NVIDIA Ion 2 Chipset Coming In 2010

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Netbooks aren’t know for their great graphical horsepower. Most come with Intel’s dreaded on-board graphics. NVIDIA hopes to change that, by releasing their new motherboard chipset series, called the NVIDIA Ion 2. The Ion 2 will give netbooks more graphical processing ability, for movies, games and other applications.

Speaking to tech blog Engadget, NVIDIA revealed that their Ion 2 chipset platform is coming in early 2010, and that it will be compatible with the Atom Pine Trail processors and the new graphics processors that is on the die with the Pine Trail processors. In addition to being able to do more, NVIDIA promised that the new chipset will also be lighter on it’s power consumption.

NVIDIA and Intel have a difference of opinion on netbook processing, as NVIDIA thinks that netbook consumers want more graphical power for HD video and games while Intel persists that people buy netbooks for e-mail and web surfing, not to play games and watch HD video. Remember, there isn’t any love lost between NVIDIA and Intel. Disagreements aside, a netbook with Intel’s Pine Trail processors combine with the Ion 2 chipset is shaping up to look like the killer netbook specs for 2010. NVIDIA will show off more of the Ion 2 at CES next month.