The Intel® Core™2 Solo processor is the next-generation single-core mobile processor that provides freedom and flexibility to live, work, and play on-the-go.
For mobile platforms the Intel® Core™ Solo processor represents the next generation in processor innovation.
For mobile platforms the Intel® Core™ Solo processor represents the next generation in processor innovation.
Based on Intel® architecture, the Intel® EP80579 Integrated Processor product line is the first in a series of breakthrough system on-a-chip (SOC) processors, delivering excellent performance-per-watt for small form factor designs. This fully compatible product line (Intel EP80579 Integrated Processor and Intel® EP80579 Integrated Processor with Intel® QuickAssist Technology) provides an outstanding combination of performance, power efficiency, footprint savings and cost-effectiveness compared to discrete, multi-chip solutions.
These integrated processors are ideal for small-to-medium business (SMB) and enterprise security and communications appliances (including VPN/firewall and unified threat management), transaction terminals, interactive clients, print and imaging applications, wireless and WiMax access applications, SMB and home network attached storage, converged IP PBX solutions, converged access platforms, IP media servers, VoIP gateways and industrial automation applications.
The Intel® Atom™ processor Z5xx series delivers the benefits of Intel® architecture for small form factor, thermally constrained and fanless embedded applications. Implemented in 45nm technology, these power-optimized processors provide robust performance-per-watt in an ultra-small 13x14 mm package.
Featuring embedded lifecycle support, the Intel Atom processors are ideal for many embedded market segments such as in-vehicle infotainment, medical, interactive client (kiosks, point-of-sale terminals), gaming and industrial control. It remains software compatible with previous 32-bit Intel® architecture and complementary silicon.
These single-core processors are validated with the Intel® System Controller Hub (SCH) US15W, which integrates a graphics memory controller hub and an I/O controller hub into one small 22x22 mm package. This low-power platform has a combined thermal design power under five watts.
The Intel® Atom™ processor N270Ω, implemented in 45nm technology, is power-optimized and delivers robust performance-per-watt for cost-effective embedded solutions. Featuring extended lifecycle support, this processor offers an excellent solution for embedded market segments such as digital signage, interactive clients (kiosks, point-of-sale terminals), thin clients, digital security, residential gateways, print imaging, and commercial and industrial control. The processor remains software compatible with previous 32-bit Intel® architecture and complementary silicon. This single-core processor is validated with the mobile Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset, consisting of the Intel® 82945GSE Graphics Memory Controller Hub and Intel® I/O Controller Hub 7-M. The chipset features power-efficient graphics with an integrated 32-bit 3D graphics engine based on Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 architecture with SDVO, LVDS, CRT, and TV-Out display ports. It provides rich I/O capabilities and flexibility via high-bandwidth interfaces such as PCI Express,* PCI, Serial ATA, and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity.
Breakthrough performance, energy efficiency, extended lifecycle support and common socket Intel Xeon processor-based systems make them the ideal choice for compute-intensive embedded, storage and communications applications.
Lower thermal design power (TDP) and higher Tcase temperature Intel Xeon processor options are ideal options for low power consumption and/or compliance with the AdvancedTCA* form factor and NEBS level-3 thermal specifications*.
The Intel® Xeon® processor LV and Intel® Xeon® processor ULV are members of Intel’s growing product line of multi-core processors. Each dual-core processor combines the benefits of two high-performance execution cores with intelligent power management features to deliver significantly greater performance-per-watt over previous single-core Intel Xeon processor-based platforms. The dual-core/dual-processor capabilities are ideal for a wide range of low-power communications and embedded applications.
The Pentium® III processor is ideal for high performance applied computing. It supports highend communications, transaction terminal, and industrial automation applications. While incorporating new features and improvements, the Pentium III processor remains software compatible with previous members of the Intel microprocessor family.
For cutting-edge nomads seeking the best pocketable Internet experience, Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology unleashes the freedom and flexibility of Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) enabling you to enjoy your entertainment or access the full Internet on the go.¹
The Intel® Celeron® M processor family is the next generation of mobile value processors, providing exceptional performance and value combined with low power for thermally sensitive embedded and communications applications. These processors offer ideal solutions for small-to-medium business and enterprise communications, storage appliances, and value-oriented embedded devices like Point Of Sale, kiosks and ATMs.
From point-of-sale (POS) terminals and retail kiosks to advanced networking equipment, Pentium® processors with MMX™ technology enable developers of embedded systems to step up to new levels of performance. To make these designs even easier and more flexible, Intel is making the performance advantages of MMX technology available at a choice of integration levels.
