Personal computing is increasingly going mobile and that the computer industry is rapidly developing new classes of products to connect the next billion people to the Internet, Intel have announced the Intel Atom processor - 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. The company also announced the Intel Centrino Atom processor technology for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device. The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new micro-architecture 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. These new chips, previously codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville, will be manufactured in Intel’s 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. The Intel Centrino Atom processor technology, formerly codenamed “Menlow,” includes the Intel Atom processor, a low-power companion chip with integrated graphics, a wireless radio, and thinner and lighter designs. 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 and the Intel Atom processor is designed to meet the needs of 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.
Intel Atom processors, just like the latest Intel Core 2 and Intel Xeon chips, are produced using 45nm process technology. At present Intel has two 300mm fabs that produce chips using 45nm process technology – D1D in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Fab 32 in Chandler, Arizona. Given that Intel has a plan to aggressively ramp up production of new desktop processors using the new process technology, a slight mistake in demand prediction automatically means shortages of Intel Atom chips, which hardly received the first priority from Intel. Two additional 45nm, 300mm manufacturing factories are scheduled to open this year in Kiryat Gat, Israel (Fab 28) and Rio Rancho, New Mexico (Fab 11x), which will let Intel to manufacture sufficient amount of Atom, Core 2 and Xeon processors. Approximately 2.5 thousand Atom processors can be made on a single 300mm wafer.
Intel’s first processor for nettops – desktop ULCPCs – is Intel Atom 230, which has one processing core with multi-threading technology, works at 1.60GHz, sports 512KB of L2 cache and uses 533MHz PSB. The chip has 4W TDP and is compatible with Intel 945GC core-logic with built-in DirectX 9-class graphics core.
According to Intel, there is significant interest from system vendors in netbooks and nettops and the company expects about 10 designs to be launching from Acer, Asustek computer, Elitegroup Computer Systems, Gigabyte, Malata, Medion, MicroStar Internationa, Quanta, Shuttle and other companies. Besides, they will be available throughout 2008 from Sylvania, Toshiba and others.
The category of low-cost desktop or mobile computers is hardly completely new: Via Technologies and Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. have been developing chipset and processor solutions to enable truly affordable personal computers for years.
However, the idea of ULCPC was reborn with the emergence of Asus Eee PC, which was initially positioned for education marketsin the developing world, but quickly became a mobile companion for a smartphones in well-developed countries. According to some observers, Internet-oriented desktops and notebooks will continue gain popularity across the world thanks to availability of content and services that entertain or allow to perform the number of tasks sufficient for an average user.
