VR-Zone is reporting that NVIDIA will be launching a desktop version of Optimus at COMPUTEX called Synergy. NVidia developed Optimus to save battery life by automatically switching the power of the discrete GPU off when it is not needed and switching it on when needed again. In Synergy, NVidia is doing the same thing. Synergy allows you to switch between the integrated GPU on an integrated GPU, like a Sandy Bridge processor from Intel, and a discrete GPU. The idea is not to save power, instead it is to use the Sandy Bridge Quick Sync technology for performing video transcoding jobs. COMPUTEX is held in Taiwan from May 31 through June 4.
Several sites have been reporting on the new NVidia plan to unify the Desktop and Notebook drivers into a single “unified” architecture. Their various desktop systems have been unified for quite some time, but laptop owners have long been at the mercy of the OEM providers to release updates which were frequently outdated and buggy. Embracing the laptop-buzz generated by Optimus and the new mobile chips, NVidia is seizing the opportunity to begin releasing a single driver for all platforms.
This is particularly important as of late, because the GPU is being used for more than just gaming. Owners of notebooks with discrete NVIDIA GPUs that wanted to take advantage of the increasing number of CUDA-enabled applications, for example, can’t do so if their notebook drivers didn’t enable CUDA.
News is still coming out about the surprise that Apple’s switching-graphics technology is in fact not NVidia Optimus but a wholly Apple-grown technology. Ars Technica got some info from Apple about the technology on how exactly it differs, and why they consider it superior:
Apple’s approach in the new 15″ and 17″ MacBook Pros differs from Optimus in two key ways. The first is that the switching is all handled automatically by Mac OS X without any user intervention (though there is actually a System Preference to deactivate it, if you choose). Apps that use advanced graphics frameworks such as OpenGL, Core Graphics, Quartz Composer or others will cause the OS to trigger the discrete GPU. So, when you are reading or writing Mail, or editing an Excel spreadsheet, Mac OS X will simply use the integrated Intel HD graphics. If you fire up Aperture or Photoshop, Mac OS X kicks on the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M.
The second way that it differs from Optimus is that the integrated graphics are powered down when the discrete GPU is active. This saves even more power than Optimus does, leading to a stated battery life as long as nine hours.
One interesting detail I had not thought of before is that in Optimus, when the Discrete GPU is enabled, the integrated GPU is still powered up and in fact being used, the framebuffer is simply being ignored. This means when you are using the discrete (eg. Fast) graphics, you wind up communicating to both GPU’s simultaneously, wasting (albeit a tiny amount) of power and adding a lot of extra communication to the system bus.
Apple quietly took down their online store this morning, well as quietly as Apple can do anything with the intense scrutiny they find themselves under, and when it came back we were blessed with new MacBook Pros sporting the new Core i5 and Core i7 processors.
“The new MacBook Pro is as advanced on the inside as it is stunning on the outside,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, amazing graphics and up to three more hours of battery life, the new MacBook Pro delivers both performance and efficiency.”
What I find most exciting is that the new Macbook Pros include NVidia Optimus technology Switchable Graphics, switching between integrated graphics and the NVidia GeForce GT330M (256M or 512M RAM). The Optimus technology is only available in the 15″ and 17″ models, but it’s still a very welcome addition to the lineup.
Update 1pm: I just received new information from NVidia that this is not Optimus technology, but rather an Apple-built custom solution. Read more information here.
ASUS has finally released their tiny, slick Optimus-enabled Laptop, the ASUS U30JC, for the low-price of $899.99. Now available at sites like Amazon, it packs the dual-GeForce technology and a 2.26Ghz Intel processor into a 13.3-inch package weighing a mere 4.8lbs.
The sleek 13.3-inch U30Jc has incredible features that go far beyond the capabilities of standard entertainment notebooks. Start smart with it’s all new Intel® Core™ i3 processor thatis smarter and faster with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for enhanced multitasking. Plus, the U30Jc features NVIDIA® GeForce™ graphics with NVIDIA Optimus™ Technology that seamlessly transitions between powerful NVIDIA graphics and Intel embedded graphics to give you smart visual performance or battery-savings when you need it.
At less than 4.5-pounds and only 1.5-inches thin, its unique and lightweight design makes it easy to carry anywhere you go. With full HD playback capability and HDMI connectivity, you can easily enjoy the big screen experience on any HDMI-ready HDTV or home theater setup.
So you get the Intel-embedded graphics for battery-life, and the sweet GeForce 310M for raw pixel-pushing (and CUDA-crunching) power, along with stuff like 4GB of Ram and a 320GB hard drive. All for the impressively low price of $899.99.
Anandtech has a review of the ASUS N61J-X2 Laptop. This 16″ laptop comes with a Intel Core i5 CPU, USB 3.0, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT325M with Optimus technology. If you do not remember what NVidia’s Optimus technology is, suffice it to say that it allows a user to switch between the integrated graphics chip (for long battery life) or the NVidia graphics chip (for powerful performance). For more information, please read our articles covering the topic.
