Acer Ships Desktops With Quad-core Ivy Bridge Chips

Acer on Monday started shipping desktops that are among the first PCs available with Intel's third-generaton Core processors, code-named Ivy Bridge.

Acer's new desktops have quad-core Core i5 and i7 processors, which are among the new Ivy Bridge chips Intel is expected to announce on Monday. Acer will also introduce laptops and ultrabooks with new Core processors in the coming weeks and months, according to a company spokeswoman.

PCs currently come with Intel's second-generation Core processors code-named Sandy Bridge, which were introduced in early 2011. Acer has said tests show that Ivy Bridge processors can provide more than a 20 percent CPU performance improvement over Sandy Bridge, and 30 percent better graphics performance. The desktops will come with discrete graphics chips options from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices to further boost the graphics performance.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini last week said that the first Ivy Bridge chips will be quad-core processors for high-end systems. He also said that chips for mainstream laptops and desktops will come later this year, ahead of the back-to-school season, which starts around the middle of the year. Acer already introduced Aspire S5 ultrabook earlier this year with Ivy Bridge chips, saying the new processors offer much better performance while preserving battery life.

:story: PC World