Posted on Wednesday, September 23 2009 @ 21:01 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Intel revealed some details of upcoming Atom chips:
Perlmutter also highlighted Intel's next generation of mobile processors, codenamed "Arrandale," which brings the Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream laptops. These chips will integrate the dual-core CPU and graphics in the package and incorporate the 32nm manufacturing process and second-generation high-k metal gate transistors for increased performance and power efficiency for mainstream mobile PCs. This integration of platform components will continue into the future with a fully monolithic processor on 32nm, codenamed "Sandy Bridge."
Citing a combination of architectural, design and process enhancements, Perlmutter detailed progress with Intel's "Moorestown" platform, scheduled for 2010 and targeting MIDs and smartphones. He discussed some of the innovative techniques that Intel is implementing, such as Distributed Power Gating, for improved performance and major reductions in power and thermal envelope.
These technologies help to achieve up to a 50x improvement in platform idle power reduction compared to Intel's first generation "Menlow" platform. The reductions are enabling Intel to establish new thresholds in ultra low power while making it possible to run the full Internet and media-rich applications in handheld devices.
Perlmutter also touched on Intel's third generation ultra-low power platform, codenamed "Medfield." Expected in 2011, Medfield will be a single-chip 32nm system-on-chip (SoC) design that will enable a much smaller form factor and lower power designs than Moorestown, helping extend Intel squarely into smartphone segments.
