Intel Launches Next-Gen Atom N450 Processor

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Intel Launches Next-Gen Atom N450 Processor

Posted by Soulskill on Monday December 21, 2009 @03:22AM from the should-have-called-it-an-isotope dept.

MojoKid writes "Intel has unveiled its next-generation Atom N450 processor, and a review of the new Asus Eee PC 1005PE netbook that houses it shows decent gains in performance and lower power consumption. The Atom N450 has been re-architected similar to Intel's other notebook processors in that it now has an integrated memory controller and graphics core on the CPU itself. In addition, Intel's serial DMI (Direct Media Interface) now replaces the system bus to the Southbridge IO controller. From a performance standpoint, the Atom N450 single core chip offers a nice performance gain versus previous generation Atom CPUs and it appears Intel has dual-core variants of the chip on the horizon as well."

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Re:Still chokes on flash? by jo42 · 2009-12-21 03:36 · Score: 5, Insightful

Have you ever even considered that the problem isn't the hardware, but the [lousy, crappy pile of rancid sheep dip] software known as "Flash"?
Who actually needs this? by John+Betonschaar · 2009-12-21 03:38 · Score: 5, Insightful

If you'd ask me: it's still a slow piece of crap that has no particular place in the market if it weren't for (consumer) Microsoft Windows being x86-only, and now it's even worse than the original Atom since you get a crappy Intel GPU for free.
In the low-power segment: you are still better of with an ARM chip if you don't need Windows (it consumes less power), another x86 SoC if you absolutely need Windows but don't need anything else (which also consume less power) or a Via Nano if you are a consumer who likes Windows a lot but only do a little browsing and email (they are faster and comparable in terms of power consumption).
In the HTPC/Media center segment: the Atom + Nvidia ION platform was great, low-power/low-performance CPU with a GPU that does all the video decoding and OpenGL. Now you get an Intel GPU that is *still* not able to do full video-pipeline accelerated GPU decoding. Better get yourself an old Atom, or hopefully in the future a Via Nano + decent GPU.
In the Netbook segment: with the performance of the original Atom being nothing but abysmal unless you only use Notepad, you really want a Celeron ULV anyway. It's a much better design, in a whole different performance class than the Atom, and you don't get any of the stupid restrictions Intel puts on using the Atom.
In the embedded segment: you don't need x86 compatibility at all, so ARM would be your 1st choice.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I really don't see the point of a crippled and slow x86 CPU with a design based on 10-year old technology, which is forcibly coupled to an IGP that isn't able doing much more than rendering your desktop...
1. Re:Who actually needs this? by TheKidWho · 2009-12-21 04:24 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  They're cheap, that's the point behind them.
  Also, it seems like ION will still be usable, but in a slightly revised form for the Pinetrails.
  Don't exaggerate, the Atom isn't THAT bad.
2. Re:Who actually needs this? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-21 04:53 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Its quite refreshing to read someone who admits they may be missing something. For most uses the advantages of an integrated GPU (i.e. lower cost, less power, improved reliability, etc) outweigh any performance reduction. Highly compressed mp3 music is very popular despite alternative formats with better fidelity. It is the good enough syndrome. A Mazda has good enough acceleration; you don't need a Corvette. Or to put in another way, the second five hour battery operating hours in a notebook is worth far less than the first five hours.
  Don't choose marketing as a career.
3. Re:Who actually needs this? by LWATCDR · 2009-12-21 05:09 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I think Intel is crippling it to keep from killing higher margin notebook sales.
  From AnandTech
  "The integrated GMA 3150 graphics hasn’t been used by Intel before, it’s a 45nm shrink of the GMA 3100. It’s technically a DX9 GPU running at 400MHz, however as you’ll soon see - you can’t really play any games on this platform. The GPU only offers hardware acceleration for MPEG-2 video, H.264 and VC-1 aren’t accelerated."
  No H.264 or VC-1 hardware support means poor performance.
  Then add this.
  "Max output resolution is also limited. The best you can get over a digital connection (HDMI/DVI) is 1366 x 768, over analog VGA you can do 2048 x 1536 (only 1400 x 1050 on the N450). It’s a curious coincidence, Poulsbo also had a 1366 x 768 digital output limitation. "
  What??? No 1080p support over HDMI?
  Well so much for a media PC.
  AMD/ATI or Via+Nvidia really need to start pushing Intel in this market. I would love to see a good ARM solution because I do think it is a better platform for Netbooks and Nettops than Intel. The big problem is getting full Flash performance out of it and that is only a software issue.
  
  --
  See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Re:Midnight Blue? by nine-times · 2009-12-21 03:44 · Score: 5, Insightful
My guess is that it's a variety of factors:
- Apple, having such a strong design culture, is the only manufacturer who realizes these stickers make your computer look cheap and stupid.
- Apple's design culture is often about minimalism, and so they probably wouldn't put extra symbols or stickers on their computers even if it didn't look cheap and stupid.
- Apple is just about the only laptop manufacturer who can't be bullied by Microsoft into putting any kind of "Microsoft certified" sticker on it.
- Apple customers are less likely to be casual about their attachment to the brand. If you're a Dell customer, you might not think twice about buying an HP. If you're an Apple customer, buying an HP instead is a little more noteworthy. Therefore, they don't have to try to compete by advertising energy star compliance or the latest Intel chip. An awful lot of Apple customers couldn't care less about which Intel chip is in their computers.
There are probably more, but that's off the top of my head.
Re:Midnight Blue? by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-21 04:15 · Score: 1, Insightful

Because unlike pretentious Apple fanboys, most people care more about a computer being cost effective and able to do what is needed. Its the reason why PCs and not Macs own most of the market.
Did you bother reading the article? by Joce640k · 2009-12-21 04:34 · Score: 3, Insightful

Look again at the bit where it says "battery life"....
In the real world outside Slashdot not everybody is hung up on their 3dMark scores. In fact very few people are, judging by the fact that Intel GPUs outsell both NVIDIA and ATI combined.

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Re:Midnight Blue? by Tetsujin · 2009-12-21 04:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because unlike pretentious Apple fanboys, most people care more about a computer being cost effective and able to do what is needed. Its the reason why PCs and not Macs own most of the market.
Why does cost-effective, capable hardware imply a need for a billion stickers on the casing?

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Bow-ties are cool.
Re:meanwhile, where are the ARMs? by jabjoe · 2009-12-21 05:06 · Score: 2, Insightful

Dude you are being an idiot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_(processor)
First line:
"Snapdragon is a name of an architecture of a family of chipsets with an ARM-based CPU."
historically it went like this! by nimbius · 2009-12-21 05:12 · Score: 2, Insightful

asus: we have a great new product called the 'netbook' that will revolutionize the way people use laptops, and it runs linux!

Microsoft: we can fix that.

asus: oh...well, it still revolutionizes the way people connect to the internet and some day it will support googles os!

intel: we can fix that...

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Good people go to bed earlier.
Re:PS. by Anonymous Coward · 2009-12-21 05:25 · Score: 1, Insightful

Goddamn, its Wikipedia, not just "wiki". You should understand the difference here in Slashdot.