While we’ve heard about Oaktrail and Moorestown, we haven’t exactly seen a lot of complete products that allow us to test the next-gen Atom CPU architecture. Word from Intel is that we’re looking at 50x less idle power, 20x lower thermal envelope (a statement that is difficult to quantify) and in certain scenarios, 50% or more power reduction. MP3 playback and video playback, for example, should take a lot less power.
One way to asses the platforms before they hit the market as products is to look at the Tunnel Creek platform. The E-series Atom CPU is very similar in architecture to Oaktrail and there are boards on the market already.Not only are manufacturers publishing specifications but Intel are too. Their product database is already listing the CPU with budgetary pricing from $19 in 1000-piece quantities. Taking a look at the 1.6Ghz product i’m quite surprised to see the TDP down at 3.7W. Remember, that’s a CPU that contains the graphics, video controller, video acceleration block and the memory controller. The communications controller will add to this but I doubt we’ll be seeing the 5W+ total TDP of the Menlow platform.
I doubt I’ll be buying an E-Series board myself but i’ll be tracking these products to see if anyone reports on them. Here are a few products that I saw as samples at IDF so if you’re interested, take a look. If you buy one for testing, please, let us know how you get on.
Pictures are shown below. Click for larger versions.
Congatech Conga QA6 and Innotech TX-50
Kontron NanoETXExpress and Portwell PQ7-M105
E-Series Images also in our Gallery.
E-Series (Tunnel Creek) Atom Modules: http://bit.ly/d4hFYF via @umpcportal
The EG20T IO hub is 1.55W so with the 1.6GHz version at 3.9W it will definitely exceed 5W, but it should be better than Menlow in reality.
Though I don’t think its accurate comparing Moorestown with Tunnel Creek.
“Though I don’t think its accurate comparing Moorestown with Tunnel Creek.”
Agreed, Tunnel creek has extra PCI bus circuitry etc, and may be more similar to the atom in pineview (N and D series), which lost some of the low power techniques and modes in comparision to menlow.