| Introduction: | | | | components going inside the semiconductor are |
| Intel has introduced two versions of the Atom | | | | smaller. As a comparison, the Celeron chip utilises |
| processor. The ones, which are of the series 2xx, | | | | 90nm technology, and each of the logical gates |
| 3xx and N2xx with codename "Diamondville", | | | | within it is four times the size of that of the |
| have been especially designed for nettops and | | | | Atom. |
| netbooks, while the Z5xx codenamed | | | | Devices built with Atom processors run cooler. |
| "Silverthorne" is for the mobile Internet devices | | | | While in the usual mobile processors the thermal |
| (MIDs). This particular chip is physically much | | | | design power (TDP) may top at 100 degree |
| smaller in size than the others with low power | | | | Celsius or more, the Atom family runs a bit |
| drain, making it suitable for MIDs. | | | | cooler, topping at 90 degrees with some of the |
| Nettops are the future concept of desk top PCs, | | | | processors having a maximum of 85 degrees |
| in which there would be a solid state disk, no | | | | Celsius. This makes a lot of difference when you |
| optical drive, and would have a few USB ports for | | | | consider hand-held and pocket-sized MIDs. The |
| your convenience. It would be a low cost item, | | | | processors do not only make the size of the |
| around $300, and would be used for basic | | | | devices smaller, but also reduces battery drain |
| computing tasks in which you would be able to | | | | from cooling fans. |
| surf the Internet, access web based and rich | | | | Applications: |
| internet applications, and have audio and video | | | | Intel's Atom processor has the smallest footprint, |
| playback. The netbooks would be ultra-thin | | | | and with its low power consumption and intricate |
| notebooks having wireless connectivity and all | | | | instruction sets, the processor has set a new |
| other functions of a nettop. | | | | standard in Internet computing. On an average |
| Intel's Atom processor for mobile Internet | | | | the Atom family draws about 2watts of power, |
| devices brings to you the smallest pocket size | | | | which makes it an ideal processor for mobile |
| Internet experience, having low power | | | | Internet device (MIDs), netlops, and netbooks. |
| consumption and high performance. Intel brings in | | | | One of the Atom family members, the N270 |
| a revolution in MIDs design, and these devices | | | | processor, has wide range of applications in |
| would gain much competitive advantage utilising | | | | industrial computing. The device with its low |
| Intel Atom processors, along with low power | | | | power consumption gives a superb thermal |
| companion chips with integrated graphics, providing | | | | performance allowing fan-less operations. This |
| an Internet experience and high definition video. | | | | becomes an important factor since, with the |
| The architecture: | | | | absence of moving parts, such as the fan, the |
| The Atom family has 32 KB of L1 instruction | | | | overall reliability of the system designed increases |
| cache, 24 KB of L1 data cache and an L2 cache | | | | appreciably, and there is no need to make |
| of 512 KB, with 1 MB in the dual core processor, | | | | provisions for vents in the design. |
| and the types and capacities in the processors | | | | Critical evaluation: |
| are determined by the chipsets and not by the | | | | What does the Atom family has to offer? It is |
| processors. | | | | quite interesting to note that Intel's Atom family |
| The Atom has been built on a different | | | | has modern functions like, Extended Memory 64 |
| micro-architecture than those of the present dual | | | | Technology (EM64T), Supplemental Streaming |
| core ones, and yet the Atom family contains the | | | | SIMD Extension 3 (SSSE3), etc. put onto an older |
| same instruction set as found in x86 processors | | | | architecture. Since the Pentium, the Atom is the |
| as in the core architecture. The processors like | | | | first to be x86 family of processors. The power |
| the Pentium Pro, Pentium II and higher ran | | | | management in the processors and their |
| microinstructions not in order, where-as the Atom | | | | fabrication have been the two most important |
| runs such instructions in order just like the first | | | | factors in cost saving at the expense of |
| Pentium. This has enabled reduction in cost, since | | | | performance, and as such it does not make the |
| the components requited for sending and | | | | Atom to be a competitor to Core 2 Duo. |
| controlling microinstructions has been removed | | | | Reports say that power consumption and |
| from the design. | | | | attempt to integrate processors into portable or |
| Intel's Atom processor brings in the power of | | | | embedded devices have always been a problem |
| mobile Internet, as the smallest mobile Internet | | | | for Intel. The Atom processors are not the first |
| processor in the world. The Atom measures less | | | | ones that Intel has attempted to bring out aimed |
| than 25 square millimeters in size, with the | | | | at the same kinds of applications. However, the |
| 45nm-process chips having a thermal design | | | | Atom family is radically different from others in |
| specification of 0.6 to 2.5 Watt range, going up to | | | | the sense that Intel has a new architecture in the |
| a speed of 1.8 GHz. | | | | Atom which drastically reduces power |
| The Atom family, the smallest of all processors, | | | | consumption. |
| has certain reasons to be small. First, the Atom | | | | Few of the test results obtained while comparing |
| processors are all 32bit x86 chips, and by this | | | | the Atom against C7 and Celeron-M show that, |
| Intel have done away with 64bit processing with | | | | the overall performance of Atom falls in between |
| a view that the MIDs of today's and tomorrow's | | | | C7 and Celeron-M, when under an identical |
| are not going to be available with 64bit | | | | frequency condition. The tests were carried out in |
| processing, there-by using less number of | | | | Netbooks with the frequency of C7 set to close |
| transistors. The concept has reduced the price of | | | | to that of the Atom and the Celeron-M at a |
| Atom processors. | | | | significantly lower frequency. It was concluded |
| Design features: | | | | that the Atom based machines would have the |
| Most of the Atom family utilises the ability of | | | | same kind of performance as that of the |
| using the idle processor time forming a virtual | | | | machines that we have today. |
| second processor, which is termed as | | | | Whatever it is, the battery life is of a great |
| "hyperthreading technology". In this, the operating | | | | concern as far as portable machines are |
| system looks at each of the core as dual | | | | concerned. This is going to be an important factor |
| processors, often called two threads. No doubt | | | | for the user. It was found that cooling |
| that this technology is less efficient than "dual | | | | requirements in a desktop wind PC were much |
| core" systems, but then again it provides the | | | | lower for an Atom based machine, and it can be |
| system with extra performance. The clock speed | | | | concluded that it will be even lower in portable |
| of Atom processors remains the same even | | | | machines. In the event the Atom proves to be |
| when idling, and does not clock down in idle state. | | | | more battery efficient than Celeron-M, then we |
| The Atom has been designed using 45 nanometer | | | | might see more Atom based Eee PC owners, |
| (nm) technology, which has made the Atom | | | | with users selling off their Celeron-M based |
| processor the smallest in the world. This has been | | | | systems to upgrade to the Atom based ones. |
| possible with the reduction in the die size since the | | | | |