What Is Intel Atom Processor?

[delivi 0]

Atom is the new family of processors for Mobile Internet Devices.

 

It is based on an entirely new micro architecture designed specifically for small devices and low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo compatibility. It supports for multiple threads.

 

It will be the Intel's smallest and lowest power processor. It will be manufactured on Intel's 45nm process technology.

 

The chips will consume about 0.6 - 2.5 watt and can scale up to 1.8 GHz clock speeds.

 

 

Learn more about Intel Atom Processor

[shadowx 0]

I was gearing myself up for a nice scientific response then!but this is equally as interesting, i dont know how many of you know but google and apple are either independently, or jointly looking into "cloud" computing (i think its called that) In which you wont have anything stored on your hard drive except perhaps an OS (But even that will be minimal and perhaps not on the hard drive) Instead all of your data will be stored on the internet in large servers ran by google similar to the way google docs works now. All you will hold in your hand will be a tiny machine with a CPU, some RAM and a hard drive big enough to hold the protocols and software needed to make an internet connection.The reason i mention this is because these new processors could pave the way for such a scheme, not to mention the possibilities for extending laptop/PDA battery life and CPU power.It will be interesting to see the battery life of laptops in the next year or so.

[kobra500 1]

The "Cloud Computing would be useful for the third world laptops because they have basically no hard drive, just enough to run firefox and maybe a word proccessor. I however wouldn't buy anything but an ipod from apple because their software is flawed. I hve had 2 installation issues with itunes 7 for instance :@

[iGuest 3]

re-kobra500What Is Intel Atom Processor?

The "Cloud Computing would be useful for the third world laptops because they have basically no hard drive, just enough to run firefox and maybe a word proccessor. I however wouldn't buy anything but an ipod from apple because their software is flawed. I hve had 2 installation issues with itunes 7 for instance :@

[Alex Cicala 0]

This processor is ideal for Internet Surfing or small office tasks like schooling and things like this.I have seen them using Atom processors in portable computers the size of a Nokia n96. not sure of the name though.

[iGuest 3]

Some application you cannot run on Atom Processors, the heat emission is also very high compared to the size.  For example if you have to run Autocad Atom would not be the right for your need.  Its basically for hadheld computing application 

[H.O.D 0]

I'm using the Intel Atom processor right now and it's more than enough for my basic computing needs.The only problem I've had with it till now is that it tends to hang for a while even when I'm not using any heavy apps. But on the whole it's really smooth to work with and it's made netbooks really popular. Another great product from Intel!

[k_nitin_r 8]

Hi!@DeliviHow does a netbook or nettop with an Intel Atom processor differ from one that has an Intel Centrino Atom processor?@ShadowXCloud computing in the future could become just as popular as obtaining an Internet connection from an Internet Service Provider, a web hosting package, or maybe even cable TV. Cloud computing has many applications in the real world and can reduce the entry barriers for somebody, just about any Joe Schmoe, who wants to setup a business but does not want to invest in computers and IT infrastructure.@Alex CicalaWas the tiny palmtop computer that you looked at a Sony Vaio? Sony makes then and they are quite amazing. Sony also builds a netbook form factor laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor for the Japanese market. If you want something tiny that looks like a PDA but works like a computer, you ought to turn to Sony for the product, if you have the budget. Sony prices the laptops over that of their top-of-the-range laptops although the cost of the material for manufacturing the units would have been lower than for a regular laptop. Perhaps it's a statement from Sony to say small isn't always cheap.@HODWhen Intel comes up with a dual core version of the Intel Atom processor, you might not experience the lag any more.After the release of Intel's Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, the prices of the Core 2 Duo processors have dropped considerably and so the price difference between a Core 2 Duo and an Intel Atom processor is too low to be able to justify the purchase of an netbook or a nettop powered by an Atom, instead of an entry-level notebook or a full-featured desktop powered by a Core 2 Duo processor.

[-Sky- 0]

That's a little somewhat limited with clock speeds issn't it? In my opinion it sucks if it's only 1.x Ghz.

[fermin25 3]

Intel is the best company in processors. Well that is not a secret but this technology is awesome the consuming of this new processor is awesome it only use 0.2 watt and that is awesome because in old computer like mine the processor is the thing that more spend your money... It?s incredible that all we have a lot of good performance in the computer because I have to say that I tested a core 2 duo with a athlon and the difference is incredible Intel is the best processors manufacturer and maybe the 90% of all the computers use the intel processors before all the others bad processors. The question is this is a processor to mobile devices like an ipod or an celular? Because I worked in a cell phone workshop and I opened all the models of all the companies in the year that I worked there and I have to say that I never see any intel processor maybe this technology is new or they only have processors for mini-laptop or laptops. But it?s incredible that now there are a lot of cloned processors because I went to a store and buy a processor and it was cheap so I bougth it inmediately of course but in the house when i see it with detention I saw that that was a copy or a clon and I tested it in my computer because I can return the product to the store. And incredible in my computer it?s detected like an Intel processor core 2 duo. Maybe the piracy is very advanced in these days.

