Intel ships first dual-core Atom processor

Intel has announced that it is now shipping the dual-core 45nm Atom processor that was quietly introduced at the Intel Developer Forum in August.

The chip giant says that the Atom 330 processor is specifically designed for nettops, which means we’re unlikely to see one shoehorned into a netbook.

Indeed, Intel sells the chip as part of an integrated package, which includes an Intel 945GC chipset for desktop use. With that said though, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one manufacturer has already thought about making a new, slightly bulkier netbook based on the Atom 330.

The Atom 330 is clocked at 1.6GHz and features 1MB of L2 cache (512KB per core), support for DDR2-667 memory and an 8W thermal design power. The chip also supports Intel HyperThreading technology, meaning the processor can handle up to four threads simultaneously.

According to Intel’s pricelist, the processor will cost $43 each in 1,000 unit quantities – that’s about 50 percent more than the single-core Atom 230 that shares the same basic feature set (aside from doubling the core count).

Does an Atom 330-based system sound enticing? Let us know in the forums.

3D processor clocks in

IDF Spring 2008 Content Index

No netbook chips due from AMD

VIA launches Nano processor