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Posts Tagged ‘Gpu’

First Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series devices to boast 480 x 800 pixel displays, HD2 owners sigh

Even though Microsoft’s big MIX event is still days away, the Windows Phone 7 Series development platform is already pretty well defined. It’s also clear that Microsoft wants to keep things tidy for developers by requiring all WP7 phones to meet a certain base-level spec. Now, thanks to a post from Microsoft’s Shawn Hargreaves, we know the display resolution for the first batch of Microsoft’s next generation phones: 480 x 800 (WVGA) pixels at launch, with a future update that will introduce a 320 x 480 (HVGA) native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU. That allows game developers, for example, to write to a lower resolution (requiring less horsepower) and then scale up as required while remaining compatible to a variety of screen resolutions.

Now, for those playing along at home, the HD2 getting ready to launch on T-Mobile in the USA is also WVGA and it features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, Microsoft’s WP7 silicon partner. So we can assume (but not guarantee) that it meets the image scaling hardware requirements described by Hargreaves. Man, if only the HD2 had three-buttons.

[Thanks, Cytrix]

First Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series devices to boast 480 x 800 pixel displays, HD2 owners sigh originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA says Optimus ‘works perfectly’ with Intel Wireless Display

Intel’s Wireless Display technology is undoubtedly impressive, but it does place a few specific requirements on the gear you’re able to use with it (mostly involving Intel hardware). As it happens, while Intel may not be talking it up (we can’t imagine why not), NVIDIA says that WiDi also ‘works perfectly’ with its Optimus discreet graphics technology. The two obviously weren’t designed to be compatible from the start, but NVIDIA says it “just works,” and doesn’t require any software or hardware changes. That’s apparently due to the unique way that Optimus interfaces with the integrated Intel graphics in a laptop, which effectively acts as a bridge between the WiDi system and the GPU, and makes it the only discreet GPU that will work with WiDi. Head on past the break to see the magic happen on video.

Continue reading NVIDIA says Optimus ‘works perfectly’ with Intel Wireless Display

NVIDIA says Optimus ‘works perfectly’ with Intel Wireless Display originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NVIDIA pulls 196.75 driver amid reports it’s frying graphics cards

One of the discussions that arise anytime we bring up a new graphics card from ATI or NVIDIA is about which company has the better drivers. Well, this should help sway the argument a little bit. It would seem StarCraft II Beta players were among the first to notice low frame rates while using the latest drivers from NVIDIA, and further digging has uncovered that the automated fan-controlling part of said firmware was failing to act as intended. The result? Overheated chips, diminished performance, and in some extreme cases, death (of the GPU, we think the users will be okay). The totality of it is that you should avoid the 196.75 iteration like the plague, and NVIDIA has temporarily yanked the update while investigating the reported issues. Shame that the company hasn’t got any warnings up on its site to tell those who’ve installed the update but haven’t yet nuked their graphics card to roll back their drivers, but that’s what you’ve got us for, right?

[Thanks, Shockie]

NVIDIA pulls 196.75 driver amid reports it’s frying graphics cards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y460 now on sale, and not a moment too soon

Lenovo may have introduced four billion new laptops at CES this year, but that’s not keeping us from tracking the ship date of every last one. With Intel’s mobile Core i5 still tough to find in shipping machines — particularly ones that could substitute as your work rig — we couldn’t be happier to see the IdeaPad Y460 up for order at the outfit’s webstore. The base unit gets going at $999 and includes a 2.13GHz Core i3-330M CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 14-inch LED-backlit display (1,366 x 768), a 320GB hard drive, 6-cell battery and a dual-layer DVD writer. The $1,199 model, though, is clearly where it’s at, with a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M, ATI’s Mobility Radeon HD 5650 (1GB) GPU and a 500GB HDD to make things interesting. Both units should ship within a fortnight, so the only question left to answer is why you’re still dilly-dallying around.

[Thanks, OberCFS]

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y460 now on sale, and not a moment too soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo unleashes cut-rate ThinkStation E20 workstation on an unsuspecting public

Continue reading Lenovo unleashes cut-rate ThinkStation E20 workstation on an unsuspecting public

Lenovo unleashes cut-rate ThinkStation E20 workstation on an unsuspecting public originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte M1405 spied hauling around its external GPU

Happened upon the Taipei Game Show? No? Us neither, but Nicholas Khoo of 9eekonomics was, and we’re glad he made it. Spotted at the event was Gigabyte’s latest docking laptop, the M1405. On the go, there’s a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution TFT LED, Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300, up to 4GB memory and 500GB storage, DVD, Windows 7, and graphics provided by an Intel GMA 4500MHD — attach that external GPU and you’ve got extra ports and GeForce GT220 with 1GB discrete memory. It’s got a 6-cell battery, but you can add an addition 3-cell if you don’t mind ditching the disc drive. No prices or release date, but expect an even grander unveil next month at CeBIT. More pictures via the source link, video after the break.

Continue reading Gigabyte M1405 spied hauling around its external GPU

Gigabyte M1405 spied hauling around its external GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel GMA HD graphics review deems them excellent for video, mediocre for gaming

Our Intel Arrandale / Clarkdale review bonanza was sprinkled with a few graphics benchmarks, but there was never a concerted effort to break down the specific upgrades on the 45nm GPU that comes as part of the new CPU package. That omission has now been corrected by Bit-tech, who’ve delved deep into the murky waters of embedded graphics and report that Intel’s focus appears to have been firmly on video playback. Noting full bitstreaming, (our HD editors inform us that’s a big deal), Blu-ray with picture-in-picture, and HDMI 1.3a support, the lads commended the “very smooth” 1080p playback of h.264-encoded video. While their conclusion about gaming was less glowing — finding that Intel’s latest gen only keeps up with older hardware — they couldn’t help but recommend the new processors on account of their feature-rich video playback and energy efficiency. More benchmarks at the source link.

Intel GMA HD graphics review deems them excellent for video, mediocre for gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI X-Slim X620 keeps its ULV processor and ATI graphics, adds an optical drive

Filed under: Laptops

MSI X-Slim X620 keeps its ULV processor and ATI graphics, adds an optical drive originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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