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VIA Introduces the Nano Processor

Posted by timothy on from the more-better-faster dept.

Vigile writes "While the VIA Isaiah architecture had been previously discussed, the new x86 processor is officially being released as the VIA Nano. The Nano marks VIA's first 64-bit, superscalar, speculative out-of-order CPU design and is being built on Fujitsu's 65nm process technology. While direct performance comparisons are still missing, the products being released could bring Intel's Atom platform to its knees: clock speeds as high as 1.8 GHz or as low as 1.0 GHz with a maximum power draw of only 5 watts! VIA's recently announced mini-note OpenBook platform is a likely candidate for the Nano the processors but they will likely find their way into mainstream desktop and notebook computers as well." Reader MojoKid contributes a link to HotHardware's story on the chip now known as the Nano , as well as a January interview with VIA's Centaur design center president, Glenn Henry, who "went into fairly deep detail on what VIA had in store with Isaiah."

3 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Really... by pablomme · · Score: 5, Informative
    Hey, hold on. The press release has a little table which is worth reading. The above sentence should read:

    [Nano] could bring Intel's Atom platform to its knees: clock speeds as high as 1.8 GHz with a maximum power draw of 25W or as low as 1.0 GHz with a maximum power draw of only 5 watts!
    --
    The state you are in while your HEAD is detached... - wait, what?
  2. Re:Really... by DrSkwid · · Score: 5, Informative

    Like the old joke "the watch is tiny but look at the battery I have to carry in a suitcase" take a look at this photo.

    That's the CPU in the foreground, passively heated, oo groovy. But wait, what's that huge heatsink with the fan ?!
    Intel have offloaded all the power requirements into the northbridge. That way they can say "our CPU is 2.5w matey".

    Oh, and it was supposed to ship June '08 but that's been quitely cancelled so no MSI Wind for you for the near future.

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  3. Re:Really... by bestinshow · · Score: 5, Informative

    1) Intel specify typical TDP. VIA's is max TDP.

    2) Intel's desktop Atom (Diamondville) is 4W, not 2.5W.

    3) Intel's chipsets are 4x4s in comparison to the moped-like Atom, thus power consumption is widely unbalanced. VIA have a single-chip solution, but I don't know the power consumption.

    4) CPUs spend most of their time in idle - Nano uses 100mW here for all but the highest-end Nano.

    5) Nano is more powerful per clock than Atom.