NVIDIA unveils sweet Optimus technology

When NVIDIA first debuted its dual GPU technology in notebooks that used an integrated GPU along with a discrete GPU the tech looked really good. The idea was that the user could change from the lowly, but power sipping integrated GPU to a discrete GPU with more power when needed. The reality was that the change required you to at least close all the apps you had open making it inconvenient and most users simply ignored the feature.


Above: NVIDIA Optimus Packin' UL50-Vf notebook

NVIDIA has unveiled  a new technology today called Optimus that promises to make the ability to switch between two GPUs in a notebook a seamless process that requires no user interaction to complete. The new technology will automatically sense when the user needs more GPU power and start the discrete GPU and when the need for more power is finished, the integrated GPU will come back online.

The entire process requires no user input and happens without the need to close any open applications. The Optimus tech will be featured in the future Fermi GPUs as well as coming Ion GPUs and is already in place on existing GeForce 200M and 300M GPUs. The first notebooks to hit the market using Optimus will be from Asus and will include the UL50Vf, N61Jv, N71Jv, N82Jv, and U30Jc notebooks.