3D gaming, HD video coming to netbooks in 2009

By Jon Stokes

Netbook users rejoice: NVIDIA has announced plans to pair Intel's Atom processor with a real mobile GPU, the 9400M. It's no secret that Intel's integrated graphics processors stink across the board, and they're the biggest weakness in the company's ultramobile platform. But by pairing the Atom processor with a 9400M, NVIDIA will be able to offer users a mobile x86 platform that supports 1080p video decoding, dual-link DVI out, DirectX 10 graphics, CUDA, and OpenCL.

The entire platform should draw about 18W of power, which is in the same ballpark as the current Intel Atom platform (12 watts). Note that Ion will cut the number of chips in the Atom platform down from Intel's three-chip design (Atom + 945GSE + I/O hub) to just two chips (Atom + 9400M), but the 9400M is substantially more powerful as GPU and you can't get something for nothing.

Ion reference motherboard

At right is a picture of the PicoITX reference board that NVIDIA has been showing off to reviewers and the press. It's remarkable that such a small board can support a full Windows Vista install, 1080p playback, and 3D gaming. Indeed, this platform will make a killer foundation for a small, power-efficient HTPC.

Ion is supposed to be available sometime in the first half of 2009.

AMD and VIA also in the game

NVIDIA's and Intel's competition is by no means sitting still. AMD announced its Yukon ultramobile platform last month, and it combines a mobile Radeon GPU with a forthcoming AMD processor. Due out in 2009, the platform will support HD video decoding, but it will have a slightly higher power draw than any Atom-based offerings just based on the CPU alone. (AMD doesn't yet have an Atom or Nano equivalent.)

More recently VIA announced its Trinity platform, which combines the VIA Nano processor, the VX800 northbridge (plus IGP), and a discrete GPU from S3. Like the Ion and Yukon platforms, Trinity will support Windows Vista, DirectX 10, and HD video decoding in a very small form factor.

VIA's Trinity platform

I can't find any details on the power draw for this platform, but I'd estimate that it's in the same 12 to 18 watt range as Intel's and NVIDIA's Atom-based platforms. This could make Trinity a very viable alternative for the increasingly popular netbook segment. But the main problem that VIA faces here is vendor uptake—they just don't seem to be able to generate the same level of interest from netbook makers as Intel does, despite the fact that the Nano seems to be a very capable CPU. Still, Trinity could change that equation in their favor.