Nvidia has finally officially unveiled its Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip (SoC). The 40nm ARM-based chip reportedly consumes less power than Intel's Atom, and even Qualcomm's Snapdragon, whilst being brawny enough to pump HD video. Tegra 2 offers "uncompromised graphics" capable of delivering over 16 hours of HD video or 140 hours of music on a single charge.



It features eight independent processors, including dual ARM Cortex A9 cores, and is up to four times faster than the previous generation Tegra. According to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeny, the SoC's specs are comparable to both current high-end game consoles and high-end gaming PCs from two to four years ago. As proof, the chip was demonstrated running Unreal Engine 3, the engine that powers games like BioShock, Mass Effect and Gears of War.

Tegra 2 is currently in production, and a developer kit is available for those interested in creating applications for Tegra-powered devices.