NVIDIA has introduced a slight variation on its ION platform, which bundles a low power Intel Atom processor with higher performance NVIDIA graphics. The new NVIDIA ION LE is pretty much exactly the same as the first generation ION, but according to Fudzilla, ION LE only supports DirectXv9, not DirectX 10.

ION LE is designed for netbooks and nettops running Windows XP, while the fuller featured version of the NVIDIA ION platform will support DirectX 10 and is expected to be bundled with computers running Windows 7.

Microsoft has been offering low cost Windows XP licenses to netbook and nettop makers for the last year or so, which helps keep the price of these computer down. It also helps keep them from competing with higher end systems. It’s likely that NVIDIA can also cut some costs, which may or may not be passed along to the consumer, by supporting DX9 but not DX10, at least until Windows 7 is widely available.

via Netbook Choice

Support Liliputing

Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).

But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.

Contribute to our Patreon campaign

or...

Contribute via PayPal

* If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it.

Subscribe to Liliputing via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 9,545 other subscribers

8 replies on “NVIDIA introduces ION LE platform for Windows XP computers”

  2. Maybe someone can softmod the ION LE and unlock the DirectX 10 underneath.

  3. Great, another product that won’t actually be seen in the mainstream market for who knows how long. I am still waiting on an Ion machine to actually begin shipping, let alone, it would need to have a 1366×768 10.x” screen. (POV Mobii Ion 230 reportedly does not have the higher rez option at launch)

    And on that note of unfulfilled promises, where are my flying cars?

    1. Well, before we flip out we shoudl remember you can pre-order a Samsing N510 as we speak in France. The chips exist, the products are shipping soon, it just not going to be as fast as we hoped.

  4. LEss…

    I smell a conspiracy…
    https://www.liliputing.com/2009/05/intel-to-charge-more-for-atom-processors-used-in-nvidia-ion-platform.html
    https://www.liliputing.com/2009/07/nvidia-ion-platform-could-cost-3x-as-much-as-vanilla-intel-atom.html

    …but it’ll take a more contorted theorist than I am to figure out how/why NVIDIA would take a kickback from Intel on Atom purchases for weakening their own platform/reputation. 😉 😉

    (Intel, please note the winkies and don’t sue me–this is just hypothetical. 🙂

  5. The difference between supporting DX-9 and DX-10 being what? The difference being the ability to fish chips out of the rejected bin, maybe?

    NVIDA is always discrete, but the early talk was that ‘chip yields’ were…disappointing. I think ION is providing hard to make, but only someone with more frontal lobe than I have could tell you the gap between DX-9 and DX-10 needs.

Comments are closed.