Intel ships dual-core Atom
Intel formally begun shipping its first dual-core Atom chip, the 1.6GHz desktop-oriented 330, yesterday.
The part sits on a 533MHz frontside bus and contains 1MB of L2 cache. It consumes up to 8W of power. The new chip's pin-compatible with the single-core Atom 230, though motherboards will need a Bios update of course.
According to a DigiTimes report, the 330 will cost computer makers $40 per chip when purchased in batches of 1000 CPUs.
The 230 costs $29, but is more commonly available fixed onto a motherboard based on Intel's 945GC chipset, specifically the D945GCLF, and we suspect that's how most 330s will be bought.
Low-power CPU reviews
Intel Atom 230
VIA Nano
COMMENTS
...and compromised by the chipset
as David says. So it will still glow red hot and eat batteries.
Expect a new Asus eee release soon
Featuring all the same models to now be selectable with dual cores
Chipset
Shame they've still not released an improved chipset. It's the biggest stumbling block for Atom based systems, and will continue to hold back this new beastie. You'd have thought that having shot themselves in the foot once already, they'd have been more careful.....
