NVIDIA nTeresting Newsletter - 22 June, 2012

In this Issue

· Microsoft introduced the company's first branded tablet, the Surface for Windows RT, and it features NVIDIA Tegra.

· Recent interviews point to the need for discrete GPUs, even in an Ivy Bridge notebook.

· Like everyone at E3, Epic decided to demo Unreal Engine 4 on GeForce.

· The highly anticipated Tesla Model S has a Tegra powered infotainment system.

Microsoft Surface for Windows RT Uses Tegra

This week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced the company's first branded tablet, the Surface for Windows RT, at a press event in Los Angeles (watch it here). The Surface for Windows RT will run the Windows RT operating system and feature an NVIDIA Tegra processor.

"The ARM version of Surface weighs less than 1.5 pounds, is 9.3 millimeters thick, has a magnesium case and will be powered by an NVIDIA Corp. Tegra processor, the company said at the event. Surface also has a built-in kickstand."

This is Microsoft's first move into the tablet market and they choose to make it with Tegra. We see it as further validation of Tegra's status as a best-of-breed component and yet another vote of confidence in NVIDIA's Tegra mobile processor.

"The ARM processor running on this Microsoft Surface tablet will be provided by NVIDIA, as we expected."

It is also significant that the only two Windows RT consumer devices that have been announced to date both use NVIDIA Tegra; the Microsoft Surface for Windows RT and the Asus Tablet 600.

"The lighter, thinner version of the Surface tablet, built on an NVIDIA Corp chip designed by ARM Holdings, will be the first to market at the same time as the general release of Windows 8, and will feature Microsoft's popular Office suite of applications."

Tegra is an incredible efficient ARM processor that delivers what consumers want - great performance and amazing battery life and comes with advanced graphics from the inventor of the GPU.

Get a Discrete GPU in your Notebook

The 600M GPUs were built from the ground up for incredible performance and power efficiency. By any measurement the new 600M GPUs are revolutionary with excellent performance per watt, excellent performance per wafer area and excellent overall performance. The secret is Kepler.

"NVIDIA's Kepler is a cold blooded killer, folks."

Intel integrated graphics got ‘better' with Ivy Bridge, just not ‘better' enough. They also have a poor record of compatibility with leading games and visual computing applications. We expect this trend to continue with Ivy Bridge.

"I think it is obvious from these results that none of the IGPs on the market today, including Trinity, are capable of satisfying anyone who might label themselves a gamer.

Intel's HD 4000 is adequate in the sense that it can offer a playable experience in most games at 1366x768, but you will have to turn down the detail below the modest settings we used in this round-up. Trinity is a bit more than adequate in the sense that it will let you turn up some settings in games and still have a playable experience, but just barely.

GeForce GPUs are significantly faster than Ivy Bridge and have vastly superior games compatibility.

"If you want a decent gaming experience you will do yourself a huge favor by considering a low-end discrete solution like the NVIDIA GT 630M. This solution offers a clear advantage over Intel HD 4000 and is also better than Trinity because, besides offering better overall GPU performance, you aren't tied down to a lackluster CPU. Three of the five games tested (Dawn of War 2: Retribution, Civilization 5 and Diablo 3) were playable even at 1080p on the GT 630M."

With NVIDIA Optimus there is no reason not to have a discrete GPU. NVIDIA Optimus gives you great performance when you need it, and great battery life when you don't. Seamless and automatic switching.

"We prefer NVIDIA's Optimus technology, because it automatically detects graphics-hungry apps and switches on the GPU automatically."

And while others claim to have a similar technology, truth be told, they don't.

"Because of its switchable AMD Radeon HD7570M graphics chip, the Dell Inspiron 14z is good enough to get reasonable frame rates on some hardcore games. Unfortunately, enabling discrete mode is a chore with the bundled Catalyst Control software, because you must designate each application you want to run with discrete graphics before you open it."

You also get the NVIDIA Verde driver program, and NVIDIA frequently updates its drivers for enhanced performance and functionality. Intel has a notorious record of poor driver support.

"I think the green team has a much better driver software interface. I also think that Optimus is a smoother (and more mature) switchable graphics solution."

So make sure your next notebook is packing GeForce.

"Notebooks packing NVIDIA GPUs tend to deliver kick-ass performance, and the Acer Aspire V3 is no different."

Unreal 4 Engine demoed on GeForce

If you do a big demo at E3, you better do it on a GeForce PC.

"Both of these titles ran on high-end PCs at E3, with Star Wars 1313 (and Watch Dogs, presumably) utilizing NVIDIA's latest GPU (the Kepler based GTX 680), a card that's opening doors for major advances in graphics and computation.

All the best titles at E3 were shown on a PC.

"The simple fact is this: Many of the things that were impressive at E3 were impressive because of the capabilities of PC technology, even if there wasn't a big press conference to make sure everyone knew it."

Epic showed their next generation Unreal Engine 4 publicly for the first time at E3. Epic also used GeForce GTX 680. The UE4 demo features stunning DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX effects that give a sneak peek into the next generation of video games. You can view a video of UE4, or read an exclusive interview with Tim Sweeney (founder of Epic) on geforce.com.

Unreal Engine is by far the most widely used game engine in the world, so Epic's use of GTX 680 to show off UE4 is an enormous endorsement!

Tesla Gets Tegra

Tesla is an electric car/ engineering marvel. When they make cars, they go high tech; and high tech means NVIDIA Tegra. The new Tesla Motors Model S electric sedan makes its debut Friday, and with it comes the NVIDIA Tegra Visual Computing Module (VCM).

Based on the same powerful Tegra processor used in smartphones and tablets, the Tegra VCM will power the vehicle's 17-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system - the largest ever in a passenger car - as well as its all-digital instrument cluster. Watch the video on the Model S from CNET.

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