News Ion 2 to feature double the shaders

[CardJoe]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardwar...-the-shaders/1

The next generation revision of Nvidia's Ion platform is likely to double the shaders from 16 to 32 - or higher - offering far greater graphics performance for netbooks.

[Skiddywinks]

Interesting. I might have to follow this. If a netbook comes out with a significant boost to performance for the same/similar price, I may well be tempted to buy one.

[Kode]

I want one of these for a HTPC, hopefully we will be able to couple it with something with more poke than an Atom

[wuyanxu]

and still no Ion netbooks avaliable to buy.

might as well wait for Ion 2........... or play the waiting game forever

[CSMR]

This doesn't really make sense. The GPU in the Ion is already overpowered relative to the CPU. Increasing GPU performance will have very little value, unless the atom processor is also significantly upgraded. And for HTPC increased GPU power is not needed; the Ion can already decode high bitrate 1080p in the standard formats. What they could have done instead is kept performance the same and reduced power consumption.

[p3n]

Stupidity? Doubling the shaders does what? Certainly not 'double' the performance that their PR seems to imply.

[kenco_uk]

Originally Posted by wuyanxu

and still no Ion netbooks avaliable to buy.

might as well wait for Ion 2........... or play the waiting game forever

qft.

[eldiablo]

Im even more interested in the fact that the ion2 should be able to support the via nano. The nano coupled with the ion2 might actually bring a decent enough desktop replacement for the daily tasks without feeling to slow.

[kenco_uk]

With the Ion2, we may be 'Extreme Ion'-ing.

Thankyou, thankyou, I'm here all day, bookings available

[TESCO-Zsömle]

Originally Posted by CSMR

This doesn't really make sense. The GPU in the Ion is already overpowered relative to the CPU. Increasing GPU performance will have very little value, unless the atom processor is also significantly upgraded. And for HTPC increased GPU power is not needed; the Ion can already decode high bitrate 1080p in the standard formats. What they could have done instead is kept performance the same and reduced power consumption.

ION 2 comes vith VIA Nano processor. If I remember good, there was a presentation, where the 1,6GHz VIA Nano CPU was compined with a 9600GT, and run Crysis playable, so double the shaders makes the platform much better for games.
Even ION 1 can run older games on a "playable" level (COD2 - 30-40FPS).

[TESCO-Zsömle]

Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Obx7ZYTTU

[CSMR]

Originally Posted by TESCO-Zsömle

ION 2 comes vith VIA Nano processor. If I remember good, there was a presentation, where the 1,6GHz VIA Nano CPU was compined with a 9600GT, and run Crysis playable, so double the shaders makes the platform much better for games.
Even ION 1 can run older games on a "playable" level (COD2 - 30-40FPS).

It's impressive sure, but you won't appeal to gamers. Now for an HTPC can run a few games occasionally, OK, but that's a small market. And even then you only gain the ability to somewhat run the handful of games that are GPU constrained even with an Atom.
ION 1 is great for it's media capabilities, being just right for an HTPC (or media-capable netbook) at a time when the Intel Ion graphics are out of date and useless. Now Ion 2 would be much better at filling a gap in the market for casual gaming with a mainstream desktop/notebook processor... but there are problems fitting in with Intel's new architecture.

[SBS]

Originally Posted by CSMR

This doesn't really make sense. The GPU in the Ion is already overpowered relative to the CPU. Increasing GPU performance will have very little value, unless the atom processor is also significantly upgraded. And for HTPC increased GPU power is not needed; the Ion can already decode high bitrate 1080p in the standard formats. What they could have done instead is kept performance the same and reduced power consumption.

Both successors to Atom are due out before Ion 2, no? Along with CPUs from VIA and possibly ARM.

NVidia are doing nothing more than they usually do talking up the next-generation of graphics cards to people within the industry in order to maximise it's exposure.

To declare something pointless while judging it alongside the CPUs currently available doesn't make much sense.

There are a number of bizarre things NVidia have done already with the Ion brand but I'm not sure this is one of them.

[Saivert]

I love the bizarre stuff! Keep it coming. This is what makes life thrilling and full of surprise!