NVIDIA Announces SLI and Integrated Graphics Solutions for Notebooks

At CeBIT today NVIDIA announced both a high-end SLI (dual graphics cards) solution and an integrated graphics solution. The SLI notebooks will offer tremendous gaming performance and will be outfitted with two NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX video cards. The integrated solution is the first to support high definition output and will be offered in conjunction with AMD-based notebooks.

NVIDIA SLI

"Desktop PCs featuring SLI technology still had the performance edge. They needed that edge because of the higher resolutions desktop monitors," said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GPU business unit at NVIDIA. "Now gaming notebooks with extreme HD resolutions of up to 1920 1200 are here, requiring more processing power so gamers can still turn up their 3D quality settings. SLI technology delivers that power creating high-performance notebooks for gamers on the go."

In addition to running their games at extremely high resolutions, consumers equipped with a notebook incorporating SLI technology can:

• Access advanced 3D settings to enable a realistic, immersive gaming experience at extreme resolutions
• Experience high-definition home-theater quality video with NVIDIA PureVideo technology
• Enjoy games with stunning, complex effects via full Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 support
• Experience immersive, ultra-realistic lighting effects via true high dynamic-range rendering (HDR) support

The SLI notebooks aren't much of a secret. Voodoo PC let that cat out of the bag a few weeks ago, something NVIDIA wasn't particularly happy about. SLI-based notebooks are available now though and are on display at CeBIT. We'll have more information on these notebooks and product images. Beyond Voodoo PC, these other manufactures have signed on to product notebooks with the NVIDIA SLI platform: Sager, Alienware andVelocity Micro as well as partners ABS, AJP, BioHazard, Cybersystem, Evesham, Gericom, Hypersonic, Multirama, Olidata, Plaisio, ProStar, rockdirect, Rombus, Savrow, Vicious PC, XS2, and Wortmann. None of the Tier one players, like Dell or HP, have signed up yet, but NVIDIA tells us talks are ongoing.

SLI Performance Metrics (view large image)

NVIDIA IGP (Integrated Graphics)

Comprised of the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6100 graphics processing unit (GPU) and the NVIDIA nForce Go 430 media and communications processor (MCP), the new mobile IGP solution is the first with hardware accelerated H.264 high-definition (HD) video playback.

The new mobile IGP is the first with a high-performance graphics core that:

• Accelerates HD MPEG-2, VC1 and H.264 video playback on a notebook
• Supports Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 for realistic 3D effects
• Is designed to work with the new Microsoft Windows Vista operating system

The NVIDIA IGP has an immediate advantage over ATI by offering the high definition output. NVIDIA doesn't stop there though. NVIDIA claims mcuh better performance, which shatters the idea that integrated solutions are terrible for gaming and video applications. They've also placed emphasis on lowering overall power consumption, extending battery life, and enabling the introduction of mobile platforms in unique, smaller form-factors.

The first notebooks based on GeForce Go 6100 and NVIDIA nForce Go 430 are now available from European system builders Evesham, Rover, and Wortmann. Other notebook OEMs and system builders worldwide are expected to release retail products based on the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6100 and nForce Go 430 in the coming months.

 

competition against the ATI XPRESS 200M ?

 

Odd that Dell hasn't jumped on this wagon yet.

 

Now we'll have to wait of what notebooks will be equipped with the new nforce go. Curious about whether this MCPs will also be eventually found in Intel-based notebooks than only in AMD-based notebooks...
For desktops, NVIDIA did a good thing to develop MCPs for Intel based PCs too. First benchmarks and so were promising, at the time just before release.
But, yeah, that is quite off-topic

 

Thanks for the news..

ummmm...

In my opinion.. just notebooks that arms with high end graphic chipset (Geforce Go 7800 GTX or Go 7800) is only availible a few model/brand in today present market. So, 7800 SLI is not shake me so much... it's not widely availlable for sure.

however, who will take the advantage of SLI?? I doubt that who is the main customer for notebook with SLI graphic chipset? Gamer? or CAD/CAM Specialist?

