Tegra 2 Makes Nvidia My New Favorite Mobile Company

Nvidia's move in mobile makes me think of a BASF commercial that runs in the US. Its tag line is something along the line of ""We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better".

That's what comes to mind when at the CES and Nvidia's new Tegra 2 chip. So, keep in mind of this when you get your tablet or slate this year.

As for whether Apple's iTablet will use it or not (I'm guessing not), I might end up with something that uses Tegra 2 regardless. Why? Just because it's it come a lot of things that I as a mobile warrior would want if I don't carry my Macbook with me.

And it's too bad too since I'm going on a trip this weekend.

So, Nvidia, your mobile GPU can be sucky (and defective) but you made it up with this new mobile chip. I hope to see you leverage more of your GPU expertise in the the mobile market. I think you can give Intel a major headache in this arena. I'm in your corner.

Now, somebody make me a 10" tablet running Android 2.1 using Tegra 2, and I'll buy it in an instant!

More about Tegra later.

Intel To Increase Integrated Graphics Performance, Says To Forget The Past

950.  X3000.  Now, X4500.  Those are the designations for Intel's IGP that occupies millions of desktops and laptops.  And to be sure, it's nothing to write home about.  For the record, I've got a 950 in my first generation Mac Mini.  Needless to say, it was not the whopping red hot graphics performance that I bought the Mini for (I'm being sarcastic about the graphics performance).

I've held of getting another Mac until Apple put the powerful 9400M in the Macbooks on the low-end.  It took three years of waiting but it was worth it.  Now, Intel is saying that they're getting back into the race and unlike previous promises, this is one they intend to keep about performance.

I like how Reg Hardware put it:  the faint praise of critics saying it sucks less than the previous one did.  So what makes Intel so confident this time around?  Well, perhaps it's because we mobile warriors are always pulling for the underdog.  Yes, in this segment of the market, Intel is considered the underdog.

• Called "Arrandale"
• CPU+GPU combo, duo-core
• 32nm processor; GPU still 45nm
• New feature called Graphics Turbo - can overclock without overheating
• Support for Intel's Clear Video HD, allow for picture-in-picture in HD
• Support for DirectX 10 but no 11
• Arrives in the 4th quarter

So, there you have it.  There's more meat for you to chew on at Reg Hardware.  I'm taking this with a grain of salt and seriously hope Intel can light up the integrated graphics market on fire.  Watching Nvidia and AMD duking it out is getting old.  Intel's not even in the mid-range to high-end market.

There are discussions over at Netbook Review forums about how Intel's new design will fare.

Intel promises we'll see results by 4th quarter.  Anandtech has the whole story.

Note:  I'll be back later once the dust clears and I'm able to put it in terms on Intel's 4th quarter mobile plans for us.

Intel To Lock Out Nvidia From Atom And Netbooks

Let's hear from the legal mobile warriors on this issue.  According to Digitimes, Nvidia wants to offer the 9400M GPU with Atom to make for more powerful netbooks.  Netbooks capable of playing games and HD content.

You say that's great.  Me too.  Except that Intel is making sure that Atom is only sold with its own chipsets, meaning all those sucky integrated graphic processors.  Okay, sucky is too strong a word.  Intel's IGP works and if you know what it's capable of, there should be no complaints about it.  If you want better graphics, there are other solutions out there from AMD and Nvidia.

Nvidia is offering their own custom solution dubbed "Ion" which marries Atom with its 9400M GPU.  Such a combo would offer a great deal for mobile warriors.  Imagine playing a lot of today's games and HD video.  the 9400M first appeared in Apple's new Macbook lines in the fall.  So far, the Mac folks only have good things to say about it.

But without Intel's cooperation, Ion would not be possible as Intel made sure to remind netbook makers Atom and its 945 chipset (very very old) are married together.  No exceptions.

So, what now?  Well, Intel has been the subject of many anti-trust and anti-competitive lawsuits and complaints in the past.  I can't say this is where its headed and I can't say if Intel is doing the right thing or not.  Certainly, mobile users will be stuck with a slower graphic solution with Intel's 945 chipset.  But we are talking about netbooks here, not Alienware or Macbooks.

Still, it sucks.  Impact on mobile users?  Well, either Intel opens up or Nvidia says "fine, I'll go make my own chips.  See if I care".  Now, that could take a whole.  Years down the road if Nvidia designs its own CPU.  But it also means competition in the marketplace and could very well force Intel to get more serious about graphic cards.

Since Apple switched over to using Intel CPUs, it had been using Intel's integrated graphics solutions.  It was not until this fall the new Macbooks sport Nvidia's 9400M GPU and forgo Intel's X4500 offerings.

Via Digitimes , Gizmodo

Must Read: Nvidia 9400M Rocks!

