Acer PC joins Nvidia's 'Ion' with Intel's Atom

Updated at 3:50 p.m. PST: correcting for Intel GN40 graphics support and adding pricing information for target market.

Acer launched a PC Tuesday that attempts to bring PC-class performance to Atom-processor-based PCs.

The Acer AspireRevo, about the size of a hardcover book, combines Nvidia graphics with the Intel Atom processor.

(Credit: Acer)

The Acer AspireRevo is the first Atom-based PC from a major PC supplier to use Nvidia's Ion chipset that packs GeForce 9400M graphics, the same graphics used in the Apple 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Air.

By design, Atom is a more power frugal and, concomitantly, slower processor than Intel's mainstream Core 2 chip architecture.

The AspireRevo's marquee external feature is the diminutive size: the desktop is comparable in size to a laptop (though slightly thicker, about the size of a typical hardcover book). Internally, the device will test Nvidia's thesis that devices, such as Netbooks, that pair the Atom processor with Nvidia graphics offer much better performance than Intel-only (i.e., Atom-with-Intel-chipset) platforms.

This won't be quite the slam dunk that it was before, however. Intel recently started shipping the Atom N280 and the accompanying GN40 chipset, which for the first time on an Intel Netbook platform delivers 1080p HD playback.

"The AspireRevo...is perfectly suited for the living room, because Nvidia Ion provides a brilliant graphics experience with digital photos, watching video, and playing family-friendly games," said Gianpiero Morbello, corporate vice president of marketing for Acer, in a statement.

Nvidia listed the following capabilities for the Ion-based AspireRevo:

• Ability to run Windows Vista Home Premium
  
• 1080p HD video with true-fidelity 7.1 audio
  
• Popular games including Spore, Call of Duty 4, and Sim City 4 *
  
• DirectX 10 graphics with advanced digital display connectivity
  
• Accelerated video enhancement and transcoding using Nvidia CUDA technology
  

(* Correction: originally listed as "Sim City 5" )

Pricing information was not immediately available. Generally speaking, Ion-based desktops are expected to be priced under $300.

[Mark_Anderson]

Comparable in size to a laptop?

Use many 7" square laptops, do you?

[finalfanoffkey]

Popular games including Spore, Call of Duty 4, and Sim City 5

Is this a April 1 Joke? So now COD4 can be played with an atom machine? Last time I checked the minimum CPU requirement for COD4 is Pentium 4 2.4 GHz. An atom is alomst a Pentium 900MHz which should be no better than a Pentium 4 1.6GHz.

And Sim City 5, Show me where is the game. Cannot believe it comes from Nvidia. The only thing Nvidia can do these days is rebadging its crap video chips.

[zenlive]

The box looks quite nice, but Sim City 5 is just complete vaporware! Hilarious!

CNET needs to do better fact checking.

[The1egend]

While it's true that Nvidia has a lot of bad stuff going for it right now (rebranding of the same chips for a 3rd generation..) The 9400m chipset is actually a bright spot for the company. It gives decent performance for an integrated platform, and while it won't be spectacular it will play games (low res, no AA). Also it will play 1080p resolution movies. So why should you care? For one this will allow people to have home servers for HTPCs and have super cheap players at the TV. Secondly, this forces Intel to be better in their platform and IGP products. Forcing intel to do anything better is always a good thing.

[finalfanoffkey]

So why should you care?

If Nvidia continue to do things like rebadging old chips, claiming 1080p on a 600 line netbook without any optical storage device and saying "Popular games including Spore, Call of Duty 4, and Sim City 5", nothing will force Intel to improve.

See those failed Mac, HP and Dell with a NVidia chip? What NVidia need to do is to get itself right first before attacking others mindlessly.

[pithenumber]

Atom 1.6GHz should compare to P4 1.8 to 2.0GHz I think
still too slow for COD4 though

[goolee]

but can it decode 1080p H.264 .mkv files?

[codynews]

I have my CURRENT Atom based laptop ("Netbook") doing that now. It ran it like crap with the default VLC codes but you can buy (cheap) a codec that'll do it.

I'd use my netbook as my media player to my TV if it had HDMI out.

[man_w_balls]

Woot! I want one. Been waiting for the Ion platform to hit shelves for awhile... it's the wave of the future.

1 question: Dual Core Atom 330 or not? [Boo to single core CPUs]

[matttx]

Single core. It is the 230 I think.

[renopanther]

This could really change HTPC category: CHEAP (few people want /can afford another $1000 machine). But at the cost of a component, it would make a great deal. Think of this + HULU on your TV. But the true measure / killer apps will be
1. SOFTware interface. . It has to be better than MS-Media Center. With the ability to format the web for larger screens. And with TIVO like capability.
2. Hardware interface. More like the diNovo than just adding a regular keyboard/mouse.
3. Optional HD Tuners. Make this an advanced TIVO
4. Optional Blu-ray. The true coup. This isprobably asking too much. I'm assuming HDMI is given
5 . Forget the Gaming stuff. Even the fanboys would leave that to Xbox/PS3/Gaming rigs