NVIDIA Gets in the Game
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008It’s never been disputed in my mind that NVIDIA is the champion of the graphics world. In 2001, I upgraded my “Frankenstein” computer (made from all kinds of other computers and new parts) from the Intel integrated graphics to a whopping 64 MB NVIDIA GeForce2 graphics card. It had S-Video AND composite out along with VGA. Okay, so it’s pretty lame now, but back then it was better than anything the guys in Beuttler Up had. I have never been a fan of ATI graphics, and the company’s merger with AMD only further disenfranchises ATI’s clout in my mind.
Alright, enough with the background - here’s the real news: NVIDIA has announced their new mobile graphic chipset, dubbed Tegra. The Tegra chips, which are “smaller than a US dime,” allow 720p or up to 1080p video playback on a mobile internet device. Essentially, we are looking at a complete revolution of mobile graphics that will make QVGA and 8-bit images the visuals of yesteryear and catapult us into mobile 3D functionality.
Not only for MIDs, the Tegra line also has provisions for phones! How about 720p HD movies on your phone? We are talking “ultra-low-power applications processor design” that will take your mobile experience to the next level without sacrificing battery life. I’m not expecting a 3D iPhone any time soon, but with tiny, power-sipping, dime-sized chips, I think we are at the beginning of an era.