14 DAY TRIAL // The beta channel for Google Chrome has been updated to version 18.0.1025.11. The current build is available for all supported platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome Frame) and among the most notable changes is enabling 3D content for older GPUs. It also touches on GPU accelerating 2D Canvas.
However, the GPU-accelerated rendering of 2D Canvas content is available only for Windows and Mac editions of the web browser. Type “chrome://gpu” in Chrome’s address field to see which features are currently accelerated.
Although rich content, such as WebGL, is not available for older GPUs, Google found a way to render it with Chrome 18 on lower-specced systems. The solution is SwiftShader, a software rasterizer that takes advantage of the CPU power to render WebGL and 3D content. On the downside, the experience won’t rise to GPU rendering standards.
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