The Intel Atom Thread

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cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
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Regarding the SoFIA specs, I must say it is disheartening to see Intel downclock/downbin parts when they are the underdog in the phone arena:

1.) I would think there is enough product differentiation in the number of cores and modems to allow greater clockspeeds on the lesser parts.

2.) In order to help x86 adoption in MS Universal Apps or Android, I think having a greater bang for the buck on the CPU is something that would pay off for Intel in the long run.

P.S. On the dual core SoFIA, it would also have been nice to see Intel spec higher memory bandwidth so the device runs better when docked to higher resolution screens (ie, Windows 10 Continuum).

EDIT: The two lower end SoFIA do not support Windows 10.
 
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Nothingness

Platinum Member
Jul 3, 2013
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I don't think people really had high performance expectations for Braswell? Unless it's worse than Bay Trail, I don't really see the issue. It's just a die shrink right? It was made to be cheaper for Intel, and to differentiate Core M probably - heh.
Braswell was supposed to reach higher frequency than it currenly does (2.7 vs 2.4). So performance is less than expected.
 

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
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http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20150629PD202.html

Digitimes Research: Intel 28nm SoFIA 4G AP delayed to early 2016; may face overlap issue with 14nm version
Eric Lin, DIGITIMES Research, Taipei [Monday 29 June 2015]

Despite the fact that the design is complete and the chip is ready for mass production, Intel's 28nm SoFIA 4G application processor (AP) is still unlikely to be launched until the beginning of 2016 due to the adjustments over the software part that is still not yet mature. For 2015, Intel will still need to rely on its SoFIA 3G/3G-R APs to prop up is mobile device AP business and may miss the business opportunities from the 4G market, which is expected to grow rapidly in the second half of this year.

Intel may face an even more problematic issue in 2016 as its 14nm SoFIA product line is already planned for late-2016 and could overlap with the 28nm one from early 2016 and affect each other's demand.

Intel currently only has solutions that pair an independent XMM baseband with an Atom AP for its 4G product lineup, but the solutions are unattractive to players in China due to its high prices. Intel has been working on integrating two chips into an SoC for its SoFIA product line since the end of 2014 to improve the BOM, Digitimes Research noted.

With the SoFIA 4G - which was originally scheduled for 2015 - being delayed until early 2016 and Intel only being able to provide baseband+AP solutions for 4G demand in 2015, the CPU giant may find it difficult to persuade clients to use its solutions for their 4G devices due to the high prices and its subsidies for using its solutions are unlikely to provide much persuasion.

Intel's second-generation SoFIA 4G AP, based on a 14nm process, will become available in late-2016 and could put the first-generation SoFIA 4G AP based on a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 28nm process, in an awkward position and cause the 28nm AP to have an over-short lifecycle. Although Intel may offer cheap prices for the 28nm SoFIA 4G AP and push the 14nm one to the high-end market sector to create a boundary, the CPU giant will still see its profit impacted and its marketing for the processors will also be limited.

If the 28nm 4G SoFIA launches late, I would hope Intel can make some positive adjustments to the remaining lesser SoFIA chips.
 

Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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Google Glass ‘Enterprise Edition’ (Google Glass 2) will be based on Intel Atom

We told you last week that Google is internally referring to its next iteration of Google Glass as “Enterprise Edition” or “EE,” and now we’ve uncovered information about the soon-to-be-launched device’s hardware. According to several sources familiar with advanced prototypes of the device, the Enterprise Edition includes a larger prism display, as well as an Intel Atom processor that brings better performance and moderately improved battery life…

he Wall Street Journal reported in December of last year that the device would have a new low-power Intel chip designed to increase battery life, and we can confirm that this is definitely the case in the most recent internal revisions of the device. Specifically, the device has an Intel Atom chip, but it’s not yet clear which exact model. The chip is reportedly clocked somewhere moderately faster than current top-of-the-line Android Wear smartwatches.

http://9to5google.com/2015/07/08/go...l-atom-cpu-battery-life-external-battery-pack

Microsoft Hololens and now this. Most likely Cherry Trail too. Intel is serious about wearables.


Techspot's Microsoft Surface 3 Review

Surface3S-5.jpg


The Surface RT and the Surface 2 were not commercial successes in spite of the excellent hardware. In early 2015, both devices, along with Windows RT in its entirety were discontinued.

With Microsoft conceding that Windows RT had failed, the company updated the Surface line with a new product that consumers would find considerably more attractive.
Rather than continue down the path of ARM-based tablets, Microsoft switched to low-power x86 SoCs, while also taking inspiration from their performance Surface Pro line. The end result is the Surface 3, and it’s mighty attractive.

