NamelessFragger: Let's put it this way-the GeForce 4 Go 420 32 MB in my TC1100, which is a GeForce 4 MX in mobile form with a pathetic amount of slow VRAM, would still utterly SPANK a GMA950 (it at least has HT&L!)...and yet the latter somehow runs Aero in Vista/Win7 (and Quartz Extreme + Core Image in OS X, even more jarringly). I'm guessing it's because Intel has the shaders emulated on the CPU, whereas NVIDIA or ATI would never settle for that and just limit the capability bits instead.
Miaghstir: Hmm... wasn't it Intel that created the horrendous AC'97 sound chip/card/I-say-I-can-do-anything-but-really-just-pass-it-off-to-the-CPU as well? Oh, yeah, and USB, which is basically the same thing for connection between devices (I can talk to anything, if only the CPU tells me _exactly_ how to do it).
Come to think of it, you're right on both counts. No wonder I insist on SoundStorm/X-Fi and FireWire whenever possible...oh, and don't forget their chipset RAID controllers that put the burden on the CPU, too!
I guess they want people to utilize their product as much as possible to the point where when it feels too slow after those things start soaking up all the CPU cycles, then they can sell them an even faster CPU.
