Graphics cards based on visual processing units from ATI Technologies were installed in 17% more personal computers of computer enthusiasts polled by X-bit labs during the recently released results of a survey.

According to a poll by X-bit labs, around 56% of users had ‘Powered by ATI’ graphics cards inside their PCs. NVIDIA GeForce-based graphics cards were found in 39% of personal computers used by readers of X-bit labs web-site. 2% of surveyed use integrated graphics solutions by companies like Intel Corp., NVIDIA Corp., SiS and ATI Technologies. Graphics cards based on graphics processors from Matrox Graphics, S3 Graphics, XGI Technology and others were found in 2.6% of readers who answered X-bit labs question.

X-bit labs believes that ATI’s success should be attributed to extreme performance provided by RADEON 9800- and RADEON X800-series visual processing units. Still, 56% may be considered as a slip for Markham, Ontario-based ATI. About a year ago ATI was regarded as the best graphics processors designer in 2003 by 81% of X-bit labs readers, which might herald ATI’s higher installation base in enthusiasts’ computers. About 25% difference between the polls may be attributed to NVIDIA win in benchmarks of the popular game Doom III. The trend  towards NVIDIA’s hardware is not obvious, as ATI’s hardware is likely to score higher than NVIDIA’s GPUs in another highly-anticipated game – Half-Life 2 – scheduled for November 16, 2004, launch.

Recently released research from Mercury Research show that for the first time for a long time Markham, Ontario-based ATI Technologies managed to leave NVIDIA behind in terms of market share in desktop standalone market segment. Currently ATI commands 55% of the market, up 17% from the previous quarter. NVIDIA supplied 42% of graphics chips for desktops during the Q3 2004, down 16% from the previous quarter.

However, NVIDIA managed to ship approximately 1.5 million of high-end DirectX 9.0 visual processing units during the third quarter of the year, which is 64% of the whole high-end market during the quarter. ATI Technologies, in contrast, supplied around 800 thousand of high-end DirectX 9.0 high-end graphics processors, which is 36% of the market. A quarter earlier NVIDIA’s share was only 26%. Among 63.8 million of mainstream and value DirectX 9.0 GPUs market share commanded by NVIDIA was also slightly higher compared to ATI’s: 51% versus 49%.

X-bit labs readers are technically savvy and typically make balanced purchase decisions based on in-depth investigation of technology and observing various benchmarks. The X-bit labs poll has surveyed about 5.5 thousand of respondents among technology enthusiasts starting Monday, October 25, 2004.