The Intel® Atom™ processor is Intel's smallest processor, built with the world's smallest transistors and manufactured on Intel's industry-leading 45nm Hi-k Metal Gate technology. The Intel Atom processor was purpose-built for simple, affordable, netbooks and nettops. Intel Atom processor-based netbooks and nettops offer both an easy-to-use mobile device with simple interfaces and targeted performance for a good online experience. They are rugged and compact in design, and offer the freedom and flexibility of wireless connectivity¹.
Great for Internet, these devices are an affordable option for education, photo and video viewing, social networking, voice over IP, e-mail, messaging, browsing, and numerous other Internet activities and basic applications.
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| Industry-leading performance, flexibility, and ease-of-use |
| The Intel486™ microprocessors have provided 32-bit high performance in increasingly complex application environments for personal computers and network servers. Now the same microprocessors are available for a range of embedded applications, such as terminals, embedded PC boards, industrial control systems, scanners, printers, medical equipment and entertainment systems. Current customers of the embedded Intel386™ processor can now take advantage of the Intel486 architecture to extend the performance of their embedded designs. |
| The Intel® SL Technology, featured in the Intel486 processors, allows system designers to build intelligent power management capabilities into hardware, making these capabilities independent of application software. Power management becomes an integral part of the system, regardless of what operating system or application is used. Power management is improved because SL Technology protects the power management features from conflicting with other software. |
The top frequency AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 processor takes performance to the next level for Enthusiasts. AMD is pushing the 65nm process technology to new limits. Work or play with multiple programs without any stalling or waiting. Dual-core technology is like having two processors, and two working together is better and faster than one working alone.
 | Enormous Overclocking Potential. "The 5000+ Black Edition is the ideal choice for users who wish to upgrade their existing AM2 systems. Thanks to its low power dissipation even when overclocked, buying a new cooling solution is unnecessary. Furthermore, the low heat generation also means the system will not become much noisier as a result of your overclocking experiments." - Bert Töpelt; tomshardware.com, 10/22/2007 |
Note: This Processor is sold without a Heatsink or Fan.
Go beyond just keeping up. Set the pace. Your music is all MP3s, your DVR runs the TV, your life is on the PDA. You need to download music, copy video files, and update your schedule and contacts. The computer has become the center of your digital lifestyle, don’t let it slow you down. AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors let you run the software you need to connect your gadgets quickly, seamlessly, and simultaneously — without compromising performance. Multitask like you mean it. Multitasking has been taken to an all new level with AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core processors. Now, you can tackle multiple demanding applications even faster than before – getting more out of your time and experience. Own the game. Your destiny is in your hands with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor 5000+ Black Edition. You can immerse yourself in intense 3D games and bring new worlds of entertainment to life.
Extend the value of your PC – whether building a new PC or upgrading an older one choose AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor 5000+.
 | The Intel® C++ Software Development Tool Suite for Linux* OS Supporting Mobile Internet Devices (MID) is a complete tools solution set to address MID software performance requirements, and to enhance the productivity and experience of the Linux-based MID system and application development process. The Tool Suite covers the entire cycle of software development: coding, compiling, debugging, and analyzing performance. All included tools are Linux hosted and compatible with GNU tools. The Tool Suite is available for free download. To initiate your product download, read and accept the License Agreement. Support is also available for the Tool Suite. To see the support options, refer to the Support section of this page. Product Brief [PDF 255KB] |
| Features and Benefits |
(These opinions are those of the writer and they probably differ from yours. If you feel the need to flame Colin into a piece of smouldering charcoal, please direct your e-mail's here.)
I find it very amusing when I get an email calling me an AMD zealot or saying that I am biased towards AMD. I have never considered myself "loyal" to either AMD or Intel, I simply go with whomever is faster.
Since I upgrade my motherboard and/or CPU pretty much every six months I have an interesting dilemma... Should I stick with an AMD setup and get a Thoroughbred processor or should I perhaps do something more radical and go with a Pentium 4? Here are a few of the things I contemplated while making my decision.
Performance:
Like many others I was caught up in the hype surrounding the "Thoroughbred" 0.13 micron AthlonXP based processor. I honestly thought it would bring AMD back into the spotlight and allow them to retake the performance crown from Intel. 
I was not a fan of Intel's Pentium 4 processor when it came out about 2 years ago. I didn't like the longer pipeline which resulted in lower IPC each MHz could handle. Because of this the P4 had a very rocky start, the 1.5 GHz Williamette (0.18 micron, 256 L2 cache) P4 could barely out perform Intel's own Pentium III 1 GHz!
