NVIDIA was the first to start off its Computex unveilings in earnest late Sunday by launching two notebook graphics chipsets and 3D glasses. The GeForce GTX 560M headlines the group and is designed to bring high-end gaming to moderately sized notebooks without hurting battery life. Its 192 processing cores, 192-bit memory bus, and 775MHz core clock speed give it enough speed to play games at 1080p, but as the first design with Optimus live graphics switching from major PC builders, it should still provide reasonable battery life by dropping to Intel video with less demanding tasks.
Along with 1.25GHz GDDR5 memory, the design’s core speed is about 15 percent faster than the GTX 460M it would replace and, in one estimate, expected the imminent Duke Nukem Forever to reach a very smooth 50 frames per second, according to the chip designer.
At the opposite end, the GeForce GT 520MX is crafted as a replacement for the regular GeForce GT 520M as well as integrated video in thin-and-light or budget notebooks. Both of the NVIDIA chips still run 48 cores and a 64-bit memory bus, but the MX brings in a faster 1.8GHz clock for the individual cores (up from 1.48GHz) and an accordingly higher pixel fill rate.
Toshiba Qosmio X775
ASUS G74
The two don’t have definite release dates as they hinge on notebook manufacturers. Alienware and Toshiba are the only ones publicly promising to use the GTX 560M with Optimus so far, while ASUS, Clevo, MSI, and other unidentified companies are using the 560M as the full-time graphics processor. ASUS and Samsung have publicly set out plans to use the GT 520MX.
The 3D Vision line’s addition is a new, wired version of the home 3D glasses. Its USB-powered design escapes the need for the wireless transmitter of the regular design and puts the price of a kit much lower than usual. NVIDIA expects the glasses to cost just $99 a par when then arrive in late June.
