Imagination's PowerVR chips promise faster graphics and even physics for future phone and PDAs

Imagination demonstrated their upcoming graphics chip in the PowerVR SGX family. Here it's running inside a regular PC, but the final version will be used in phones and PDAs.

Imagination demonstrated their upcoming graphics chip in the PowerVR SGX family. Here it’s running inside a regular PC, but the final version will be used in phones and PDAs.

Imagination reps showed off Quake III running off the chip. The demo completed quickly and without any obvious glitches.

Imagination reps showed off Quake III running off the chip. The demo completed quickly and without any obvious glitches.

Reps also ran 3DMark, a popular graphics benchmark program.

Of course, such a chip cannot run the benchmark with all the shaders and effects turned on, but such performance should be acceptable to most mobile users.

Of course, such a chip cannot run the benchmark with all the shaders and effects turned on, but such performance should be acceptable to most mobile users.

Imagination believes their chips will eventually be powerful enough for desktops and laptops. The company doesn't have its own fabs and licenses the intellectual property and code to major chip makers.

Imagination believes their chips will eventually be powerful enough for desktops and laptops. The company doesn’t have its own fabs and licenses the intellectual property and code to major chip makers.

Basic information about the Power VR chip.

Basic information about the Power VR chip.

The company has been producing accelerated graphics technology for mobile phones for years. Here is a fun racing game played on a Nokia phone.

The company has been producing accelerated graphics technology for mobile phones for years. Here is a fun racing game played on a Nokia phone.

Reps also demoed a fighting game with a rotatable battlefield.

Reps also demoed a fighting game with a rotatable battlefield.

Oh no, a giant rabbit is running around destroying things. Company reps said future chips would be capable of faster graphics and even physics.

Oh no, a giant rabbit is running around destroying things. Company reps said future chips would be capable of faster graphics and even physics.