Coming back to the present, now with lots of software supporting SSE2 and with the introduction of the Northwood (0.13 micron, 512KB L2 cache) Pentium 4, things are totally different. Clock for clock the P4 is still not as powerful as the Athlon but it's much closer. Also thanks to the new core's ability to clock high, Intel has retaken the performance crown away from AMD and doesn't look like they'll be losing it any time soon.
| Previously in this series AMD vs Intel: It's An Eternal Struggle AMD Vs Intel: Will the Best CPU Please Stand Up? AMD VS Intel: What to Get? Which is Better? |
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With both processors overclocked, Intel still wins in terms of performance. Of course AMD's saving grace has always been price. AMD based systems and CPU's have always been a much better value, and they still are.
Cooling:
This is a place where Intel is far and away way superior to AMD. Of course, as they are a much larger company Intel can hire more dedicated engineers to design cooling solutions for their CPU's - but have you actually looked at the heatsink/fan's that come with retail boxed P4's and AMD processors?
The retail Intel heatsink is just designed so well. Not only does it have a massive amount of surface area to draw away the heat a P4 produces (highly clocked P4's can generate close to what high end AMD CPU's do), it also acts as a huge EMI shield! They're so good that even enthusiasts are using them to cool their overclocked processors! Another nice thing is just how quiet the fan is. In an enclosed case it's often almost impossible to hear it.
AMD could learn a thing or two from Intel on this, of course though I do understand that AMD is much smaller and cannot devote their engineer's time to designing better thermal solutions. They're moving in the right direction though, from those cheap generic heatsinks to Skive based models, to now requiring heatsinks to have a copper base in order to get AMD approval.
One problem AMD has is actually not their fault. If you go to your local "mom and pop" computer store look at the AMD based systems they have on sale. Often hidden away in the specifications is the CPU cooler. You're more likely to get an OEM AMD CPU rather then a retail one because OEM's are usually quite a bit cheaper so what they do is just slap on some generic cooler like the Thermaltake Volcano 6+ (I chose this cooler because a few of the local stores I frequent use this heatsink because of its low price). Most of these shops also include secondary fans to help keep things cool and again another fan add's to the decibel level.
Another point to keep in mind is how fragile the AMD CPU is. When's the last time you heard of someone that killed a P4 or P3 with heat? Or maybe having a heatsink crush the core? Now think about the horror stories you've heard about from AMD based processors... I know I remember !
Hardware websites and benchmarks are cheating AMD...
I don't frequent forums much myself anymore but whenever I see people claiming that the benchmarks being used are skewed towards Intel, it really makes my blood boil. That has got to be the most uninformed thing I've ever heard. Yes, there's a huge conspiracy against AMD and all the hardware sites are secretly being paid off by Intel to run "Intel based benchmarks", that's the only reason why Intel beats AMD... ludicrous!
Most software like the MadOnion benchmarks (PCMark, 3DMark) have SSE2 optimization but is that cheating? They also have 3D Now! code written in them too! How about the notorious SysMark2001 with the Windows Media Encoder 7.0 not using AthlonXP's SSE? AMD themselves stated that SysMark 2001 is a valid benchmark, AMD did release a patch to allow Media Encoder 7.0 to use SSE but they liked the original SysMark 2001 because even without using SSE, the Athlon scored well and it showed off the mighty FPU of the Athlon.
Quake III Arena does love the bandwidth available to the Pentium 4, it always has, but that is something which is isolated to that one game. Games like Return to Castle Wolfenstein or Jedi Knight II which use the Q3 engine don't show the same signs of loving the P4.
Like it or not SSE2 is here to stay, heck Intel even licensed SSE2 to AMD to run in their "Hammer" line of processors!
Time to set the record straight...
"Oh no, Colin has turned 180 degrees and is now a total Intel fanatic!!!" I'm sure that's what a lot of you will be saying after reading this. No, I'm not biased towards Intel, I'm simply trying to point out some facts. I don't love either company, Intel or AMD, but I do like them. They're good for each other. Just think about a world where only Intel or AMD exists. With a virtual monopoly on x86 processors, who's going to stop either company from charging you through the nose for processors? I actually like AMD more then Intel, AMD seems to listen to the public on what they want and in general they usually do try and deliver. Intel on the other hand seems a little more arrogant, pushing things down people's throat (RDRAM + P3...) instead of listening.
