Nvidia GeForce GPUs To Power 200 Systems Alongside Intel Sandy Bridge Chips

Nvidia says that over 200 PC models due out next year from various manufacturers will feature Nvidia's GeForce GPUs paired with Intel's Sandy Bridge platform, which integrates GPU and CPU capabilities on a single die.

Nvidia expects Acer, Alienware, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba to build PC systems that include both the GeForce cards and the Sandy Bridge processors.

"With the explosion in digital content and entertainment, it’s no wonder that consumers love GeForce notebooks," said Jeff Fisher, vice president of the GeForce business unit at Nvidia, in a statement last week. "Our momentum reflects the overwhelming need for a better PC experience."

Earlier this month, Nvidia released the GeForce GTX 570 graphics card, which features Nvidia's SLI scalable, multi-GPU platform, as well as support for Nvidia 3D Vision and Nvidia Surround. The latest in Nvidia's GTX 500 series of DirectX 11 GPUs, the GTX 570 is specifically designed for the gaming enthusiast segment within the broader PC market.

According to Engadget, Nvidia earlier this month unofficially launched the GeForce GTX 540M discrete graphics cards, the company’s first GeForce 500M series GPUs for laptops. Nvidia says the mid-range GeForce GT 540M will offer a significant increase in memory bandwidth and fill-rate, while keeping the same 96 CUDA cores and 128-bit memory interface as its predecessor, the GT 435M. The 540M reportedly also features faster graphics clock speeds, up to 672MHz, and processor clock speeds of up to 1344MHz, as well as faster onboard memory of 900MHz.

Meanwhile, the anticipation around Intel's Sandy Bridge continues to mount, as retail listings have appeared online including Sandy Bridge in the specifications for several upcoming systems from manufacturers such as Acer, Lenovo, and Gateway.

CEO Paul Otellini in November confirmed that Intel's Sandy Bridge processors will launch early in the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, system builders are preparing for the launch of Sandy Bridge, saying they are ready to partner with Intel in offering improved visualization technology in a power-efficient solution.

As the launch of Sandy Bridge nears, the names of manufacturers and products that may include the processors continue to circulate. A report from earlier this month said Intel's Sandy Bridge platform will appear in upcoming Apple MacBooks. Based on Nvidia's statement, there will be no shortage of PCs featuring Sandy Bridge either.