Here's a tip.  Rather, it's a recommendation.  Don't get anything with Intel chipsets if you're in the market for a laptop with a sufficient gaming potential.

Last week, Macworld brought us some benchmarks including one set for Quake.

Today, they brought us additional numbers for Doom 3, UT, Call of Duty, and, of course, Quake.  It's for the Macbooks but more specifically, it speaks about the engineering prowess of Nvidia and how it succumb to Steve Jobs' reality distortion force.

Anyway, if you just want the gist of it.  Here it it.  9400M rocks.  If you're looking for a notebook with aintegrated graphic processor, this is the one to get right now.  As far as I know, it's available for only the Macbook right now but it'll trickle out for others eventually.

Look for the intepretations at On Apple for more.

Note:  I have to say that the Mac system requirements does not translate directly over the PC.  For example, Spore plays on the G945 but not on the Mac.  And to be fair, XP systems (not sure about Vista) are better suited for gaming, generally coming in with better numbers.

Another Note: Barefeats as additional benchmarks waiting you.  Go now!

Saturday Mobile Headliners - White Spaces and Nvidia Mobile GPU

First up, white spaces update.

As expected, broadcasters have asked the Federal Communications Commission to hold back the vote on use of white spaces for broadband access.  Earlier in the week, we discussed with excitement about the FCC finding that white spaces can be used to provide wireless broadband with limited (we could have "no" but that would not be accurate) interference.

I'm sure there are things that still must be worked out but if the FCC, which I regardless as somewhat evil at times, thinks this can work, heck, talk is over.  Let's get this game started!

Still, I do agree broadcast concerns should be addressed.  Nevertheless, I doubt the FCC went ahead and endorse white spaces without input from them.

Source:  NY Times 

Nvidia's New 9400M:

Now, something very exciting may be going on with respect to using the GPU to help with video encoding.  Macrumors has posted a report from an user (now with more confirmations) that when playing 1080p trailers, the new Macbook was able to handle the video with the CPU not having to work as hard as an older Macbook Pro.

The main different here as far as anyone can tell is the Nvidia chipset.  Speculations in the forum now is that a special version of Leopard, the current name for the Mac OS 10.5, along with the GPU allows HD video to be played without taxing the CPU as hard as older Macs.  If true, many, not only Mac machines, will benefit from this new architecture.  

An user from the Macrumors forum said, "also, of note, playing the same H.264 trailer on a Quad Core (2.66GHz, 12MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB) produces 40-50% CPU usage, whereas the MacBook Pro produces 100-110% CPU usage and the MacBook does not exceed 20% CPU usage".

Keep in mind this is far from a confirmation.  While it may be argued that if this development is true, Steve Jobs and Apple would have made this announcement at last week's unveiling of the new Macs.  We're keeping an eye on this development.  Apple's forthcoming OS update, Snow Leopard, boasts the ability to use OpenCL to make certain processes faster with the help of the GPU.  Also, Nvidia has heavily promoted CUDA.

Stay tuned as we monitor this welcoming news, if true.

Source:  Macrumors

Apple Did Right With Nvidia Chipsets

By now, you know the new Macbooks sport Nvidia's newest chipsets with an integrated graphic processors. According to Anandtech, it was a good choice.

While they took at look at the GeForce 9300, they did compare it to AMD and Intel's own offerings along with the 9400.  Now, keep in mind their tests are based on desktop motherboards, you can still draw some conclusions and apply it to their mobile siblings.

Early, we brought you Apple's own numbers .  Biased, right?  You judge.

• 9400 (39.5 FPS) was 5.7 times faster over Intel's G45 playing Enemy Territory at 1024x768 resolution
• 9400 (47.7 FPS) was 1.9 times faster over Intel's G45 playing Company of Heroes at 1024x768 resolution
• 9400 (30.1 FPS) was 3.2 times faster over Intel's G45 playing Crysis at 1024x768 resolution (low quality)
  

Okay, so maybe Apple did not fudge the numbers.  As you can see, from just some of the gaming test results Anandtech provided, as far as graphic use goes, it is definitely an improvement over what they could have used from Intel.  I avoided the G35 because that's just last year's news.

But look at these Macbooks and after some time to digest the information, I'm more than convinced that Apple has targeted the white Macbooks at consumers.  But if you look at the general performance, the white Macbooks, admittedly slower, it more than holds its own against its newer siblings.  

The aluminum Macbooks offer the choice for some folks who want to occasionally use them for gaming.  And they are offered to as a choice to folks who aren't quite ready for the Macbook Pro but need a little more graphic power offered by the white Macbooks.  The prosumers, if you will (I hate that term, by the way).

Now, this also applies to non-Mac laptops that use the 9300M or 9400M.  You can't go wrong with Nvidia's new offerings.

Source:  Anandtech (Must Read)