VR-Zone has compiled some information relative to the current Atom Centrino (Menlow) platform as well as the Moorestown which will succeed it starting next year.
One important detail is that Intel has chosen to equip the Poulsbo chipset with a PowerVR graphic core rather than an in-house GMA. At first glance this might sound surprising but after its pullout of the PC market following
the cancelled launch of the Kyro II SE in 2002, Imagination Technologies has more devoted itself to the development of IP and its
MBX destined to be integrated to processors such as ARMs. This strategy proved to be successful because several cell phones including the Apple iPhone integrate a PowerVR circuit.
In addition, Intel has already worked with PowerVR with the XScale. While the Californian giant finally sold its division which handled this to Marvell Technology due to a lack of positive results, they haven’t forgotten the know-how of the English Imagination Technologies. But most of all, they are realistic. The creator of x86 is currently devoting significant resources to the Larrabee project and it will be difficult to simultaneously develop a graphic circuit that offers an interesting performance/consumption ratio for MIDs.
Another interesting point is that the Santa Clara firm chose a PowerVR SGX (Series 5) for the Menlow while the iPhone relies on a PowerVR MBX (Series 4). We can therefore assume that the Atom Centrino will have attractive 3D functions; however, with a frequency of 100 MHz, we shouldn’t expect miracles. Why such a low frequency? It’s difficult to say but according to our colleagues at
Beyond3D, the Poulsbo is engraved like the NV30 (a.k.a. the GeForce FX 5800) in 130nm! While this choice is probably its reason for being, it limits increases in frequency for a given level of consumption for this "all-in-one" IGP.
Finally, with its integrated memory controller and graphic circuit, conception of the Lincroft shows similarities with the
Auburndale, Intel’s "Fusion". However, nothing guarantees that their graphic core will be entirely identical given the markets for which they are destined.
According to information obtained from Digitimes, yields of 66nm 128 MB DDR2 chips at Hynix are much too low to the extent that some 30 million chips, or roughly 10% of its production, is defective.
Creative created quite a stir recently for having criticized ASUSTeK’s Xonar DX PCI Express 7.1 and its supposed software support of EAX 5.0 as well as even more recently having publicly threatened daniel_k, someone who provided unofficial drivers that simply activated functions that Creative decided to deactivate in Windows Vista. However they calmed down after the user community disapproved of its reaction. Now the Singapour company is planning on launching the Sound Blaster X-Fi 2 which has appeared on the Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List.
Chartered Semiconductor, member of theIBM Alliance for 32nm bulk CMOS process technology development has announced that it will also work with Big Blue on 22nm. Since 2002, the two firms have already collaborated or are currently working together on the development of the 90nm, 65nm, 45nm and 32nm processes.