The Surface 3 packs a similar design to last year’s Surface Pro 3, albeit in a slightly smaller, fanless body. The outer shell is made from a magnesium alloy that gives the tablet a pleasing matte grey finish, while the 10.8-inch display features the same 3:2 aspect ratio as its larger brother. Internally we’re getting a new quad-core Intel Atom ‘Cherry Trail’ SoC and up to 4 GB of RAM, while keeping features like the full-sized USB port that makes the Surface line so versatile.

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www.techspot.com/review/1027-microsoft-surface-3
 
Mar 10, 2006
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dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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CHADBOGA

Platinum Member
Mar 31, 2009
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Err...
Actually that tablet wasn't optimized, it was a prototype,
That tablet allowed AMD to run faster than they would have been able to do if they were in an actually commercially viable tablet shell.

That prototype helped hide the true extent of AMD's uncompetitiveness in this segment and was the smokescreen needed for inane reasons galore, as to why AMD wasn't selling well in tablets.
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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That tablet allowed AMD to run faster than they would have been able to do if they were in an actually commercially viable tablet shell.

That prototype helped hide the true extent of AMD's uncompetitiveness in this segment and was the smokescreen needed for inane reasons galore, as to why AMD wasn't selling well in tablets.

Err... AMD did enter on tablets at first? The only thing they had with Mullins was the HP Stream 14 and was with an A4 and was much better then the Bay Trail solution on most things.

Now the only chip who really uses the A10 and the pathetic E1 are the Fitlet Pc. And are getting optimizations in order to become competitive due Braswell...
 

Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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Err... AMD did enter on tablets at first? The only thing they had with Mullins was the HP Stream 14 and was with an A4 and was much better then the Bay Trail solution on most things.

No it's not:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-14-r003ng-Notebook-Review.130533.0.html

Worse CPU performance than Bay Trail quads, 40% better graphics performance in their gaming tests (against a fairly low-clocked Bay Trail dual-core) but considerably slower than the A10 and still far too slow.
 
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dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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No it's not:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-14-r003ng-Notebook-Review.130533.0.html

Worse CPU performance than Bay Trail quads, 40% better graphics performance in their gaming tests (against a fairly low-clocked Bay Trail dual-core) but considerably slower than the A10 and still far too slow.

Bay Trail quads are clocked at least 50% higher, so is not surprise there.
You can't blame the dissaster of the Bay Trail GPU that even on the Pentium versión didn't did well.

And is Obvious that is extremely slower than the A10 micro. The point of Mullins was to show how AMD can shrink and they did it.
 

Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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Intel Moorefield based Asus Zenfone 2 was hacked to run Windows 7

A member of the XDA forums has taken the ASUS ZenFone 2, an Intel-powered Android smartphone, and booted Windows 7 on it. Surprisingly, the OS runs quite smoothly, with no major bugs. The video has Windows 7 booted, though it is said that Windows 8 and Windows 10 could be installed in the same fashion, and should both work equally as well.

The process is a bit complex: first you will need to unlock the bootloader, then flash a specific kernel, partition the SD card, and then get down and dirty with a number of terminal commands. While this process is certainly not for everyone, it is still interesting to see this Intel-powered device running a full version of Windows rather well.

http://www.androidcentral.com/windows-7-hacked-run-asus-zenfone-2

Just imagine the possibilities. A x86 smartphone powering a full Windows PC when docked. Moorefield isn't far from Cherry Trail in the CPU/iGPU department, next year's Broxton should be even better.
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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Expected. Any x86 tablet can run Windows. That is not surprise. But actually using the touch screen on Windows is not as good as using a mouse. People are accustomed to the keyboard and the mouse, not the touch.

BTW, waiting to see the ZenPhone 2 going Windows 8

Intel needs to be smart and send Android to hell and only sell Windows (if they add mouse and keyboard is their problem). Is the only thing Intel can do a monopoly.
 

Shivansps

Diamond Member
Sep 11, 2013
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Yeah but since there is no drivers for the igp this is just pointless. Thats why he did Win7 and not 8.
 

Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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He says it's possible:

The installation has no major bugs involved, and runs smoothly on the Zenfone 2, with ycavan going on to state that even Windows 8 and 10 can be installed using the same procedure, albeit with a different ISO.

Anyway that's going to be easy next year, Broxton replaces both Cherry Trail & Moorefield as a single chip for tablets and phones packing 4 Goldmont cores + 18 Gen 9 EUs iGPU.
If only Microsoft released a x86 Surface phone with a proper dock (USB Type C) including HDMI/DP out, USB ports, etc. It could run Windows Phone 10 when unplugged and the full desktop Windows 10 when docked. I can't be the only one interested in such a product. :p
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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Why MS is not merging with Intel? They could make even more than Apple. They can do that PC Phone reality at not matter the price.
 

Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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Broxton (2016 Intel Atom) could support Wide I/O 2 memory technology

Nice find by Ashraf:

wide-io-annotated_large.png


Joel Hruska wrote an excellent article over at ExtremeTech on the memory technology that is expected to follow the relatively new LPDDR4 in the mobile market known as Wide I/O. According to Hruska, Wide I/O and Wide I/O 2 are memory technologies that deliver very high memory bandwidth at the "lowest possible power consumption."

Hruska said the first version of Wide I/O isn't expected to be widely adopted, but that Wide I/O 2 is expected to "reach the mass market." He added that it's unclear when Wide I/O 2 devices will actually hit the market.

www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/24/intel-corporations-broxton-will-have-this-amazing.aspx

More about Wide I/O 2 here:
www.extremetech.com/computing/19772...-between-wide-io-hbm-and-hybrid-memory-cube/2

DRAMs-640x801.jpg


16%20JEDEC%20Roadmap%202.jpg


From LPDDR3 (Cherry Trail-T) straight to Wide I/O 2. I hope Broxton fixes Atom's relatively weak single-core performance and also improves Intel's phone/tablet platform competiviness.
 

386DX

Member
Feb 11, 2010
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Yeah but since there is no drivers for the igp this is just pointless. Thats why he did Win7 and not 8.

He's actually running Win 7 in a VM so graphics drivers under the Windows isn't required as it'll use the generic VM standard graphics. There's no reason why Win 8/10 wouldn't work of course graphic performance will not be great. It's an interesting experiment but not really surprising it could be done in a VM environment but running it natively is out of the question without proper drivers.

I too would love if MS released a Surface phone. Literally keep the style just shrink it down to phone size, keep the kickstand (obviously simpler design) and pretty much have a high end Windows Phone.
 

jpiniero

Lifer
Oct 1, 2010
14,510
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I still don't know how/why people are allowed to blatantly violate NDAs like that guy just because it's on LinkedIn.
 

dealcorn

Senior member
May 28, 2011
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Do the previously leaked Broxton 4 32 bit DDR4 memory interfaces translate to 2 WIO2 interfaces (using TSV)? Based on the 26.6GB/s or 51.2GB/s bandwidth per die from the above JEDEC slide, that's a lot of bandwidth for a small core processor, unless.... The Purple Swan story reports that an Intel PCMS (phase change memory with switch) patent application suggests: "One embodiment of a tablet computer or cellular telephony device is configured with PCMS memory but potentially no near memory and no additional mass storage (for cost/power savings)." http://seekingalpha.com/article/3253655-intel-and-micron-the-purple-swan. I would not be surprised if the specification of 4 32 bit memory interfaces for Broxton may be necessary to ensure adequate memory bandwidth using low cost, energy efficient PCMS.
 

IntelUser2000

Elite Member
Oct 14, 2003
8,686
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If they can dial up the frequency from ~2.4GHz max to ~3GHz max and deliver a ~25% perf/clock improvement, then they'll be able to get to meet/exceed that 50% performance improvement goal.

Problem is, this seems a bit unrealistic especially since Intel seems to have missed their initial Airmont frequency targets by 300MHz.

Only problem is the Core M chip sucks. So if its 50% faster, it'll be basically everything Core M, but $300 cheaper, thinner, lighter and 2x the battery life that can fit in phones.

I bet this is what happend to Airmont:
1. We are expecting such and such for Core M and Airmont, so lets make Airmont 2.7GHz
2. Uh oh, we have serious issues with 14nm, Core M is lot worse than we expected
3. Hey doesn't that mean Airmont will be too close? Better make it 2.4GHz

All these companies are investing in super dense SoCs, and I have the idea Intel isn't, although it's beneficial for costs.

http://anandtech.com/show/9330/exynos-7420-deep-dive
Actually core wise Airmont is pretty dense. The 2 core Airmont module with 1MB L2 is 3.06mm2 while 4 core Exynos 7420 with 2MB L2 is 8.88mm2. The issue is the SoC is too big for what its worth. 14nm Intel is repeat of 90nm. Its only going to get worse looking at Cannonlake.

Here's a fun thought: Broxton will have greater memory bandwidth than a GT2 Skylake-ULT.

It is very unlike Intel to give any advantage to a "cheap Atom," but it might show that they have finally accepted that they can't artificially hobble Atom to make Core look better.

We may possibly see GT3e become more common. One thing Intel does not do is cannibalize.
 
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Sweepr

Diamond Member
May 12, 2006
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Two new Moorefield tablets with impressive specs for $199-299:

$199 Asus ZenPad S 8.0 is now available (Affordable, speedy tablet with high-res display)

zenpad-s-8_09.jpg


The Asus ZenPad S 8.0 is an Android tablet with an 8 inch, 2048 x 1536 pixel display and, an Intel Moorefield processor, and a starting price of $200.