When people e-mail me asking about systems, I almost always tell them to go with an AMD based system. Why? AMD is, and probably always will be a better value then Intel. Value doesn't mean lousy performance either! AMD CPU's are damn fast and can give Pentium 4's a good run for its money but in the end P4's are faster!
In terms of CPU "care" Intel has this down. Their retail heatsinks are designed very well, not only to cool the CPU but the larger foot print of the socket 478 heatsinks helps shield against EMI. AMD has a lot of catching up to do. They're moving in the right direction in terms of heatsinks, the current ones bundled with the Thoroughbred XP2200+'s are a heck of a lot better in design and cooling capability then the ones that originally came with the AthlonXP (Palomino core). AMD CPU's still have severe heat issues to conquer; even the Thoroughbred (0.13 micron) runs extremely high. At those temperatures it takes only a few seconds before the little processor dies of over heating.
As an independent hardware tester and reviewer I'm quite offended when someone attacks my integrity. The benchmarks that are being used on the web are not biased towards Intel just because they use SSE2. if I wasn't allowed to test with SSE2 enabled benchmarks, it would be like testing a car's top speed without using the 5th or 6th gears.
I'm not biased towards Intel but since with all the crap floating around I just wanted to try and set the record straight. This is more of a personal rant then anything else, but hey, I'm also a consumer. If you want to flame me and my opinions you're more than welcome to e-mail me here.
Oh and just for the record, I went with a P4 1.8A which runs at 2.4 GHz on an Abit TH7II-RAID with 512MB PC1066 RDRAM and it's running faster (and quieter) then my AthlonXP 2000+ on an Abit KR7A-RAID with 512 PC2100 CL2 DDR.... for the moment that is.
Check out the most recent word on the street about processors right here, the latest memory technology here, motherboards at the end of this link, and heatsinks and cooling solutions at FrostyTech.
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This balancing act is difficult to perform in the absence of data. Today, we're taking a look at the CPU side of the equation. We vary the processor, but keep everything else in the system as constant as possible. The key difference is core logic and processor, which are inseparable.
We took a look at the performance of the high-end processors in our initial review of Intel's Core 2 Duo back in July. Later, Jason Cross went in-depth on the gaming side, pitting the Athlon 64 X2 5000+ against Intel's Core 2 Duo E6600 in our Real Gaming Challenge. Now we dive back into our comprehensive benchmark suite, running a wide array of performance tests across the entire range of Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Athlon 64 X2 AM2 processors. AMD has the price edge, but is that enough to overcome Intel's performance lead? How well do the various CPUs scale across the product line? We try to address.
According to IR, the IR3092 is suitable for space-constrained systems with high load current and efficiency requirements. Compared to other devices that require external gate drive circuits, the IR3092 includes integrated MOSFET drivers with 3.5A drive capability. Existing two-phase solutions that are implemented with three ICs can now be replaced with a single IR3092 improving system reliability, reducing board area and simplifying circuit design, the company added. A patent-pending body braking circuit reduces the output capacitance requirement by up to 25 percent.
"The IR3092 uniquely meets the challenge of powering Intel's advanced Prescott microprocessors by providing up to 80A with a 2-phase integrated power architecture," said Ralph Monteiro, Marketing Manager for dc-dc computing products.
Output voltage programmed with 5-bit or 6-bit VID code
The IR3092 operates from a single 12V supply and includes a linear regulator to power the gate drivers. The regulator output voltage can be programmed to minimize switching losses and optimize efficiency, and the programmable oscillator (with a frequency range of 100kHz to 540kHz) gives the designer additional flexibility to improve system efficiency and transient response.
For system protection and reliability, the new device features programmable soft-start and hiccup over-current protection. Current sensing is achieved with loss-less inductor current sensing which gives improved accuracy compared to sensing circuits measuring MOSFET on-resistance. Dual undervoltage lockout circuits and overvoltage protection ensure reliability of system voltages, while a power-good output signal indicates proper operation.
To meet the power requirements of today's microprocessors, the output voltage can be programmed with either a five or six-bit voltage identification (VID) code with 0.5 percent set-point accuracy. An adaptive voltage-positioning feature maintains the output voltage tolerance while minimizing output capacitor requirements. The chip is also capable of 100 percent duty cycle operation to further improve transient response. In addition, the IR3092 features programmable slew rate response to "on-the-fly" VID code changes.
Available in a 7-by-7mm MLPQ-48 package, the PWM IC is priced at $2.50 each in 10,000-piece quantities.
