Contradicting reports in recent weeks that Apple’s next refresh of the Mac mini, MacBook and MacBook Pro lines will feature Intel’s latest Arrandale integrated graphics chipset are new rumors that Cupertino has instead passed on the chip altogether.

BrightSideofNews is reporting the new rumor, claiming that their sources have told them that Apple has allegedly refused to adopt Intel’s mobile Arrandale chip and the Cappella platform in its default form. “In order for Apple to implement Calpella design with their next refresh of Mac mini / MacBook / MacBook Pro lines,” the report claims, “Intel will have to to provide Apple with the 32nm version without the integrated graphics part.”

MacRumors claims that the new rumor is generating some heated debate in their “Waiting for Arrandale” forum thread, both because of the untested source of the rumor as well as for the technical implications of creating a custom chip strictly for Apple.

Of course, Intel’s timing with Arrandale is interesting, since Apple has already switched from Intel to NVIDIA chipsets for their notebook computers in the last year, resulting in significantly improved integrated graphics performance. Intel and NVIDIA are already embroiled in their own legal drama due to a licensing disagreement that has already seen NVIDIA exit the chipset market.

For their part, the new integrated graphics chipset included in Intel’s Arrandale is also said to be a significant improvement over their previous chips. Apple could use Intel’s chipset and still offer a different graphics card in their notebooks, but MacRumors points out that the benefit of such a graphics-less Arrandale chip aren’t clear.

It’s expected that Apple will again refresh their MacBook Pro line in the first half of 2010.