Sandy Bridge gets GeForced

PC vendors are poised to launch over 200 systems in the first half of 2011 that will feature Nvidia GeForce GPUs paired with next-gen Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs.

An Nvidia spokesperson told TG Daily that the Sandy Bridge-GeForce combo is expected to be deployed in a variety of notebooks and desktops manufactured by Acer, Alienware, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba.

“Demand for graphics processing power continues to grow, and computer makers are increasingly turning to Nvidia GeForce GPUs to deliver higher levels of performance not possible with integrated graphics on applications such as games, video editing, web browsing, and 3D movies,” the spokesperson explained.

“Unlike basic graphics integrated into Sandy Bridge CPUs, GeForce GPUs provide advanced features and increased compatibility for the latest PC games including those based on Microsoft DirectX 11.”

Key Nvidia GeForce GPU features include:

  • Full PhysX physics engine support.
  • CUDA architecture for GPU computing applications.
  • 3D Vision support.
  • Verde notebook drivers – optimize performance while ensuring overall system stability.
  • 3DTV Play software – allows users to connect 3D Vision-based notebooks and desktops to a 3D TV.



Meanwhile, industry analyst Rob Enderle noted that integrated graphics platforms have tradtionally performed poorly versus discrete GPUs. 



“Each year, the graphics performance of discrete GPUs increases by leaps and bounds ahead of integrated graphics. 


“In a market increasingly defined by ever more visual high definition products the value to consumers for discrete GPUs has never been greater and will only increase from here,” he added.