Intel’s recently launched Sandy Bridge platform does not support DX11. So, you can either wait for the next-gen Ivy Bridge, go Fusion (AMD), or buy a laptop that pairs Intel’s chipset with a discrete GPU.
Why doesn’t Sandy Bridge support DX11 gaming, you ask?
Well, Intel VP Mooly Eden told IDG News that the company didn’t feel the need to integrate DX11 capabilities into the Sandy Bridge chipset, as “few” applications current exploit the graphics technology.
“When we look at the schedule, we didn’t think it was… the right time,” explained Eden.
“[Because] there’s [really] not much usage.”
Of course, as Agam Shah notes, Intel’s decision to forego DX11 (for the mobile-oriented Sandy Bridge) puts the chip giant a “full generation” behind AMD on DirectX technology.
“AMD has already implemented DirectX 11 in its Fusion low-power chips, which were officially announced on Tuesday,” writes Shah.
“Like Intel’s most recent chips, the Fusion chips combine the graphics processor and CPU in a single piece of silicon.”
According to Eden, Intel will manufacture its future Ivy Bridge chips using a 22-nanometer manufacturing process.
The Ivy Bridge chips are expected to be smaller, while sipping less power than Sandy Bridge processors, which are made using a 32-nm process.
Ivy Bridge will be shipped to OEMs later this year.
