According to sources, Apple has made the decision to use Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge processors for its MacBook lineup, something that would occur in 2011.  This would probably force out Nvidia's graphics processors for some models of the lineup.

The Sandy Bridge processor, which will be formally announced on January 5 at the Consumer Electronics Show, would be placed on new MacBooks which will ultimately supersede the current models.  Currently, MacBooks utilize Nvidia graphics chips along with the Intel Core i Series as well as Core 2 Duo processors.  However, with the potential graphics capabilities of Sandy Bridge, it looks as though Cupertino will not be proceeding with Nvidia's graphics processing units for some versions.

The plan is that MacBook models with screen sizes of 13 inches on down will make the switch to Sandy Bridge-only graphics, and on the other end of the spectrum, MacBook Pros will be using graphics from Advanced Micro Devices, say sources.  Whether or not Nvida will make the cut in the higher end MacBook Pros remains to be seen yet.

What's Sandy Bridge Again?

It's a pretty huge milestone for Intel, because it'll be the first time for a mainstream product, where the graphics chip will get grafted directly onto the main processor, which would not only boost performance of course, but it would also provide the graphics function for free. 

"Historically, if you look at those low-end devices, the 13-inch class products, there's not a lot of room for a discrete GPU.  So, going forward, if [Apple was] going to use Sandy Bridge in a low-end product, I think they would have to rely exclusively on the Sandy Bridge integrated graphics," says Nathan Brookwood, a principal analyst with Insight64.

"I'd say…we can expect (about) 2x the performance of [the latest] graphics," notes Anand Shimpi, CEO of Anandtech, which recently did a preview of Sandy Bridge's graphics performance.  "At that level of performance, I don't see a need for discrete [standalone Nvidia or Advanced Mircro Devices] graphics at the very low end," he said.

What Does This Potentially Mean For Apple?

An adoption of Sandy Bridge in various MacBook designs would mean one of the largest endorsements of Intel technology going back to when Apple made a slight transition from IBM-Motorola PowerPC chips to Intel five years ago.  With that, there is also a recognition that Intel's graphics technology, could offer the best bang for the buck, even if it is not an industry leader.

Regardless, things will certainly only continue to heat up as CES gets closer, and 2010 begins to wind down!

via CNET

Follow this article's author, Matthew Tilmann on Twitter

(Image courtesy of gotboredreadme.com)