Centrino technology + DirectX 9??

[Rick67]

It's been posted here several times that DirectX 9 and current Centrino systems are not compatable? Can anyone confirm this?

Will this require a new chipset from Intel before DirectX 9 video cards start showing up in Centrino systems?

Could this explain why the Radeon 9600 hasn't shown up in any notebooks yet? It was my understanding that the card was released a few months back.

 

[JackHawksmoor]

Probably people buying Pentium-M/Centrino systems don't care about power that much, and companies are sticking the higher-end GPUs in systems that are more designed as desktop replacements.

 

[Black.Lotus]

doesn't seem to be true since dell precision m60 has the quadrofx in it and the m60 is really a d800.

 

[Steve Guilliot]

The Quadro FX Go700 has DX9 shaders, but it isn't necessarily a full DX9 card AFAIK. On Nvidia's website they specifically say it has "DX9 shader functionality", rather than boasting full DX9 support. I have my doubts.

 

[ChaosX2]

I think the Intel integrated graphics chip is the thing that is not DX9 Compatible. I don't believe Centrino Technology has anything to do with DX9, which has more to do with the graphics chip.

 

[Lawranch]

To be labled "Centrino" a laptop has to have a Pentium M Chip, Intel Motherboard, and Intel wireless Nic. The Intel boards have built in "extreme" graphics, and probably don't support an add in video card. You should be able to run Direct X 9, but would not be able to take advantage of it. Eventually you may see Pentium M laptops with a motherboard with a radeon 9600 on it, but it probably won't be labled "Centrino."

 

[Alphahawk]

There are currently no true dx9 compatible laptop systems out on the market. The radeon 9000 has some but is not a full compatibility. As far as problems with centrino and dx9 I have used the asus, compal, and quanta (quanta is who makes the dell units currently) and have not seen any dx9 compatibility issues

 

[badga]

The intel chipset (855) that comprises part of the centrino solution has two different parts 855 GM and 855PM (this per intel website). The GM part is the integrated part that won't support dx9 but the PM part has a AGP4x expantion that "provides flexible support for high performance discrete graphics solutions" ie a mobile video chipset like the MR9000/9200, GFGo4 or i suspect the MR9600. Dell, IBM and most other vendors offering a T&L class laptops provide Centrino lappys with nice cards. I suspect that the real limitation with the MR9600 is that it sucks power back like mad and that is somewhat contrary to the point of the Centrino platform (or really the P-M processor).

 

[ChaosX2]

Originally posted by: Lawranch
To be labled "Centrino" a laptop has to have a Pentium M Chip, Intel Motherboard, and Intel wireless Nic. The Intel boards have built in "extreme" graphics, and probably don't support an add in video card. You should be able to run Direct X 9, but would not be able to take advantage of it. Eventually you may see Pentium M laptops with a motherboard with a radeon 9600 on it, but it probably won't be labled "Centrino."

I was going to post a reply but badga beat me to it. Basically there are two versions of the Motherboard chipset.

 

[Black.Lotus]

badga- i thought the m10 had some mad power gating that would make it use the same/less power than the m9 in non-3d use.

 

[badga]

well i am no expert but i have to figure that if you are using it at full steam power gating is for nought....and keep in mind that they have to engineer a lappy's heat mgt assuming that its plugged in and running full power. If a GFgo 5600 or M10 sheds too much heat they may have some trouble fitting them in small T&L's like the T40 or even the D600 - here's hoping that is not the case - although i would be happy with a M9.