Santa Clara (CA) – The launch of its first dual-core Atom processor wasn’t worth much more than a 1-paragraph “chip shot” to Intel, but it is a substantial expansion of the company’s products for “nettop” devices. Built from two N230 CPUs with Diamondville core, the new Atom processor has all the genes to become an interesting player in the entry-level desktop market.  

The new Atom N330 is, just like the previously launched Atom models, built in 45 nm, but comes with a substantially larger package, caused by the dual-die structure with two complete N230 CPUs. The N330 runs at the same 1.60 GHz, includes twice the L2 cache of the N230 (for a total of 1 MB), the same FSB533 support and is rated at twice the thermal design power (TDP) of the N230 (8 watts versus 4 watts). The processor can be paired with Intel’s 945GC Express Chipset, which integrates the manufacturer’s 950 graphics engine.  

While the N330 should be substantially faster than the N230 especially in multimedia applications, the chip isn’t offered with a big premium – as it is mainly low power consumption that commands higher prices in this segment. The N330 is sold at tray prices of $44, compared to the $29 of the N230. The more power-efficient single-core Atom N270, which is rated at a TDP of 2.5 watts, sells for $44. Both the N230 and N330 support C states 0 and 1, while the N270 supports C0 through C4.

The MID-targeted Z-series of Atom processors (Silverthorne core), which is rated at TDP’s of just above 2 watts and below, sells from $20 for an 800 MHz version to $135 for the 1.86 GHz model. The 1.6 GHz version runs for $70. Intel is rumored to be able to produce Atom processors for about $6 per chip.

AMD trails Intel in the nettop market, but recently leaked information indicates that AMD may be preparing its entry into this segment with two existing processors. A presentation slide showed that AMD will be targeting “ultra value clients” (UVC) with 65 nm Athlon processors - the Athlon 2650e and the dual-core Athlon X2 3250e, which will be paired with the 740 chipset.

The processors run at 1.6 and 1.5 GHz, respectively, and consume substantially more power than Intel’s Silverthorne and Diamondville CPUs. The 2650e is rated at a 15 watt TDP and the 3250e at 22 watts.