Nvidia is clearly in with Intel: it's announced a netbook integrated-graphics chipset designed to work with the Atom CPU.

Enter the GeForce 9400 - codenamed 'Ion' - which essentially knocks the socks off the Intel integrated graphics Atom-based netbooks have thus far shipped with.

For instance, Nvidia touted its part's ability to smoothly process 1080p HD video - though how much 1080 video will be displayed on devices with a 1024 x 600 display and only VGA output is open to question.

Nvidia also boasted this can be done with "minimal affect on battery life".

Rarely, for an Nvidia announcement, there were no hardware suppliers on hand to talk about their decision to use the new part. But with CES just around the curve, we expect netbook makers to be quickly announcing product line revamps that use the Nvidia part rather than Intel's clunkly, old GMA 950 graphics.

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