Nvidia launches Tegra 3 processor

Nvidia has officially launched its Tegra 3 processor, which is designed to maximise gaming performance on mobile devices.
The new chip-set will yield numerous benefits for mobile devices and tablets, including a 61 per cent reduction in power consumption and 3x the graphics performance of the Tegra 2. Nvidia claims the Tegra 3 allows 12-hours of battery life for HD video playback.
The chip features a patent-pending technology called Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing, which Nvidia describes as a "fifth CPU companion" that allows the device's four main cores to remain idle for processes that require less power - playing music, video, and updating data.
The "companion" is disabled for high-performance tasks like gaming, web browsing, and completing multiple tasks.
Nvidia believes that the Tegra 3 processor offers comparable performance to a console, including controller support and the option to link to a HD television.
To support this, Nvidia is offering compatible games through the Tegra Zone of its free Android Market app - 40 games will be available by the end of 2011, and a further 15 are in development.
The launch of the Tegra 3 complies with the widespread belief that mobile technology will overtake consoles in the near future, with id Software's John Carmack predicting that the shift will take place within two years.
Developers can order the Tegra 3 Developer Kit now.

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