Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Intel Atom


As Intel's smallest and lowest power processor², the Intel Atom processor will enable the industry to design new Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and affordable Internet-focused notebooks (netbooks) and desktops (nettops). This new processor also serves as the foundation for the all new Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology, a collection of chips that enables amazing Internet experiences in pocketable devices.

Newly designed from the ground up, 45nm Intel Atom processors pack an astounding 47 million transistors on a single chip measuring less than 25mm², making them Intel's smallest and lowest power processors.¹ All this, and while still delivering the power and performance you need for full Internet capabilities.

-Get a new range of power-efficient devices with excellent performance enabled by all new hafnium-infused 45nm high-k silicon technology
-Increase energy efficiency in smaller more compact designs with a thermal design power specification ranging from subwatt to 2.5 watts for mobile devices
-Extend battery life in select devices with an incredibly low idle power as low as 30 mW allowing the device to stay powered on while also conserving energy

Powering the next generation of Internet-centric devices, Intel Atom processors will power the latest in pocketable, portable devices. Based on an entirely new microarchitecture, the Intel Atom processor was developed specifically for performance and low power while maintaining full Intel® Core™ microarchitecture instruction set compatibility. Some Intel Atom processors will also feature multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness.

Devices powered by Intel Atom processors allow you to stay in touch on-the-go, connect to business and enjoy entertainment, remain connected affordably with a new series of netbooks and nettops, and so much more.

"SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 2, 2008 – The Intel® Atom™ processor will be the name for a new family of low-power processors designed specifically for mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and a new class of simple and affordable Internet-centric computers arriving later this year. Together, these new market segments represent a significant new opportunity to grow the overall market for Intel silicon, using the Intel Atom processor as the foundation. The company also announced the Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device.
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Intel® Atom™ processor Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology

The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new microarchitecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo instruction set compatibility consumers are accustomed to when using a standard PC and the Internet. The design also includes support for multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness. All of this on a chip that measures less than 25 mm², making it Intel's smallest and lowest power processor yet.1 Up to 11 Intel Atom processor die -- the tiny slivers of silicon packed with 47 million transistors each -- would fit in an area the size of an American penny.

These new chips, previously codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville, will be manufactured on Intel's industry-leading 45nm process with hi-k metal gate technology. The chips have a thermal design power (TDP) specification in 0.6-2.5 watt range and scale to 1.8GHz speeds depending on customer need. By comparison, today's mainstream mobile Core 2 Duo processors have a TDP in the 35-watt range.

"This is our smallest processor built with the world's smallest transistors," said Intel Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Sean Maloney. "This small wonder is a fundamental new shift in design, small yet powerful enough to enable a big Internet experience on these new devices. We believe it will unleash new innovation across the industry."

With personal computing increasingly going mobile and the computer industry rapidly developing new classes of products to connect the next billion people to the Internet, the Intel Atom processor offers customers the unique ability to innovate around the new low-power design. In addition to the MID opportunity, Intel believes the demand for a new category of low-cost, Internet-centric mobile computing devices dubbed "netbooks" and basic Internet-centric desktop PCs dubbed "nettops," will grow substantially over the next several years. The Intel Atom processor is perfectly suited to meet these new market segments.

Intel said the Intel Atom processor also has potential for future revenue opportunities in consumer electronic devices, embedded applications and thin clients."

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