Atom to shrink by 60%

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 21 Jan 2009 at 09:30

The next generation Intel Atom will be around 60% smaller than its predecessor, according to new reports.

The report in the Digitimes reiterates earlier rumours that the next-generation Atom, dubbed Pineview, will feature "built-in northbridge functions, including a memory controller and integrated graphics processor."

This will allow Intel to shrink the Atom from the 2174 square millimetres it currently occupies on the motherboard, to a mere 773 square millimetres. Also falling is the processor's TDP, down from eight watts to seven watts.

Elsewhere, the report suggests Pineview will be manufactured using Intel's 45nm process and feature clock speeds of around 2Ghz, a significant improvement on the current generation's 1.67GHz cut off.

Pineview will be available in single-core and dual-core versions, and is set to be released in the second half of 2009.