Asus unveiled the tablet in June, and now it’s available from Best Buy and up for pre-order from other stores including B&H and Adorama.

This ZenPad S 8.0 Z580C features an IPS display with wide viewing angles, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, stereo front-facing speakers, a microSDXC card reader, micro USB port, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, and a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera.

Asus also has a launching a cheaper model called the Asus ZenPad 8.0 Z380C soon. It has a 1280 x 800 pixel display, an Intel Atom x3-C3200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a $130 price tag. You can pre-order that model from Adorama or B&H for $130, but if you’ve got a little extra money, the Z580C model seems like a much better deal.

http://liliputing.com/2015/07/asus-...able-speedy-tablet-with-high-res-display.html

Asus ZenPad S 8 tablet priced at $299 (4GB RAM, 64GB storage)

Asus has at least two different models of the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 tablet. The cheaper model went on sale at Best Buy this week for $199. But a higher-end version with a faster processor, more RAM, and other premium specs is coming soon.

B&H has posted a product page for the high-end model, but it’s not yet available for purchase. Like the cheaper Z580C model, the ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA-C1 features an 8 inch, 2048 x 1536 pixel display and Google Android 5.0 software.

But this model has a number of features which set it apart from the cheaper model:

Intel Atom Z3580 Moorefield chip rather than Atom Z3530
4GB of RAM rather than 2GB
64GB of storage rather than 32GB
8MP rear and 5MP front camera rather than 5MP/2MP
802.11ac WiFi rather than 802.11n
USB Type-C connector rather than micro USB
Support for an active pen (which will likely be sold separately) Update: Asus tells us the “Z Stylus” will also work with the $199 model.

http://liliputing.com/2015/07/asus-zenpad-s-8-tablet-priced-at-299-4gb-ram-64gb-storage.html

The Intel NUC5CPYH / Braswell Is Finally Shipping

If you have been interested in an Intel NUC as a 4-inch, low-power computer, the Braswell-based NUC5CPYH is finally in-stock and shipping at major Internet retailers.

The public has known about the NUC5CPYH for a while and it was supposed to be shipping back in June, but it seems this week that milestone finally happened. On 4 June is when I pre-ordered it from Amazon while this morning when waking up I was surprised to see it was finally in-stock, shipped out, and my unit will be arriving tomorrow (Monday).

The Intel NUC NUC5CPYH is the same size as other NUCs, supports 4K video output via HDMI, SATA 3.0 2.5-inch drive support, USB 3.0 connectivity, and is centered around a Braswell SoC. Powering the unit is the Intel Celeron N3050, which is a dual-core part with 1.6GHz base frequency and 2.16GHz Turbo. This Braswell part has a 6 Watt TDP, supports up to 8GB of DDR3L-1600MHz memory, and has Intel HD Graphics running at 600MHz.

This NUC comes down to being an interesting Braswell design and should be noticeably faster than the common Bay Trail Celeron NUC. In the days ahead on Phoronix I'll be running all sorts of Linux benchmarks from this first Braswell device and compare its performance to the Bay Trail NUC and Broadwell NUC, etc.

This dual-core, low-power mini PC sells for just $145 USD on Amazon.com where it's currently in-stock with free shipping. Stay tuned for the Linux tests.

www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Braswell-NUC5CPYH-In-Stock

Acer Chromebook C738T Leaks: Intel Braswell, IPS, Convertible

Acer-Chromebook-C738T.png


The newly spotted Acer C738T Chromebook is powered by an Intel Celeron N3150. This is a quad-core chip running at 1.6Ghz with burst speed of 2.08Ghz.

Intel Braswell improves efficiency, performance and graphics handling over some of Intel’s existing mobile chips.
360-degree IPS Touch Display

New Intel innards aren’t the only attractive thing about this new Acer Chromebook either. It also features a 360-degree hinge and 11.6-inch IPS touchscreen, according to German technology site winfuture.de who have seen a spec sheet detailing the new device.

The full hardware specifications for this model is as follows:

11.6-inch IPS touchscreen (1366×768 pixels, 360-degree hinge)
Intel Celeron N3150 @ 1.6Ghz (Quad-core, Braswell)
4GB RAM
16GB eMMC
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
9.5 Hour Battery Life

Also said to be included are two USB ports (1x 2.0, 1x 3.0) a full-sized HDMI out and SD card reader plus a HD webcam, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. Sadly no whiff of a new USB Type-C port.

www.omgchrome.com/new-baswell-acer-chromebook-convertible-c738t
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
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Here goes the Chromebook industry.... Intel killing another one with low level chips...
Missing Celeron and Pentium U now T_T
And why Intel is still with Android? is not better with Windows?