NVIDIA today unveiled the first gaming notebook graphics processing unit (GPU) in its GeForce 500M Series of notebook GPUs.
The company also announced the NVIDIA 3D Vision wired glasses, new glasses for 3D PC use available at $99 (U.S. MSRP).
Nvidia also published a demonstration game called Glowball the company says shows what can be achieved with its quad-core Kal-El mobile processor project.
GeForce GTX 560M
The GeForce GTX 560M graphics processor hits the "sweet spot" for gaming notebooks by delivering gaming at full 1080p resolution in the hottest new DirectX 11 titles and NVIDIA Optimus technology.
NVIDIA Optimus technology enables extra-long battery life by automatically switching on and off the GPU so that it runs only when needed. The NVIDIA Optimus technology is designed into over 80 percent of GeForce 500M Series notebooks and will be used by Nvidia's every major notebook OEM.
GeForce GTX 560M GPUs are "DirectX 11 Done Right," and offer even more performance-per-watt than the previous generation, with faster frame rates and more detail with the same battery life. The GPU is supporting
NVIDIA 3D Vision, NVIDIA PhysX and NVIDIA CUDA architecture support, for GPU computing applications.
GTX GPUs also support NVIDIA SLI technology and are also supported by the NVIDIA Verde notebook drivers.
The 560M is based on the same chips that power the desktop GeForce GTS GTX 550 Ti. It has 192 CUDA cores, and NVIDIA specifies a memory bus "up to 192 bit". Core clock is specced at 775MHz, with shaders at 1550MHz. GDDR5 is employed, running at an effective 2.5GHz. This means that the GTX 560M ends up being aproximately 15% clock speed bump from the previous GTX 460M.
For thin-and-light notebooks, NVIDIA also refreshed its entry-level GeForce GT 500M GPUs with the arrival of the new GeForce GT 520MX GPU. GeForce GT 520MX offers better performance, wider support and a more advanced feature set than integrated graphics.
The GeForce GT 520MX keeps the same 64-bit memory bus and 48 CUDA cores as the GT 520M, but bumps the core clock up to 900MHz, the shader clock to 1.8GHz and the DDR3 goes up to 900MHz, 1.8GHz effective.
Alienware and Toshiba will be offering notebooks featuring GeForce GTX 560M and Optimus technology. ASUS, Clevo, MSI and others will be offering notebooks featuring GeForce GTX 560M. ASUS, Samsung and others will be offering notebooks featuring GeForce GT 520MX.
New 3D Vision Wired Glasses
Nvidia's 3D Vision wired glasses are coming in June to the 3D Vision lineup. Nvidia promises to deliver the same 3D Vision features and quality of the 3D Vision glasses, at a more affordable price of $99 US MSRP.
Nvidia launched 3D Vision two years ago focusing on ensuring 3D Vision was supported on PC Games. Since then the company has brough 3D Vision Surround for gaming across three full-HD 3D displays, Blu-ray 3D movie playback and Window mode support for 3D games and applications.
Last week, the company launched YouTube 3D Vision support, which gives users access to thousands of 3D YouTube videos in high-quality, stereoscopic 3D.
In March Nvidia announced a lower price for 3D Vision wireless glasses kits: $149 US MSRP, $50 less than its original kit price. The new 3D Vision wired glasses connect via USB 2.0 to a PC or notebook, and work with all the existing 3D Vision content, displays and other devices. A notch in the USB connector enables users to use a standard cable lock system too to secure the glasses to a PC or table.
Project Kal-El demo
Nvidia has also published
a demonstration game called Glowball the company says shows what can be achieved with its quad-core Kal-El mobile processor project.
Kal-El combines a battery-friendly, powerhouse of a quad-core processor with a 12-core NVIDIA GPU that supports 3D stereo.
In the demo, an internally lit ball rolls around a playing board. With "dynamic lighting," shapes on the ball's exterior casting shadows on stacked barrels, lurking jack-in-the-boxes, hanging rugs, and a creepy clown face. The game's physics engine is wired into the tablet's accelerometer to determine how the ball rolls, the rugs hang, and the barrels tumble.
Nvidia plans several other generations of Tegra mobile chips after Kal-El, each with improving performance. In 2012 comes Wayne, in 2013 comes Logan, and in 2014 comes Stark. The company claims that Kal-El outpaces an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.