Intel warning: ARM Cortex-A9 is an Atom bomb

by Stevie Smith - Sep 17 2009, 16:15

Ultra-portable Netbooks have already become the value for money Web-centric solution for many computer consumers during these tough and testing financial times. However, the price point appeal of Netbooks might be about to increase yet further thanks to the latest slice of hardware from chipmaker ARM.

In an aggressive move likely to take the mobile processor fight directly to Intel’s dominant Atom – and drive down the price of Netbook devices in the process – ARM has this week announced that its Cortex-A9 chip has received a new part capable of boosting clock performance to a healthy 2.0GHz.

Describing the revamped CPU platform as “a huge departure” from its usual low-power offerings, ARM’s vice president of marketing, Eric Schorn, told IT PRO that the addition of the new part – codenamed Osprey – means the chipmaker has “designed a chip with pure performance in mind.”

Seemingly keen to throw a shadow over the 1.6GHz Atom processor (N270) used in the majority of existing Netbook computers, ARM has said its dual-core Cortex-A9 can deliver five times the performance of Intel’s popular solution when used within the same power parameters.

“We’re going really aggressive from a cost perspective… they’ll be a lot cheaper as we provide our technology to many vendors, enabling them to compete with each other,” added Schorn. “The net effect is different designs for less cost. We are seeing the approach of the $100 [USD] netbook; competition is good.”

Rather than limiting itself to just Netbooks, ARM has said it will also be looking to integrate the Cortex-A9 into smartbooks, mobile Internet devices (MIDs), and TV set-top boxes too.

ARM expects the Cortex-A9 to begin appearing in mobile products during 2010 – although one potentially significantly shortfall is that the processor is not x86 compatible, which means it will only support minority operating systems such as Linux as opposed to Microsoft’s market leading Windows platform.

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