Intel will jump first in early 2010 with a version of Atom that includes an on-die GPU
This past Thursday, Intel briefed journalists on its forthcoming Atom version, codenamed Pine Trail, and on its plans to launch a slew of new processors at CES. Apart from the launch details, the company’s general message to the press was clear: during the downturn, Intel continued to invest in R&D, and now it’s fully set for the 2010 rebound that IDC, Gartner, and others are predicting. Let’s take a look at what Intel has planned for 2010.
The next big development in PC system architecture will happen when the GPU makes the jump onto the CPU die; AMD will make that leap in 2011, with its Llano processors, but Intel will jump first in early 2010 with a version of Atom that includes an on-die GPU. I’ve detailed this next-gen Atom in previous coverage, so refer to that for more information. What Intel revealed on Friday were the specifics of the Pine Trail launch lineup.
The table below gives the vital statistics for the three processors that will be launching at CES, all of which have on-die Intel GMA graphics:
N450: Single Core 1.66GHz/512K Cache/DDR2-667/5.5W TDP
D510: Dual Core 1.66GHz/1MB Cache/DDR2-800/667/13W TDP
D410: Single Core 1.66GHz/512K Cache/DDR2-800/667/10W TDP
The N450 is aimed at netbooks, while the D510 and D410 are aimed at “entry-level desktops.” This latter category consists of what Intel used to call “nettops,” but the moniker failed to catch on so it has been ditched. It’s hard to imagine why anyone in their right mind would buy an Atom-based desktop system, given the chip’s slow-as-molasses performance (especially under Windows 7). The only reason I could think of for a vendor to use one is if it’s targeting an aggressive, novel form-factor that needs a 10W to 13W TDP and can sacrifice performance.
Source: Ars Technica
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