Intel's Centrino Atom processor chipset, which was announced last month, includes graphics and video processors from Hertfordshire-based Imagination Technologies.
The cores are PowerVR SGX graphics and VXD multi-standard HD video processors, which will be located in what Intel calls the 'system controller hub' - one chip which combines north bridge, south bridge and graphics chipset functions.
SGX is a programmable shader type graphics processor. "It is a scalabe product family from versions for mid-range cell phones to high-end arcade consols," said spokesman David Harold. "Intel has licenced one of them. We are not allowed to say which one, but it is obviously not the entry level."
Intel declares the perormance as 400Mpixel/s peak fill rate.
The video processor is Imagination's "massively multi-standard" VXD370, said Harold.
Video standards covered by the 370 include: H.264 (to High Profile), WMV9 (to Main profile), VC1 (to Advanced profile), MPEG-2 (Main profile), MPEG-4 (to Advanced simple profile), and JPEG. However is is unclear whether Intel has taken all of the options or not.
China's new AVS standard is not on the list, although Imagination has included it in its forthcomming VXD380.
Under the terms of its licensing arrangements Imagination receives license fees and royalty revenues on SoCs incorporating its intellectual property shipped by partners.
This is not the first time Intel has adopted cores from Imagination.
In 2002 Intel licenced Imagination's MBX 3D graphics technology, which emerged in 2004 in Intel's 2700G mobile graphics alongside the PowerVR video accelerator.
In 2006 the firms signed a collaborative agreement [LINK TO 2 October 2006
Imagination Technologies] to put more Imagination cores in Intel PCs and mobiles.
As part of the tie-up with Intel Capital put £5.28m into the video processor firm, giving it a 2.9 per cent stake in Imagination.
See also: Electronics Weekly's focus on microprocessors, a roundup of content related to x86 microprocessor technologies and developments.
See also: What's in the (Intel Atom) brand?, Electro-ramblings blog