Nvidia licenses Transmeta power management technology

Nvidia today licensed a collection of technologies from Transmeta that will potentially allow the company to squeeze a bit more energy efficiency out of is graphics processors. Costing them a one-time license fee of $25 million, the deal will grant Nvidia access to Transmeta’s LongRun and LongRun2 power optimization technologies along with other intellectual property.

Such licensing deals have become Transmeta’s bread and butter ever since it gave up on making chips, and follows a large settlement with Intel over its power-saving technologies for $250 million last year. Neither of the involved companies has described any future products likely to use the technology, though Nvidia spokesperson Derek Perez said the graphics firm needs Transmeta’s low-power technologies to better meet the requirements of the laptop and handheld markets.