Intel announced the launch of the Intel Atom processor for a new family of low-power processors designed specifically for mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and Internet-centric computers arriving later this year.
The Intel Atom processor is based on an entirely new microarchitecture, designed specifically for small devices and low power. The design also includes support for multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness.
These new chips, previously codenamed Silverthorne and Diamondville, will be manufactured on Intel’s industry-leading 45nm process with hi-k metal gate technology. The chips have a thermal design power (TDP) specification in 0.6-2.5 watt range and scale to 1.8GHz speeds depending on the customer need. By comparison, today’s mainstream mobile Core 2 Duo processors have a TDP in the 35-watt range.