NVIDIA 7150 for Intel CPUs

NVIDIA today promised to cure the performance problems associated with integrated graphics on Intel systems. The GeForce 7000 for Intel is said to give Celeron, Pentium, and Core 2 Duo systems better performance than Intel's own offerings while providing virtually the same visual features as modern, dedicated video cards. Every chipset includes full DirectX 9 shader support and accelerates Vista Home Premium's Aero Glass interface. Mainboards can also fit an HDMI output with HDCP encryption to play some copy-protected Blu-Ray and HD DVD movies at high resolution.

Three models are available at launch. The GeForce 7050 is geared for the most basic systems and runs at 500MHz with support only for DDR2 667MHz system memory. Depending on the choice of an nForce 610i or nForce 630i mainboard, the chipset supports either VGA only or DVI with HDCP. The GeForce 7100 and 7150 raise the clock speed to 600MHz or higher, add support for faster DDR2 memory, and include the HDMI video option.

Release dates will vary by the mainboard manufacturer and their choice of hardware; systems should roll out in the next few weeks with a mid-range GeForce 7100 and nForce 630i combination shipping for about $60. NVIDIA has not announced any plans to offer the GeForce 7000 series independently from its nForce boards.

By Electronista Staff