Intel begins shipping Cedar Trail Atom chips for netbooks, better performance same low power consumption
Posted on 28. Dec, 2011 by LaptopMan in Industry News, Netbooks
The netbook isn’t dead, no matter what you might have heard. The mini-laptops are still being developed along with the hardware that resides within them. Just today Intel announced they had begun shipping the latest Intel Atom processing chips for netbooks, the 32nm Cedar Trail processors.
According to Intel the two chips they released today, the dual-core 1.60GHz Intel Atom N2600 and dual-core 1.86GHz Intel Atom N2800, will provide netbooks with big gains in performance without impacting battery performance. Intel says netbooks with the Cedar Trail processors should be able to achieve up to 10 hours of operating battery life, weeks of standby battery life and the ability to playback 1080p HD content without issues.
Other things claimed by Intel include graphics performance boosts of up to 2x (200%) and 20% better power efficiency compared to the last gen. Intel Atom processors, the chips shipping in most netbooks today.
The new Cedar Trail chips feature improved integrated graphics –Intel GMA 3600 for the N2600 and Intel GMA 3650 for the N2800– which help achieve the 1080p HD video playback Intel boats. The graphics capabilities aren’t going to touch AMD’s Fusion APUs, as we’ve seen previously this year in benchmarks, but compared to previous Intel integrated graphics chips for Atom processors the improvements are considerable.
However even with the boast in graphics performance the average netbook does come with a 1024×600 resolution display, which makes playing 1080p HD (1920×1080) video kind of silly if you’re not outputting the content to a bigger screen over HDMI.
As mentioned in the first paragraph netbooks are far from dead. The recent drop-off in popularity will likely push netbook makers to improve certain things that have held the netbook back, things like performance.
Specs. for the new Intel Atom chips:
| Intel Atom N2600 | Intel Atom N2800 | |
| Processor Frequency | 1.60 GHz | 1.86 GHz |
| Number of Cores/Threads | 2/4 | 2/4 |
| Intel Smart Cache | 2x 512 KB L2 | 2x 512 KB L2 |
| Graphics | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3600 | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3650 |
| Integrated Memory Controller | Yes | Yes |
| Memory Support | Yes | Yes |
| Processor Manufacturing Process | Single-Channel DDR3 800 MHz | Single-Channel DDR3 1066 MHz |
| Processor Package Size | 32nm | 32nm |
| Intel Express Chipset | NM10 | NM10 |
| Chipset Package Size | 17mm x 17mm | 17mm x 17mm |
Full list of feature and benefits for the new Intel Atom chips:
| Features | Benefits |
| Intel® Atom™ Microarchitecture and 32nm Process Manufacturing Technology | A purpose-built, low-power processor that delivers an affordable basic computing experience. |
| Small Form Factor Processor Package Size | The lead-free2, halogen-free3 Micro-Flip Chip package is 60 percent smaller in netbooks (22mm x 22mm) than a notebook processor (35mm x 35mm). This saves system board real estate in a much thinner and smaller industrial design, enabling small form factors. |
| Intel® Rapid Start Technology | Alternative standby mode using flash-based storage allows fast resume and enables longer standby battery life, with faster access to Internet, data, and applications. |
| Intel® Deeper Sleep (C6) | Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to reduce power consumption and enable longer battery life. |
| Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology | Multiple voltage and frequency operating points provide optimal performance at the lowest power. This allows for better matching of performance to application demand. |
| Low Thermal Design Power (TDP) | Low TDP enables thinner, lighter, more compact and portable netbooks by reducing the cooling requirements. Enhanced Data Prefetcher and Enhanced Register Access Manager Anticipates data the processor is likely to need and stores the information within the processor’s L2 cache, resulting in improved performance because the processor doesn’t have to wait as long for data. |
| Intel® Smart Cache | Cache and bus design for efficient data sharing, providing enhanced performance, responsiveness, and power savings. |
| Integrated Graphics and Memory Controller | Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3650 and 3600 combined with the integrated memory controller provides enhanced performance and system responsiveness. |
| Support for Windows* and MeeGo/Tizen* Operating Systems | Choice of operating systems for your netbook. |
| Lower Power Consumption Over Previous Generation | Allows consumers to stay on the go for longer periods of time. |
| Support for Wi-Fi*, WiMAX*, and 3G Communication | Consumer choice and flexibility for online access inside and outside the home. |
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