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Intel announces Centrino Atom platform for mobile devices

by Julian Prokaza on Monday 03 March 2008 Comment

Intel Centrino Atom logo

Intel has announced the branding for its forthcoming range of low-power processors designed for handheld devices. Formerly referred to by the codenames of Silverthorne and Diamondville, the chips will now go by the moniker Atom.

The Intel Atom uses the same instruction set as the Core 2 Duo processor, but it’s a completely new design that represents Intel’s smallest-ever processor. The Atom is just 25mm2 with 47 million transistors, compared to 410 million on the latest 143mm2 Core 2 Duo. The new chip will run at speeds up to 1.8GHz and draw between 0.6 and 2.5W – the Core 2 Duo draws around 35W.

Atom will form part of Intel’s new Centrino Atom mobile platform – formerly known as ‘Menlow’ – along with a low-power integrated graphics chip and wireless radio.

Intel is pitching Atom at a number of new classes of mobile device, including the MID (Mobile Internet Device) and internet-centric mobile devices dubbed “netbooks”. Working Atom-based devices have already been demonstrated and the new platform is expected to be launched later this year.

Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing

 

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