Personally, I have an Asus UL series laptop. I like its low weight and long battery life. It does not have the Optimus technology, but it does allow me to switch between the Intel IGP and the NVidia 210 graphics chip without a reboot. The Asus N61J-X2 reviewed here seems more like a desktop replacement system.
NVidia has updated their nTersect blog with more information about Ion and Optimus including a new demonstration video of Optimus in action. As before, they show how the 3D Card activates and deactivates as they load a 3D application. Unlike previous demo’s however, this one goes one further by showing the electrical capabilities of Optimus with an engineering sample, showing that the 3D card is not simply “unused”, but electrically disabled when not in use. To further drive the point home, they electrically disconnect the 3D card from the system while running, and nothing happens.
The benefit of electrically shutting off components in your notebook, including the GPU, is that it extends battery life. Compared to a standard notebook with a discrete GPU Optimus can extend battery life up to 2x*. The benefit of immediately turning it on again is, of course, that you get all the graphics and processing capabilities of the GPU at a moment’s notice. Few people ever get to see this demo because it requires a completely open notebook system – no chassis – just the motherboard, CPU, GPU, Hard drive, and monitor, so it is not exactly portable. This demo is really killer with engineering teams that design notebooks. They practically fall out of their chairs when they see it.
A powerful demo, guaranteed to make EE’s in the audience cringe.
Ever since news of NVidia’s Optimus came out, people have been speculating about it coming to Apple MacBooks. AppleInsider’s Kasper Jade talked to some Apple Insiders and found that the next generation of MacBook will take the current manual switching technology to an automatic switching technology.
More specifically, the Mac maker has up and running in its labs several next-generation MacBook Pros that can switch between their integrated and discrete graphics processors automatically, according to people familiar with the matter.
(…)
While those privy to Apple’s plans could not say with complete certainty that the new technology would qualify for inclusion in the most immediate update to the MacBook Pro family, they do believe that’s indeed the Cupertino-based company’s plans. The current chipset situation Apple faces across its notebook lines also lends support to these claims.
Given Apple’s previous close relationship with NVidia, it’s no stretch to believe that Optimus is what’s under the hood here. If it is, I guess I need to start saving now for an upgrade.
PS: Steve, if you’re out there, I would be willing to sacrifice some time to review a unit :)
Brian Burke of Nvidia tipped me off to the Asus N61JV-X2 16-inch laptop that comes with the NVidia Optimus graphics systems which is now available for pre-order on Amazon. The specs:
2.53GHz Intel Core i5-430M Processor
4GB of DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM, 2 slots, 8GB Max
500GB Hard Drive (7200 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn
16-Inch HD LED LCD Display; 2.0MP Webcam; HDMI Port; NVidia GT325M Graphics Engine with 1GB DDR3 Dedicated VRAM
Sasha Ostojic has posted on the NVidia blog about his contributions to the NVidia Optimus, including another neat (but eerily quiet) video, and discusses the new hardware that makes it a reality.
We needed hardware support to quickly move the graphics data around in the system, so we created a fast copy engine. The Optimus Copy Engine is a new alternative to traditional DMA (Direct Memory Access) transfers between the GPU frame buffer memory and system memory used by the IGP. With Optimus we also removed multiplexers, called MUXs, so we use the integrated graphics as a display adapter or pass through. The discrete GPU can do the heavy lifting and pass through the results to the integrated graphics chip to be displayed.
Be sure to read our coverage of the NVidia Optimus as well, including a promo video from NVidia showing a great side-by-side comparison of existing switchable graphics and the new Optimus.
Several sites have been reporting on the new NVidia plan to unify the Desktop and Notebook drivers into a single “unified” architecture. Their various desktop systems have been unified for quite some time, but laptop owners have long been at the mercy of the OEM providers to release updates which were frequently outdated and buggy. Embracing the laptop-buzz generated by Optimus and the new mobile chips, NVidia is seizing the opportunity to begin releasing a single driver for all platforms.
News is still coming out about the surprise that Apple’s switching-graphics technology is in fact not NVidia Optimus but a wholly Apple-grown technology. Ars Technica got some info from Apple about the technology on how exactly it differs, and why they consider it superior:
Apple quietly took down their online store this morning, well as quietly as Apple can do anything with the intense scrutiny they find themselves under, and when it came back we were blessed with new MacBook Pros sporting the new Core i5 and Core i7 processors.
NVidia has updated their nTersect blog with more information about Ion and Optimus including a new demonstration video of Optimus in action. As before, they show how the 3D Card activates and deactivates as they load a 3D application. Unlike previous demo’s however, this one goes one further by showing the electrical capabilities of Optimus with an engineering sample, showing that the 3D card is not simply “unused”, but electrically disabled when not in use. To further drive the point home, they electrically disconnect the 3D card from the system while running, and nothing happens.
Ever since news of 
Sasha Ostojic has posted on the NVidia blog about his contributions to the NVidia Optimus, including another neat (but eerily quiet) video, and discusses the new hardware that makes it a reality.
VizWorld.com 
Comments