design |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Wei Yen, David Orton (leadership) |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Fate | Acquired by ATI Technologies |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Wei Yen, David Orton |
| Products | Flipper graphics chip |
ArtX was a semiconductor design firm established in 1997 by a group of 20 former Silicon Graphics engineers, with leadership from Wei Yen and David Orton. The company focused on creating high-performance yet affordable graphics processors tailored for the IBM PC compatible sector, aiming to rival competitors such as 3dfx and Nvidia. ArtX is notably recognized for engineering the Flipper graphics chip, which powered Nintendo's GameCube gaming console. In 2000, ATI Technologies acquired ArtX, integrating its technology as the cornerstone of ATI’s Radeon GPU series, a legacy that persisted following AMD’s acquisition of ATI in 2006.
History
Towards the end of 1997, Silicon Graphics initiated a non-compete legal action against ArtX, accusing the company of improperly using proprietary information; however, this lawsuit was withdrawn in 1998.
By May 1998, ArtX had secured a development agreement with Nintendo to produce both the system logic and the graphics processor known as Flipper for Nintendo’s upcoming console initially codenamed "Dolphin," which was later launched as the GameCube in 2001. Howard Lincoln, chairman of Nintendo of America, commended Wei Yen’s leadership at ArtX and described the team as among the world’s top experts in 3D graphics engineering.
At COMDEX in late 1999, ArtX introduced its inaugural integrated graphics chipset featuring an embedded geometry engine. This chipset was incorporated into the Aladdin 7 northbridge chipset marketed by Taiwan’s ALi Corporation.
In February 2000, ATI Technologies acquired ArtX through a stock transaction valued at $400 million. This move solidified ATI’s role as a key supplier for gaming consoles via its partnership with Nintendo, highlighting the GameCube’s sophisticated 128-bit graphics system architecture. Furthermore, ArtX’s innovations formed the foundation for ATI’s R300 graphics processor (Radeon 9700), which influenced both consumer and professional GPU products in subsequent years.