Intel Atom CPU

Atom is a new dedicated Intel processor for MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) such as netbooks and nettops. It has most modern functions like EM64T, SSSE3, etc. The Atom is the first in-order x86 since the Pentium. But don’t expect a competitor to Core 2 Duo from this Atom CPU.

Atom is a different architecture in the sense that it was designed to reduce power consumption and that the processor uses a totally new design. It isn’t an adaptation of an earlier architecture. So it's using less power Consumption than the all other processors.

Latest Atom processors such as Atom 330 is a 1.60 GHz (FSB533) dual core processor.


Pros

• The price: $29 for an Atom 230
  
• Low power consumption
  
• HyperThreading, a good feature on this processor

Cons

• Weak overall performance
  
• The chipsets
  
• Very poor 3D performances
  
• A mismatched platform