Intel Pineview Atom – PineTrail-D Platform

This is something else that’ll be coming down the pipe soon, but Intel is still hard at work on adding options to their line of netbook and nettop processors, the Atom. This time around, instead of talking about minor performance bumps like with the Intel Atom/Intel GN40, this is more about the little details about how Intel is changing the CPU.While I imagine there will be more details about performance once we get close to the Intel Pineview Atom’s release, what little we have for now will have to suffice. Anyhow, why would you want an Intel Pineview Atom in your netbook? How about smaller package size and less power draw? The last, of course, is likely more important to most, but neither are to be sneezed at. How is Intel managing this?

Well, they’re doing what’s become the trend in CPU design in the last few years — they’re cramming more things onto the CPU itself and making a new platform, the Intel PineTrail-D (weird name). Or perhaps into would be more appropriate. Regardless, you can now expect the memory controller to be on the CPU (like the Core 2 Duo and later CPUs), if I recall correctly as well as the graphics chip.

It’s too early to say what they’re cramming into the CPU for graphics, but I look to the Intel GN40 and wonder if that’s the current plan. It’s all speculation at this point, but it’s still pretty interesting stuff. it won’t be until later this year that your netbook or nettop have the Intel Pineview Atom, however.

Stay tuned for more on the Intel Pineview Atom and the Intel PineTrail-D Platform, and be sure to check out VR-Zone for more on the chip and platform.