It looks like we will be seeing Atom chips being sold as a CPU-only package for the first time. First announced at Computex, the new Atoms for entry-level desktop PCs are now out and will invade our computers in the coming months. There's a single and a dual core model: the D525 and D425 respectively running on the newer DDR3 memory. The chips run at 1.8GHz and is paired up with the NM10 chipset.
This processor is interesting in that the D525 has 2 cores and 4 threads (from Intel's HyperThreading), has 1MB of L2 cache, a 64-bit instruction set, full support for SSE3, support for up to 4GB of DDR3 (or DDR2) memory, and a TDP of 13W. It's based on the 45nm process, too. It maintains an Integrated on-CPU Intel graphics processor. The D425 on the other hand is very similar to the D525 but has a single core and 2 threads (and again has Intel's HyperThreading technology), has 512MB of L2 cache, and has a max TDP of 10W.
As the fabrication process shrinks, the Celeron and Pentium lines will finally get their promotion when their Arrandale models roll out of the factory and will be delisted Intel's absolute entry-level offerings in the DIY desktop market.
Entry-level desktop PCs based on the Intel Atom processors D525 and D425 with support for DDR3 memory technology are now available. Announced at Computex, the D525 dual-core processor and D425 single-core processor run at 1.80Ghz and are paired with the Intel NM10 Express Chipset. The Intel Atom processor enables low-power, affordable entry-level desktop PCs, allowing system builders the flexibility to design a variety of form factors including all-in-ones, small form factor and standard desktop PCs.