Intel Atom N280 / Intel GN40

This is just a quick blurb, but it’s all over the map by now that Intel has announced the Intel Atom N280. While it’s not a huge improvement over the current generation single core Atoms, it should offer better performance once it’s out.The minor performance bumps it’s received (now running at 1.66 ghz and with a FSB at 667 mhz) are pretty minimal, but I’m interested in how the GN40 is going to compare to nVidia’s Ion platform. Then again, isn’t that what everyone is wondering?

Intel’s graphics solutions have never really impressed me, but I’m hoping they’ll whip out something decent for the Intel Atom N280 and its GN40. The nVidia GeForce 9400M, while not exactly a powerhouse, is still pretty damn beefy for an integrated solution. Intel is going to have to come up with something at least half as good to be even remotely compelling.

Unfortunately, it’s too early to figure out if they’ve managed to do that or not. I’ll go out on a limb (granted, a supportive one) and say that if Intel has managed to get about 50% of the performance that nVidia has, they’ll be just fine because the Intel Atom N280 will be cheaper than the nVidia Ion solution, and that’s what sells. Sort of.