Nvidia ups the ante on laptop graphics

One of the major hurdles that notebook computer owners traditionally have had to overcome was the platform’s relative weakness in the graphics department, compared to what you could find on a desktop computer. With the rapid advancement in laptop technology, Nvidia is developing a dual graphic card design for your portable computer.

Said to integrate the awe-inspiring SLI graphics, the pair of MXM graphic modules will likely never find its way onto the thin-and-light incarnations of notebooks. This is due in part to the power-hungry nature of this graphics technology, as well as the potential over-heating issues that may be involved. You’ll need a massive battery, and a impressive cooling system to run the SLI graphics.

So, you’d be in the market for a more “desktop replacement” design than a truly portable notebook computer. The chipset to accompany will likely also be designed by Nvidia, in the form of the Nforce 4 SLI for notebooks.

Look for SLI graphic-enabled laptops likely sometime this quarter, accompanied with some pretty hefty price tags.