NVIDIA ION Products Take the Stage at Computex

The NVIDIA Ion platform, which combines a low-power Intel Atom processor with NVIDIA's own GeForce motherboard GPU, has been making the headlines ever since the Santa Clara, California-based chip maker announced it back in late 2008. However, the industry has been so far late to adopt it, with just a couple of systems announced recently. On that note, NVIDIA just issued a press statement claiming that its Ion platform would soon be presented in some 17 new devices, for a total of 21 Ion-based products. Some of these systems will take the floor at Computex 2009 in Taiwan.

 

“NVIDIA is really shaking up the small form factor space with ION graphics,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. “Netbooks and nettops are the hottest selling items in the PC space right now, but most are severely limited. ION removes the major chunk of that performance limitation allowing PC vendors the perfect blend of design, performance, and value that drives sales in hard times.”

 

Aside from the already announced AspireRevo from Acer, the IdeaPad S12 from Lenovo, the Zotac ION-ITX motherboard and the ASRock ION 330, the NVIDIA ION platform will be featured across some 17 new systems, coming from leading companies such as ASUS, MSI or ECS. These new products will be available in a number of form factors, also including new motherboards that will enable computer enthusiasts to build their own ION-based PCs.

 

With the announcement, NVIDIA has confirmed the upcoming eeeTOP ET2002, an all-in-one PC from ASUS that will be based on the aforementioned platform, as well as the C2N7A-I, an ASUS motherboard that will feature the ION chipset. MSI is also expected to have at least two new systems featuring said chipset, including the desktop Windbox D200 and the all-in-one AE2201. Other companies that are to reveal their own NVIDIA Ion designs include names like ECS, Colorful, Flextronics, Funtwist, ICD, Pegatron, TCL, Telcast and Weibu.