nVidia ION 2 is Here: Next-Gen Graphics for your Netbook/Nettop

We talked up nVidia’s ION graphics solution for netbooks a while back — mainly because it gave a more robust graphics foundation to an already thin netbook platform. Where the Intel GMA integrated video fails, ION graphics gave netbooks a fighting chance for displaying better video resolutions, better gaming capabilities, high definition video, and (shock!) possible Blu-ray movie playback. Now CNET.com has the word on nVidia ION 2, the follow up to an already credible solution from nVidia:

While it may offer only modest performance improvements over the original Ion (we’ll know more after benchmark testing), the new version also works with Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which seamlessly switches between integrated and discrete GPUs to extend battery life. That means the Ion chip can switch on when needed, but not drain the battery otherwise.

There will be two slightly different versions of the Nvidia Ion, a 8-core version for 10-inch Netbooks, and a 16-core version for 11 and 12-inch Netbooks and desktops. Officially supported CPUs are the Intel Atom D410, D510, N450 (and, we assume, the just-now-available N470).

Read the full article on CNET.com.

nVidia has already announced before that ION-powered netbooks should be able to handle Blu-ray disc movies, no problem. While I admit that is already possible, I don’t think I would want to, given the size of those netbook screens. It’s a good thing altogether, netbooks being able to handle Hulu or Youtube at 720 and 1080. Watching a Blu-ray movie on a netbook is admittedly going to be a stretch for me.

The Shuttle XS35 Nettop HTPC - ION2 powered

This Shuttle XS35 nettop — shown at CEBIT 2010 — is a different story altogether. It’s targeted to be a Home Theater PC (HTPC), and it’s got nVidia ION 2 built into it. The possibilities are endless — with 16 graphics processing cores, you can probably do some medium level gaming on it. Save some high definition videos and play it back on your HDTV, no problem, via the built-in HDMI output. Connect an external Blu-ray drive via USB, or if you DIY, swap out the slimline slot-loading DVD drive with a Slimline Slot-Load Blu-ray drive and what you have is a Blu-ray capable HTPC, able to play Blu-ray media (like Christian Bale’s Batman Returns, excellent on Blu-ray) at a very low cost.

Take a gander at a video of the XS35 at CEBIT 2010:

Thank you Shuttle, and thank you nVidia.