Nvidia Shield Tablet
Nvidia's original Shield handheld was aimed at gamers. While it served its purpose, it did not appeal to the masses. That changed with the release of Nvidia's Shield tablet. The $299 device features an 8-inch display and the company's acclaimed Tegra K1 processor. It's not just a screen for hardcore gamers anymore. The Shield can be used as a media tablet as well as a gaming device.
The computing power of the Shield
The new Tegra K1 mobile processor is the heart of the Shield tablet. It has 102 Kepler cores, DirectX 12, Open GL, and supports Unreal Engine 4. That means it's on par with the capabilities of many gaming PCs. A similar computing architecture is used in Nvidia's desktop GPUs. Nvidia claims that the Shield is powered by the world's fastest mobile processor, as Kepler cores are paired with a 2.2GHz quad-core Cortex A15 processor.
Nvidia Shield has 2GB of RAM, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz compatibility, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, GPS radio and Bluetooth 4.0 LE. All of this adds up to an incredibly fast and efficient computing experience that dwarfs almost every other Android tablet on the market. As you move between menus and programs, it's easy and fluid. Shield's user experience design is top-notch. Applications load in seconds, making even complex games ready in seconds.
Battery Life
The Shield's 5300 mAh battery lasts nine hours, even when the user is constantly operating the device. Those who use it regularly will be able to avoid charging the device for a day and a half or more. It's not the best battery life in a tablet, but it's certainly top-notch.
How it looks
Aesthetically, the Shield is monochrome, coming in deep black and high-gloss light black. It's not the most colorful tablet, but it has a unique style. Its top speaker bar is divided by a 5-megapixel camera. The Shield has slim black speakers on the bottom, edges, and top. The Nvidia Shield measures 8.8 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 0.35 inches thick. It has an 8-inch 1920 x 1200 screen and weighs just 13.7 ounces. The screen is very bright and the image is very clear.
There are multiple ports, buttons, and various controls around the perimeter of the device, including volume controls, power button, microSD slot, and the right side of the stylus. Dubbed Direct Stylus 2.0, the stylus works with impressive precision. Users can purchase a magnetic cover that easily folds up and activates the Shield with a simple twist.
Shield Game Controller
For those who want to use the Shield, there is an optional Shield Wireless Controller for gaming. Highly recommended for precise control of games played on Shield. Controllers are an additional $60. It runs over WiFi with very low latency. The Shield can also connect to any Bluetooth gamepad, giving gamers who opt for the Nvidia Shield more of a controller option.
