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Size matters, proclaims Nvidia's ION platform photo

Be on the lookout for Netbooks and Nettops (mini-desktops) based on Nvidia's powerful yet bite-sized ION platform, as the first group of PCs to utilize the technology are coming in Q2 of this year, which we are now currently in as of yesterday.

Promising to be the solution for keeping your home theater looking sleek and capable while using the least amount of space possible, better performance for games like Call of Duty 4, and oral sex on command, ION sounds too good to be true.

But it isn't. How do I know? Nvidia got a bunch of game developers to tell me how it's going to one-up Jesus himself, that's how. Here, see for yourself. Excited? You should be, apparently.


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13 comments | showing # 1 to 13

Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 14:48
Wedge
Ugh. That's cute that it's in a little mini-form factor and all, but does this mean there is tech in there that can finally replace all the shitty Intel GMA chips with something that can run Source based level games reasonably well? Just selling your own in-house little mini-media PC isn't going to open up the market =/.
Jordan Devore's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 14:54
Jordan Devore
Actually, the thing shown above is mainly for marketing purposes, I think. This would be a replacement for the chips you're referring to, and would fit inside a Netbook or whatever it's used for.
wonky360's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 15:10
wonky360
Is this not the graphics horsepower in the mac mini? Sure looks that way.
http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 15:12
Chronic Logic
portable mini laptop with the power to run Crysis?!
brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 15:14
brainderailment
Apparently those guys have never seen a mac mini.
Narishma's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 15:43
Narishma
Wedge: Since this thing is intended to be used with Atom CPUs I don't think it'll run Source games very well. Source games are more CPU than GPU-bound and Atoms are pretty weak.
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 16:03
Wedge
However Atom based PC's are also using the shitty Intel GMA stuff, so if this is an onboard GPU replacement, it could totally be expanded to all the laptops and desktops that still use that rubbish as well I'd hope.
Narishma's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 16:45
Narishma
Wedge: The problem with that is that Atom + Ion cost more than Atom + GMA and one of the feining factors of a netbook is the price. I don't doubt that some manufacturers will release some netbooks with the Ion chipset, but I bet they will be few and cost the same as low-end notebooks or more.
Nyteshade's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 18:27
Nyteshade
@ Wedge and Narish

I just picked up a Asus 1000HE, I slapped a 320 gig, 7200 RPM HDD and 2 gigs of ram in it. It's running the Atom N280 (1.6 Ghz, 667 FSB) chipset. It'll play 1080p videos just fine and run older games, HL2 will run at lowest settings at around 15-20 FPS, and it is definitely limited by the on-board GPU.

The ION chip set in this thing would most likely make the Source engine play smoothly on lower settings. HL2 requires "Minimum: 1.2 GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, DirectX 7 level graphics card." With a miniature 9 series in one of these net books, it'll be a fine mini Source gaming machine.
Projectexodus's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 18:29
Projectexodus
God damnit! Why didn't I know of this sooner? I just bought a frickin laptop!
mrberns's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/02/2009 19:14
mrberns
I've been watching this very closely for a while, as my NES Casemod/Media Center/ROM PC has difficulty keeping good sync on HD videos, and from what I've seen from these bad boys, there should be no problems whatsoever, and they should take up about half as much space. Can you say, Genesis casemod?
Ali D's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/03/2009 07:55
Ali D
I'm looking to maybe get a laptop at the end of the year. Might wait for this tech and Windows Seven to become standard.
Leathersoup's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/03/2009 08:51
Leathersoup
Mebbe Nvidia is looking to build the next Commodore 64.
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