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• Does Intel's Dual-Core Atom Improve Efficiency?

  Intel’s low-power Atom processors have received an interesting upgrade, as a more attractive dual-core version has now been available for a few months. You may recall our shootout between an entry-level Core 2 system and a standard Atom 230 solution: Core 2 Nukes Atom on the Desktop. The Atom turned out to be truly low on power consumption, yet it lost to the Core 2 business machine when it came to power efficiency defined as performance per watt. Well, it’s time to look at the new dual-core Atom 330, which, in fact, could make a difference for low cost PCs. There's Two Of Them... Once again, Intel followed the approach that seems the most economical: it attached two Atom single-core CPUs onto a Socket 441 chip to create a dual-core Atom processor. This was the same method used with the Pentium D 900 series (65 nm Presler) and with the Core 2 Quad family (65 nm Kentsfield and 45 nm Yorkfield). It would certainly be possible to create a monolithic dual-core by creating a die that contains two chips, but this would also introduce the risk of lower product yields (e.g. the 90 nm Pentium D800 Smithfield). With the dual-core packaging system, Intel can select and validate chips to be used in single or dual configurations. The third approach—a unified dual-core processor—would require a lot of development, which isn’t appropriate for a cost effective product. The Future Atom The Atom processor has been available since the second quarter of 2008, and it will still be around until the end of this year, when it will be replaced by a more integrated solution called Pineview. This upcoming product cycle will integrate the processor with the chipset northbridge, resulting in a two-chip solution that is referred to as the Pine Trail-D platform. This means that both the graphics unit as well as the memory controller will be part of the next-generation Atom, starting in dual-core flavors, with single-core models following. Intel aims to reduce the total package size by 70% and the total thermal design power (TDP) by 50%. Atom Now Let’s start with a little summary of Atom processor and platform options, and quickly move on to our benchmark results. Since the Atom 230 and 330 will be around for almost one more year, the question of whether or not it makes sense to get a dual-core system is highly relevant for low budget PCs and undemanding applications. Can the Atom 330 dual-core claim the efficiency crown from entry-level Core 2 systems?

• Once again, we used the ECS motherboard 945GCT-D, which is based on the 945GC chipset and the Atom 230 processor at 1.6 GHz. As you can see in the photo, which we took after removing all heat sinks, the Atom processor is the smallest of all the components (right side). The large part in the middle is the 945GC Memory Controller Hub (MCH), while the chip to the left, visibly marked with the name “Intel,” is the southbridge, also known as the ICH (I/O Controller Hub). MiniITX for Net Tops The MiniITX form factor is conducive for small form factor PC builds. Any kiosk solution, vending machine, information terminal, or system for medical applications could be based on such a platform. The board offers two Serial ATA ports for hard drives or optical drives, one UltraATA channel for up to two legacy storage devices, one x1 PCI Express slot and one 32-bit PCI slot for expansion cards. There is a HD-capable sound system, two fan headers, two DDR2 DIMM sockets and eight USB 2.0 ports. Four of them are ready to be used on the board’s back panel. Limitations The concept does have severe limitations, which are mainly important for desktop users. You cannot install any of the recent graphics cards that require x16 PCI Express. This means that you have to use Intel’s GMA950 graphics engine, which is good enough for an operating system’s graphic interface or SD video, but won’t please any user with specific performance requirements such as HD capabilities or 3D performance. However, the processor probably is the most noticeable limitation, as it cannot be swapped out. You would have to replace the entire platform if it were to fail or become too slow for your requirements. Luckily, such a solution costs less than $90.

• Atom Benchmarked: 4W Of Performance

  Intel’s Atom processor is currently the subject of much discussion. It’s positioned as an energy saving wonder, but also designed to act as an all-purpose solution. The processor gets away from complex architectures and large level two caches and closer to slimmed down energy saving CPUs tailored to the specific job they are intended to do. A year ago at Intel’s Developer Forum, the company introduced its 45 nm Atom processor under the code name Silverthorne. The Atom processor cannot be purchased on its own, and until recently was only available as a complete solution in a notebook or UMPC. But Intel is now changing this and offering the Atom processor with an embedded board for the desktop market. The new code name is Diamondville. The actual Atom processor is, with a die size of just 25 mm², absolutely tiny when compared to a Core 2 Duo at 143 mm². And the number of transistors - 47 million - is low compared to the Core 2 Duo, which has 291 million. But this is the only way the Atom CPU is able to manage the sensationally low energy consumption of just 4 watts. The chip yield during manufacturing is also very high thanks to the tiny format; Intel can theoretically get up to 2,500 Atom processors from a single 300 mm wafer. The Atom 230 (Diamondville) processor differs from the Silverthorne model. It does not use an energy saving mobile chipset, but rather a cheaper desktop chip set. This does, however, have a dual channel memory interface, enhancing performance. But the Atom 230 must also manage without the SpeedStep energy saving function - not like that’s a problem for the efficient CPU. We tested the ECS 945GCT-D embedded board with a 1.60 GHz Atom 230 processor. The energy consumption of the overall system came in at just 40.5 watts, which sets a new record in our test lab. The speed of the Atom platform turns out to be sufficient for surfing the Internet and playing DVDs, but you need to employ the right software in order to use the unit sensibly. The use of Hyper-Threading technology means that the speed of the tiny Atom processor is effectively increased by up to 37%. There are currently three different types of Atom processor available: the Z5 series for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), the N270 for cheaper notebooks (Netbooks) and the 230 for embedded desktop boards (Nettops). Intel Atom Models (Diamondville) Model Clock Rate Cache FSB Platform Atom 230 1.60 GHz 512 kB 533 MHz Nettops Atom N270 1.60 GHz 512 kB 533 MHz Netbooks Intel Atom Models (Silverthorne) Model Clock Rate Cache FSB Platform Atom Z540 1.86 GHz 512 kB 533 MHz MID Atom Z530 1.60 GHz 512 kB 533 MHz MID Atom Z520 1.33 GHz 512 kB 533 MHz MID Atom Z510 1.10 GHz 512 kB 400 MHz MID Atom Z500 800 MHz 512 kB 400 MHz MID