SoundStorm 2: SoundStorm Strikes Back?

Although NVIDIA’s public relations department has repeatedly said SoundStorm is dead, we believe it may possibly make a return and have received un-official information that NVIDIA may introduce a new generation of APUs (Audio Processing Units) for its Chipsets with the possibility of bringing back SoundStorm Technology in one form or another.

Currently the NVIDA C51 is rumored to launch September 20 of this year, what prominently makes this Chipset special is the rebirth of NVIDIA integrated graphics. Although the graphics core is only expected to perform at a maximum like a GeForce 6200 GPU, this will be the first NVIDIA Chipset since 2002 that supports such integrated graphics technology. Like the nForce 4 Intel SLI edition, the C51 will first be available for AMD’s processors but it’s expected NVIDIA will later release a C51 Intel variant; code-named the C60.

Even though we haven’t received any decisive information whether or not a revamped APU, with new NVIDIA audio technologies, could make its return as soon as the C51/C60, it’s expected NVIDIA is planning on offering its new audio wares for Intel and AMD Chipsets early next year or even possibly Q4 of this year.

Phoronix