Wired:

The Tegra 3 is the world’s first quad-core ARM A9-based processor, and features a 12-core GeForce graphics unit. Nvidia says the Tegra 3 offers three times the performance of its previous dual-core Tegra generation, and boasts improved multitasking, better web browsing, and smoother app performance.

It’s an impressive technical feat, and Asus plans to release a tablet using the chip sometime near the start of 2012. Nvidia’s Tegra 2 made inroads to the tablet and smartphone markets. The company is continuing to leverage its core strength – a strong rapport with software developers, especially game developers – to remain an important component source for tablet makers as Android-based devices continue to flood the marketplace.