Intel to launch next gen “Pineview” Atom processors this year

 

Image credit: Intel (via VentureBeat)

Image credit: Intel (via VentureBeat)

Intel unveiled a few details about the company’s next generation Atom processor, codenamed “Pineview.” Somewhat confusingly, Pineview chips will use a new technology Intel is calling “Pine Trail,” which basically combines the graphics, memory controller and CPU onto a single chip. Today’s Atom chips are just CPUs. The graphics and memory controller functions are relegated to the surrounding chipset. 

 

The Intel Atom Pineview processor, which is due out during the fourth quarter of 2009, won’t be a complete system on a chip. Some features like the I/O hub will still take place on the chipset. But Pineview processors should be cheaper to produce, smaller than current generation Atom processors, and faster. 

What I’m still waiting to see is how the Pine Trail/Pineview platform handles Flash video at resolutions higher than 1024 x 600 pixels. While I’ve been pretty happy with the performance available in today’s Intel Atom “Diamondville” processors on most netbooks, they’re really not up to the task of playing web video on high resolution displays like those found on the Asus Eee Top all-in-one PC or the HP Mini 2140 with a high resolution display.


Posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009, 5:49 pm by Brad
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  • Bob
    Looks like I'm leaning towards AMD's Neo platform more and more every day. I'd buy the HP dv2 if it handled streaming video better.

    Hopefully by the end of this year or early next year there will be a dual-core AMD Neo that'll handle web video better and I'll finally own a netbook.
  • Shawn
    This looks like a strike against nVidia. I doubt this will allow for much faster speeds since placing the components on the same chip will cause serious thermal issues. I think if they do this, it will allow AMD an opening in the market, provided they can get their power consumption issues resolved.
  • BoloMKXXVIII
    The only things this processor will do is make it more difficult for nVidia and be cheaper to produce for Intel. Both things help their bottom line without providing any benefit to their customers.
  • MonkeyKing1969
    This Pineview needs to at least double the graphical throughput to make me care.

    It all well and good to have it smaller, cheaper, and cooler; but Intel need boosted graphical performance as well. Bigger screens with higher resolutions combined with 'standard browsing' also needing the ability to handle video on the web, this Pineview need more power to keep Netbooks doing what is their minimum requirement.

    Netbooks have to be able to "do" the net from my point of view. And, now browsing is getting more processor intensive with streaming video & audio demanding far more of even basic systems. Pineview need to up to the job, and this year is not a moment too soon.
  • benny90
    Doubt theres a chance for that... There's a reason these chips can only do so much, and its called MONEY. When they can get 3-4 times the money for their higher end chips than these they have no desire to make these work much better than they already do. One thing they can do though is to make them more energy efficient and thats what were seeing.
  • TrackSmart
    Agreed. I don't care if it loads up MS Office 4 seconds faster or gives me 10 more minutes of battery life. What it needs to do is handle streaming video, in all of it's formats, without stuttering - to give the full internet experience including entertainment.

    Otherwise, there's little to get excited about.
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