
From niche graphics to the AI backbone of the modern world, Nvidia’s ascent reshapes computing.
Nvidia started as a graphics company but became a CPU competitor for a brief, misguided 1999 moment through bold Nvidia-IBM ARM alliance rumors.
In 1999, Nvidia shipped a GPU that cost more to manufacture than many early CPUs, redefining perception of gaming hardware value.
Nvidia’s CUDA, released in 2006, turned GPUs into general-purpose compute engines years before widespread AI boom, reshaping software ecosystems.
The company originally hired for 3D graphics, yet its most influential product line, the GPU, originated from a pivot to solve real-time rendering bottlenecks for video and science.

Nvidia started as a graphics company but became a CPU competitor for a brief, misguided 1999 moment through bold Nvidia-IBM ARM alliance rumors.
In 1999, Nvidia shipped a GPU that cost more to manufacture than many early CPUs, redefining perception of gaming hardware value.
Nvidia’s CUDA, released in 2006, turned GPUs into general-purpose compute engines years before widespread AI boom, reshaping software ecosystems.
The company originally hired for 3D graphics, yet its most influential product line, the GPU, originated from a pivot to solve real-time rendering bottlenecks for video and science.