ATI Switchable Graphics for Intel Centrino 2

AMD/ATI and Intel have joined forces to get the best performance for Intel's mobile Centrino 2 platform out of a seperate graphics chip (GPU), combined with the integrated graphics chip (IGP). The companies introduce ATI Switchable Graphics, a technology which is like ATI's Hybrid CrossFire X, only then for Centrino 2. Last month nVidia introduced a similar technology, called Hybrid Graphics.

The Switchable Graphics and Hybrid Graphics technmologies allow dynamic switching between a GPU and an IGP. With this, a system can save energy by switching to the IGP when there's barely any performance required, or to the seperate graphics card, when in games or graphic applications.  

As of yet, Switchable Graphics is only supported by few notebooks, which feature a Radeon HD 3450 or HD 3650 graphics card, in combination with an Intel GM45 chipset. The notebook needs to be specially designed for the feature and it has to be implemented in the BIOS as well.

• Lenovo ThinkPad T400 and ThinkPad T500 with respectively Radeon HD 3450 and HD 3650 GPU's
• Sony Vaio Z ultra-light notebooks with GeForce 9300M GS GPU
• Fujitsu Siemens Amilo XI 3650 with GeForce 9600M GT GPU
• BenQ Joybook S42 with GeForce 9600M GT GPU

It's likely that more compatible notebooks will be introduced soon. 

Tags: centrino crossfire geforce radeon tegra

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