[mm22 0]

The question is this is a processor to mobile devices like an ipod or an celular? Because I worked in a cell phone workshop and I opened all the models of all the companies in the year that I worked there and I have to say that I never see any intel processor maybe this technology is new or they only have processors for mini-laptop or laptops.

If I am not mistaken Intel concentrates its efforts solely on the x86 family of processors, that is what powers most personal computers, laptops, servers around the world. Mobile phones, palmtops, and things like that are a different world. Since their inception they could not afford wasting any amount of energy and/or producing excessive heat. As such the Intel x86 type of processors were just not suitable for this category of products. So other architecture, like ARM, kept the scene up until today... Yes because I read somewhere that the new family of Intel Atom processors (still x86 based though) has cut such low energy consumption levels that it *might* become suitable for embedded applications such as those of mobile phones and portable devices. If that would ever happen the same operating system that powers the PC I am typing from could be *easily* installed onto a mobile phone without any modification, that is without the need to recompile all of its source files for the new architecture. Talking about operating systems, Linux has so far played a major role in embedded systems because of its source being publicly available thus enabling anyone to compile a version of the Linux kernels for their architecture (there are limits to that but in principle Linux can be run *anywhere*). Being able to use the same architecture (same CPU ultimately) on a mobile phone or on a laptop or on a server, might actually playing in favour of closed source operating systems like MS, given that an OS such as Windows will ever be made lean enough to run on a still limited piece of hardware.

But it?s incredible that now there are a lot of cloned processors because I went to a store and buy a processor and it was cheap so I bougth it inmediately of course but in the house when i see it with detention I saw that that was a copy or a clon and I tested it in my computer because I can return the product to the store. And incredible in my computer it?s detected like an Intel processor core 2 duo. Maybe the piracy is very advanced in these days.

I always wondered how come they clone everything (being it hardware or software) but I haven't heard of cloned Intel CPUs? Now I have :angel: And who know if one is running right under my fingers right now... after all the BIOS will not tell you.

[Ash-Bash 0]

This is a very good explanation of the Atom type processor. I wasn't 100% sure of what it was though I knew the basic's of it. I am not a fan of the Atom processors and would rather stick with my Core i7! Though this explanation will and should anyway help many.

[cunny 0]

Intel recognizes the value of a smaller Atom processor with lower power requirements. They have tremendous technology ideas to put into Intel.....

[Iniyila 2]

I think intel atom is a specific generation of CPU designed for a specific goal, they have used in the netbooks because they were thinking of making a small laptop but making a small laptop means it will have a small battery too, so if you can even use a notebook CPU for it (and you do not think about heat dissipation or the space you have or more important the design of motherboard for higher frequencies) you will face a real power consumption problem, so the main idea was building a cpu with power of pentium 4 cpus in the year of quad core ones for just obtaining a real low power consumption and they just did it well, for comparing them i will give you an example : the most used atom for netbooks was n270 and n280 and now n450 , now an intel 2.8GHz P4 uses about 84Watts TDP and a comparable atom which can be N450 uses 4.5Watts TDP , so they have done it astonishing. the performance is enough for a user which uses PC for multimedia (not HD), web surfing and other daily things, but when it comes to engineering i have a N210 samsung netbook with N450 cpu and it really can not open matlab software, so no usage for professioanl users.We have a cpu here which is extremely low on power consumption, a normal core2dou for notebooks will use around 35Watts TDP so if they provide an atom which uses 35watts then it should be comparable to T9600 with 35watt TDP usage, so this is why they do not even try to produce intel atoms with much higher frequencies and caches. the boards that come with nvidia ion are capable of playing HD movies and even playing games in low resolutions, but i think we should not ruin their power usage by increasing their performance because they have been made to be used in portable things with little batteries, if you want a powerful netbook then get a notebook . recently i can see many peoples buying motherboards based on intel atom processors which costs them little and will give them enough power for daily usage, the intel atom comes with these mother boards is D510 which uses 13 watts TDP which is not very little any more but it is very less than a desktop core2dou, so most of the times you get a whole case with TDP usage of around 25 watts, so you will spend less on your case and you will save money for monthly electrical power fee, D510 based motherboards are even capable of playing full HD movies because of their 400MHZ gpu frequency (this is 200 in N450).Why should someone buy an intel atom ? i have bought two intel atom based desktop PC, one for using as a Media Center for playing movies on our TV and another one a desktop PC. i bought the first and i have said why in the topic i created in hardware section, i bought the second one because i want to use my PC as a server for counter strike game, so i have reached this goal and D510 is surprisingly good for a 32 player counter strike game, and i do my daily works (an example is this post ) with it too while it is functioning as a server 24 hour a day. so i want to say some people buy it and some don't, you should think about it to see if it will do your work or no.

[ivamo 0]

This is for those readers who prefer to read in Macedonian language. I believe this is OK.Интел Атом Процесорите се микро-процесори, кои се употребуваат кај поновта генерација на преносни компјутери наречени НЕТБУК (NETBOOK), односно кај мобилните уреди кои користат интернет. Се користат поради малите потреби од енергија. Базирани се на 45 нанометарската технологија на Интел, трошат од 0,6 до 2,5 вати и можат да достигнат 1,8 гигахерци. Толку од мене и поздрав.Thanks,