Intel Officially Announces "Pineview" Atom Chips, "Pine Trail" Netbook Platform

From DailyTech: Netbooks have been one of the biggest technology stories over the last couple of years. The concept is simple: build a lightweight, compact, and affordable mobile computer that is just powerful enough to check for email and surf the internet. Intel enabled the explosion of the netbook market with its low-voltage Atom processors and currently holds a dominant position in this rapidly growing segment.

Although current Atom processors consume very little power, their supporting chipsets do not.
For example, while the Atom N270 processor has a 2.5W TDP (Thermal Design Power), the 945GSE chipset and 82801GBM (ICH7M) I/O controller it is usually paired up with is rated for 9.3W. Intel currently builds Atom processors on a 45nm process, but the chipset itself is built on a much older 90nm process.

To address this issue, Intel has been working on a next-generation Atom chip codenamed Pineview. The new chip integrates the DDR2 memory controller and graphics processor on the CPU die. Not only this this reduce power consumption, it also dramatically lowers production costs by reducing the number of chips needed.

Further cost savings are achievable by using four-layer Printed Circuit Boards, since the new chips require less complicated routing. It is expected that these savings will be passed on to consumers.

Intel is citing a 20% reduction in average power consumption and 60% smaller package size as enabling new smaller and thinner netbook form factors. The company recommends that its Atom CPUs only be used in mobile computers with a maximum screen size of 10.2 inches. Notebooks larger than that should be equipped with an Ultra-Low Voltage CPU instead.

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