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Are Nvidia graphics getting cored out of Apple laptops?

It looks like Nvidia may be getting shot on both sides when it comes to Apple and graphics solutions for its laptops. The result could be that the green giant is out of most Apple notebooks in 2011, with AMD and Intel dividing the spoils.
Written by Sean Portnoy, Contributor

It looks like Nvidia may be getting shot on both sides when it comes to Apple and graphics solutions for its laptops. The result could be that the green giant is out of most Apple notebooks in 2011, with AMD and Intel dividing the spoils.

Already rumors have been flying that Apple is satisfied enough with the integrated graphics in Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge processors that it will eschew Nvidia on the low end (well, low end for Apple). Now Fudzilla is reporting that its sources believe AMD will deepen its relationship with Apple by selling its Mobility Radeon cards to the computing giant for new MacBook Pros. We've already seen that the Mobility Radeon 6900HD series is coming in a forthcoming Alienware laptop, and it would provide a huge boost over the GeForce GT 330M cards in the current MBPs.

Nvidia would apparently still provide the graphics for MacBook Airs, and it's unclear how much money it stands to lose if it's shut out of the other MacBooks. Fudzilla also believes AMD probably wouldn't be making much out of a deal with Apple since it tends to sell its mobile GPUs for a loss to gain market share. Still, such a choice would make a notable public statement, one Nvidia likely doesn't need the world to hear. We'll probably know more next month when Steve Jobs delivers his annual MacWorld keynote.

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