You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Buying Guide: Nvidia Optimus: What You Need to Know
Contents
- Nvidia Optimus: What You Need to Know
- How Does Optimus Work?
- Does Optimus Work?
- Final Word
The concept of switchable graphics in a laptop has been around for quite a while, dating back to the 4-year-old Sony VAIO VGN-SZ280P. And there's no shortage of laptops that have this capability today, including Editors' Choices like the Sony VAIO VGN-Z590, MacBook Pro 15-inch (SD Slot), Asus UL80Vt-A1, and Lenovo ThinkPad T400. But using the technology involves too many steps that most users just don't want to bother with. Nvidia plans to change all that, with its new Optimus technology.
Laptops with switchable graphics come with both a discrete graphics solution (for 3D-intensive tasks) and integrated graphics (for saving on battery life). The user can switch between the two depending on the task at hand. Unfortunately, making the switch usually requires a reboot, logging out of your computer, or at the very least, a long screen flicker.
Less than 1% of users whose laptops have this capability actually make the switch, according to Nvidia. Fact is, few usage scenarios call for the extra 3D horsepower and faster graphics suck up battery life. Nvidia, however, may have found a way around all of this.
Optimus, which Nvidia calls its breakthrough technology, will make this graphics switch completely seamless—no reboot or logging out of your computer, not even a screen flicker. Based on what application the laptop is running, Optimus determines when to activate the discrete Nvidia GPU without any user intervention whatsoever. And there's a lot at stake here: Intel's newest processor technologies for laptops (codenamed Arrandale) and netbooks (codenamed Pine Trail) have pretty much kicked Nvidia out of the integrated chipset business—the same Nvidia chipsets that can be found in Apple's current laptops, as well as certain netbooks (with Ion). Nvidia's objective with Optimus is to convince Apple, netbook makers, and everyone else that discrete GPUs are still worth having around.—Next: How Does Optimus Work? >