I afraid that if someone want to play game and need SLI so much, they should better get pc instead of notebook. Cheaper and more value, I think.

 

The SLI target is definitely gaming. While a PC is more cost effective, it doesn't travel to LAN parties as well

 

Good to know that NVidia joined the party with IGP for laptop platforms. I never liked ATI for their lame software or lackluster USB and LAN performance. I hope Nvidia Mobile platform is more power efficient and also offers more powerful graphics than 200M.

 

I've used the GeForce 6150 on the desktop (the 6100's faster sibling) and have been fairly impressed by it. Performance between the GeForce 6150 and X200 on the desktop are comparable barring one crucial detail: the 6150 runs Doom 3 playably. Very playably, in fact. You have to run it at 640x480 low detail and disable shadows, but after that it's very playable. nVidia's hardware is comparable in any circumstance, but leverages its prowess in OpenGL.

This is a good thing, and an overclockable 6100 can reach 6150 levels of performance. Now let's just hope some OEMs actually pick up the 6100.

 

meaning cleavo will make the one model notebook and those companies will manufactor the logo on the lid .

 

I can see the new Dell XPS m with the fastest core duo processor and this sli system. Remember that Dell and Nvidia are very tight. The XPS 600 has the quad sli system; the only machine on the market to have it.

 

Well, buying a computer with an Integrated graphics soution is not going to buy you decent game performance. Integrated GPU's such as the X200M and now the 6100/6150 are good, but compare them to a dedicated card, even a low end, and they're garbage.

Having one of those new Nvidia or an ATI X200M would be good for Windows Vista though.

 

I htink it's important to remember htat NVIDIA isn't saying you can game on this thing, they're just saying it's better and more power efficient than other integrated cards. For the business user, this is a nice advancement, plus they're ready for HD DVD when that gets here.

 

I agree, those are no good for gaming, but there are many people like me I guess.

Good compatibility, stable drivers and low-power consumption are more important to me.

BTW I wish laptop maker use similar to Nvidia 6150 and provide HDTV-out would be great. Esp some new DLP TV are not taking DVI with HDMI output properly anymore, and these Media gaints are going crazy about HDCP.

 

Nice to see Nvidia cares about lower-end machines and are starting to roll out new GPUs that can compete with the X200M. It's also nice to see SLI as a reality in notebooks.

 

At CeBit in germany Clevo actually showed it's new M590K 19-inch SLI-capable notebook with two GeForce Go 7800 GTX GPUs. The Clevo M590K uses an AMD Turion 64 CPU and the Nvidia nForce4 SLI chipset.

See also these german links of two german sites:

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/70580

http://www.computerbase.de/news/har...006/maerz/cebit06_23489_3dmarks_sli-notebook/

BTW, Clevo showed their SLI-notebook even before Nvidia got a chance to officially present their SLI technology, thus I believe Nvidia was probably not much amused.

 

I'd rather have a notebook instead of a desktop even if it costs more. You can't take a desktop around the house or around locally with you unless you want to lug around cables, accessories, and that big box and LCD. A notebook just makes more sense for me, personally. I love the idea of a laptop with SLI.

The problem I have here is that Nvidia is launching laptop SLI on AMD systems. I love AMD when it comes to desktop computers. But when it comes to mobile computers, I'd rather go with Intel. Yeah, they are the evil empire, but their Pentium-M CPU's are great. And reading about quad-core CPU's gets me excited. Just think...4 CPU's and 2 GPU's. It's about time. The more power, the better. But AMD needs to get back in the game. Turion has been nothing to brag about unlike the Athlon X2's.

 

for the cost of a lot of these gaming notebooks, you could have a good gaming desktop and a portable notebook; a solution that works if you don't need to game in multiple locations.