Discrete graphics cards in notebooks make more than playing games possible. This is why you see discrete graphics cards on notebooks that are not meant for gaming. A discrete GPU on a notebook also allows the decoding of HD video on the GPU freeing the CPU up so the entire system runs faster.

AMD has announced at CeBIT that it has the world’s first 40nm GPUs that are in its Mobility Radeon HD 4860 and 4830 lines. The GPUs support DirectX 10.1 games and offer HD multimedia capability. AMD says the GPUs are also optimized for long battery life.

The first notebook to use the HD 4860 will be the Asus L notebook. The 40nm process technology allows AMD to package the GPU on a smaller die that makes the new GPUs appropriate for smaller notebooks. Support for GDDR5 RAM is featured on the HD 4860 as well. AMD says products using the new GPUs will be on the market by Q2 2009.

AMD