Chip makers soon will deliver one of biggest advances in years in the technology that powers laptop and desktop computers. But how much consumers -- and the chip companies -- will benefit is in question.

　　不久，芯片制造商們將會發(fā)布筆記本和臺式電腦驅(qū)動技術(shù)多年來取得的一項最大進展。但有多少消費者以及芯片公司能從中得益還是個問題。

　　The design trend, expected to be the focus of announcements by Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. at the Consumer Electronics Show early next month, is based on bringing together two long-separate classes of products: microprocessors, the calculating engines that run most PC software; and graphics processing units, which render images in videogames and other programs.

　　這種設(shè)計趨勢預(yù)計將會是下個月初舉行的消費電子產(chǎn)品展（Advanced Micro Devices Inc.）上英特爾公司（Intel Corp.）和高級微設(shè)備公司（Advanced Micro Devices Inc.）宣布的重點內(nèi)容。它基于將長期以來獨立存在的兩種產(chǎn)品融合于一體：微處理器，即大多數(shù)計算機軟件的計算引擎；以及為視頻游戲和其他程序渲染圖像的圖形處理單元。

　　Putting the two technologies on one piece of silicon reduces the distance electrical signals must travel and speeds up some computing chores. It also lowers the number of components computer makers need to buy, cutting production costs and helping to shrink the size of computers. Such integrated chips are expected to allow low-priced systems to carry out tasks that currently add hundreds of dollars to the price of a personal computer, such as the ability to play high-definition movies and videogames and to convert video and audio files to different formats quickly.

　　將這兩種技術(shù)融入到一個芯片中，能縮短電子信號的傳輸距離并加快某些計算任務(wù)的速度，同時還能減少電腦制造商需要購買的元件數(shù)量，降低生產(chǎn)成本，有助于縮小電腦尺寸。這種整合芯片預(yù)計將會使低價計算機能夠執(zhí)行目前價格高出數(shù)百美元的計算機才能完成的任務(wù)，例如播放高清電影和玩高清視頻游戲，迅速將視頻和音頻文件轉(zhuǎn)成不同格式。

　　The approach is going to change the way people build PCs and buy PCs,' Paul Otellini, Intel's chief executive, predicted at an investor conference early this month.

　　英特爾首席執(zhí)行長歐德寧（Paul Otellini）本月初在一次投資者會議中預(yù)測說，這種設(shè)計將會改變?nèi)藗兩a(chǎn)和購買個人電腦的模式。

　　But the benefits won't be measurable until after the CES show, when computer makers are expected to disclose their plans for using the technology. And some industry executives insist that many PC users will continue to seek even better performance by picking systems with separate graphics-processing-unit chips.

　　但是這種技術(shù)的好處還不可衡量，直到電腦制造商在消費電子產(chǎn)品展展示他們使用這項技術(shù)的計劃才能知道。一些行業(yè)高管堅持認為，許多個人電腦用戶會繼續(xù)選擇獨立的微處理器和圖形處理單元芯片系統(tǒng)以尋求更好性能。