Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of semiconductors, late on Friday said that its next-generation integrated graphics platform will support video trans-coding. While the move seems to be insignificant in general, it may mean a lot for the industry in general.
According to an Intel's spokesman, its next-generation code-named Clarkdale central processing unit with integrated graphics core will support video encoding using graphics processing engines via a driver update. Despite lack of initial support of the feature, which will be added using a driver update, there is a confidence in the forthcoming Intel’s integrated desktop platform.
This seems to be the first time when Intel admits the importance of general purpose processing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) in general, particularly about video transcoding.
Intel Clarkdale are dual-core microprocessors based on Westmere micro-architecture with 4MB of cache, Hyper-Threading, dual-channel DDR3 memory controllers and integrated graphics cores. Arrandale are similar chips aimed at mobile computers. Both Arrandale and Clarkdale are essentially multi-chip modules featuring one dual-core processor made using 32nm fabrication process and graphics and other system logic core produced at 45nm node.
It is highly likely that the new processors will be launched on the same day - on January 7, 2010 - at the Consumer Electronics Show.
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