Intel showed off today a new processor called "Sandy Bridge". Awful name, but it's a promising piece of technology. So promising, in fact, that the boss of Valve was on-hand to pat it on the proverbial back.


With the studio developing Portal 2 with the "Sandy Bridge" specifically in mind, Valve boss Gabe Newell took to the stage at the Consumer Electronic Show and said "It's a real game changer for us. This allows for a console like experience on the PC."

What he likely means is that the chip, which is so powerful it combines a regular processor's functionality with that of a graphics card, goes a long way towards doing away with PC hardware specifications. If you've got a Sandy Bridge (God I hope the product's final name is less creepy to type), it's hoped that you'll be able to drop in a game and play without having to worry about your CPU, GPU, etc, just like console owners can do.


Emphasis on hoped.

Intel Unveils Sandy Bridge [IBT] [image credit]