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Microsoft Certifies Nvidia ION for Vista

While Intel begs an SLI licence
Wednesday, 11 February 2009, 19:37

NVIDIA HAS announced two bits of good (but unrelated) news for the firm, saying its ION platform had gained certification for Windows Vista Home Premium and that Intel is taking out an SLI license from the Goblin.

Nvidia reckons its ION platform, a combination of Intel's Atom processor and NV's GeForce 9400M GPU, coupled with so called 'Premium' versions of the Vole's Windows, will give little lappies much bigger graphics capabilities.

Mightysoft obviously agrees, having given Nvidia the green light to deliver 1080p video, support for Microsoft's DirectX 10 gaming, support for Vista's Aero Glass and Flip3D. Nvidia says it will immediately set to work with the Redmond Giant, as well as a merry band of PC manufacturers, software developers, and Windows eco-system partners.

Vista Home Premium might also wind up in Ion-based desktop computers or bigger notebooks.

Much-anticipated Vista replacer Windows 7 is also expected to work on ION-based machines and might even put in an appearance by the summer in mini notebooks which both companies swear blind will start at around the $299 mark.

As for Nvidia's other coup of the day, the firm said Intel has humbly asked to take out an SLI licence, which will allow Intel-based machines to use multiple graphics chips at the same time.

The licence gives Chipzilla the right to use SLI in its chipsets, like on the DX58SO motherboard for the Intel Core i7 microprocessor.

Gamers should be pleased. It now means they'll be able to machine gun their way through zombie-infested buildings on Intel's fastest microprocessor sporting four graphics chips. µ

 

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Comments
SQUANCTH Rub, HoHo Juices....

HoHo Hoe. Funny that Nvidia Gives INTEL SLI License? INTEL, As Brainer Might 'member, Invented SLI. Then Left it Dead Flat Out. It may have killed plenty O' Good designs Over Years, Too. So Today its Integratd or one upto 16X 2.0 or duce or one three Way Crossfire Hybrid or double duces, variation 2-16x/2-8x or True4x16X. Yet Cann't We ALL Just Get along? Vantange Crossing WELL into 30K+ Arena. Can SomeOne Just Paste about dozen GeePU on ONE Card? Call It Slot 32X.1 & Live Happily Ever After, choking on -media caps of Last years ''8 sniveler ?home LongHorn?VaRooome STeWie Drashek "AM Baking Since Ovens Invented" or "Making Two Ghz/s Seem Chunky".

posted by : Ultee', 11 February 2009 Complain about this comment
ion's pimp

microsoft would certify ion. its much in their favour to pimp ion, 'vista ready' is exactly what they want to get netbook manufacturers putting vista onto their machines, instead of xp. no doubt as soon as it arrives microsoft will be pressurising netbook manufacturers into killing xp for vista. i see more room for linux to manoeuvre though..

posted by : plasticman, 11 February 2009 Complain about this comment
SLI

People that have the money to waste on Core i7 & DDR3 in addition to high-end graphics cards really have dosh to splurge on an SLI configuration.
Although not directly related to the article, one must ask, besides 1% or less of PC gamers, who actually buys SLI setups?

Considering that in 6 months time the same SLI setup will be on one single graphics card, it's a waste.

posted by : Someone Special, 11 February 2009 Complain about this comment
SLI

To Ultee', actually it was 3dfx who invented SLI which Nvidia then bought out.

posted by : Alllrrrightttyy Thennnn, 11 February 2009 Complain about this comment
+1

And you would wonder where NV would get a license for making X86 CPUs...

posted by : Damage, 12 February 2009 Complain about this comment
We'll take your SLi but....

Intel will take Nvidia's SLI inexchange of not passing the ION platform early this year.

After all why would they want the consummers that are scrape for cash buy 20 million processors that only makes them a few bucks each (the Atom, in which they are not likely to purchase another system until end of the year) on a platform that is not even their's when they could spend more cash on a C2D/Quad Core platform where Intel makes the big bucks on?

I mean its no point to spend millions optimising the manufactures of those mid to high range chips so you can squeeze more profit out of them if in the end everyone buys an Atom system. Right?

posted by : Bruno Dieter Chan, 12 February 2009 Complain about this comment
@ Alllrrrightttyy Thennnn

Hi,
You seem to be new here... Ultee/ Ultie/ Thomas Von Drashek/ Tom_Ultie etc are names of the infamous Thomas von Drashek who piles up drivel on the Inq comment boards. You are supposed to ignore regularly, and read his comments only when you really want to go ' WTF?!?! '

Cheerio

posted by : Ikrana, 12 February 2009 Complain about this comment
What happen to the Lucid Hydra?

What happen to that hubbub about Intel putting in the Lucid Hydra into the X58 Smackover II? I would think that with the Hydra, licenses for Xfire and SLI would not be needed.

Is this a sign that the Hydra isn't all that it's cracked up to be?

posted by : An Ony Mous, 12 February 2009 Complain about this comment
Price for Core i7 System

I just built an i7 system and I will admit that it was expensive, however the DDR3 seemed rather cheap to me. I bought 6 gigs of really fast stuff for $150. It was cheaper than the 2 gigs I bought for my last system. The CPU and motherboard prices were the most painful to accept because I am conditioned to get a high end mobo for < 200 and a decent cpu for about the same cost.

Price aside, I am very impressed with this computer and think that anyone who thinks that their older systems are "fast enough" are a little out of touch. I thought that way about my last computer until the drives failed.

posted by : RobDinsmore, 12 February 2009 Complain about this comment
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