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Apple to 'ditch' Intel for Nvidia in standard MacBooks

Chipset reshuffle?

By Kelly Fiveash • Get more from this author

Posted in PC Builder, 13th October 2008 12:37 GMT

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Apple will drop Intel’s integrated graphics chipsets from its new family of MacBooks in favour of Nvidia’s new mobile platform, according to speculative reports.

The company is expected to announce that decision at a notebook-centric product launch tomorrow. If the rumours, made in an AppleInsider report, are correct, the 13in machines will be loaded with Nvidia’s MCP79 chipset.

MCP79, which is seen as a substitute for Intel’s Centrino 2 platform, likewise supports a 1066MHz frontside bus, PCI Express 2.0 and DDR 3 memory.

Centrino 2 was finally released into the wild in July this year after a series of problems forced Chipzilla to delay the release of its refreshed platform.

Meanwhile, Apple said this past Friday it will repair MacBook Pros where the Nvidia GPU has failed, or fails within two years from the purchase date.

Nvidia confessed earlier this year to a higher-than-normal failure rate for some of its graphics processors, thanks to a packaging defect. The chip maker claimed at the time that Macs were unaffected by the glitch.

Apple has disagreed with that assessment.

"After an Apple-led investigation, Apple has determined that some MacBook Pro computers with the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor may be affected," said the firm in a statement on its website.

"If the Nvidia graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty."

Odd then, you might agree, that Apple could be considering Nvidia over Intel for the graphics chippery in its new line of MacBooks. We should know more tomorrow. ®

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