Intel Pushes for Next Gen Netbook/Nettop Platform by Early 2010

[btarunr]

Intel's Atom processor platform will get its successor in the next-generation "Pine Trail" platform sooner than expected, what Intel refers to as a 'fast transition to the next-generation platform'. The company plans to detail the new platform for netbooks and nettops on the 21st of December, 2009, by means of a press release. Launches of products based on the new Atom N450 will start as early as by 4th January, 2010, in time for the CES 2010 event.

At the center of the Pine Trail platform is the "Pineview" processor. Unlike its predecessor, Pineview integrates a DDR2 memory controller, graphics processor, and a video decoding processor by Broadcom into a single package. The new processor will support the x86-64 instruction set, indicating that netbooks and nettops could use over 4 GB of memory very soon. The processor also comes with higher performance, and a brand new chipset. Sources reveal the following three initial models to X-bit labs:

• Intel Atom N450: single-core with Hyper-Threading support, 1.66GHz, 512KB cache, x86-64, BGA437 package, $63 price-point;
• Intel Atom D510: dual-core with Hyper-Threading support, 1.66GHz, 1MB cache, x86-64, BGA437 package, $63 price-point;
• Intel Atom D410: single-core with Hyper-Threading support, 1.66GHz, 512KB cache, x86-64, BGA437 package, $43 price-point.

Source: X-bit labs

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

Also the whole package will have around 40 or so % less energy usage

[SonDa5]

Netbooks are starting to look good now.

[gumpty]

Can't see why anyone would go for the 450 - unless it has a much lower TDP. It's the same price as the dual-core model. Unless the price is a misprint?

[Mussels]

1.66 dual core should be acceptable.

since its a dual core with HT, it should do rather wellf or HD media playback

[Munki]

I might have to get meh one! much better than the previous one.

[gumpty]

Originally Posted by btarunr

... Pineview integrates a graphics processor ...

Is this a strategy to counter Nvidia's Ion platform?

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by gumpty

Is this a strategy to counter Nvidia's Ion platform?

not really. the old ones came with a GPU as well - intels best GPU is still going to fall short of ION.

[Semi-Lobster]

IIRC the Pine Trail will use the GMA 500 IGP. The GMA 500 I hear is on paper a better IGP than the GMA 950 (this naming scheme maskes no sense) but right now it has pretty spotty driver support. Drivers will get better later on but the GMA 500 right now is pretty hampered by it.

[Jstn7477]

It'd be awesome of they could make a MCM and slap on something like a GeForce 210 (58mm^2 die size). This would make the platform better for Nettops, and then they wouldn't need the Broadcom video decoder.

[skylamer]

D510 ftw!

[DrPepper]

I think there might be an error it says the N450 and D410 have the exact same specs or am I missing something.

[human_error]

Originally Posted by gumpty

Can't see why anyone would go for the 450 - unless it has a much lower TDP. It's the same price as the dual-core model. Unless the price is a misprint?

The N450 is designed for netbooks (hence the "N" at the start of the model number) - so a lower TDP and lower power requirements - the other processors with a "D" at the beginning are the desktop variants so higher TDP and higher power usage.

[AltecV1]

and the platforn will AGAIN have a gpu that cant even play 720p when does intel learn im mean we live in the 21 century for crying out loud EVERY computer should to that by now

[sideeffect]

I love how the articles called Intel pushes for Next Gen netbooks when in reality they have been doing the exact opposite.

Intel would much rather sell notebooks so they can make more money. These CPU's are intentionally crippled and integrating a rubbish GPU is actually a bad thing for next gen netbooks which can peform decently with an ION GPU already.

[Weer]

So, the N450 = N280 + HT. Useless.

[LittleLizard]

difference between d410 and n450???

[Weer]

Originally Posted by LittleLizard

difference between d410 and n450???

N = Netbook
D = Desktop/Nettop

[wolf]

The Dualie with HT paired with ION might do quite well for itself for ultra tiny pc's, the kind of thing you can build into hilarious custom tiny cases

[Jstn7477]

Originally Posted by wolf

The Dualie with HT paired with ION might do quite well for itself for ultra tiny pc's, the kind of thing you can build into hilarious custom tiny cases

That's if this processor can function with a standard northbridge, which I doubt. This processor has an IMC, a GPU and a decoder built into/ on to the processor.

If you can get some ahold of some PCIe lanes to use, you could just put say a GeForce 210 (or mobile equiv.) on the motherboard, give it 64 bit DDR2 on-board and you'd have a nice little setup. An even better option would be to make said GPU an MCM (Multi-chip Module) and put the 4 DDR2 ICs on the same substrate as the GPU itself, so all you would probably need space for is the GPU substrate itself and no extra signaling wires for external ram (it would all be on-chip i'm assuming). The GPU idea i'm talking about would be similar to AMD's embedded E4690 discrete GPU:

[Mussels]

i wonder why IGP's cant just use a 64/128 bit bus, and actually have DDR2/3 ram slots for them...