Intel Atom Chips to Feature 1080p HD-Capable Graphics

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While netbooks are generally considered anemic when it comes to video processing, next-generation netbooks running Intel’s upcoming Cedar Trail Atom chips will feature faster, HD-capable graphics.

Netbooks are often slow and less-capable than their bigger notebook and desktop counterparts. For most intents and purposes, this will do, especially if all you need is to browse the web, read email, and watch the occasional low-quality YouTube video. But for watching richer content like high-definition video, performance will definitely lag, especially with a weak video card and a processor designed for power-saving rather than performance.

An upcoming update to Intel’s Atom platform will change this. The next-generation Cedar Trail chips, which are due to be released before year-end, will provide better graphics performance. Cedar Trail Atom processors will support 1080p high-definition video playback and hardware Blu-Ray decoding. The chip’s graphics capabilities will be powered by an integrated GMA 3600 graphics core with PowerVR technology. These mean that while the upcoming Intel Atom will not essentially have higher data processing capabilities than predecessors, it will have improved performance because more of the graphics processing will be done by the GPU rather than the CPU. This will free up processing cycles for other applications and services, which should make Cedar Trail netbooks perform zippier.

With these updates, Intel is likely to be upping the ante in low-power portable devices, such as tablets. Android is reportedly being ported to the Intel platform already, and Microsoft is getting ready to launch Windows 8, meant for both ARM and x86. Will these merit faster, better-performing portable chipsets from Intel?