New quad-core Intel Atom SoCs targets PCs, servers, and tablets

The Bay Bridge platform is an aggressive push into ARM's territory.

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[thomsirveaux]

The most important part of the switch away from PowerVR is Linux compatibility. The graphics driver situation for Cedar Trail is a complete train wreck.

Also, any word on the status of ECC support for Atom?

According to the leaked slides, Bay Trail supports ECC but only in single-channel mode. Better than nothing, right?

Eidt: Also, IIRC there were rumors last year that Cedar Trail was being delayed because of issues getting the Windows drivers certified, so obviously Intel stands to benefit from using its own GPU in more ways than one.

 

[thomsirveaux]

How can it be an aggressive push into ARM territory when they don't target phones?

What do you think "small form factor devices" are? My assumption is phones and tablets. Intel's gotten a few wins with their current atom in the phone market. Anandtech reviewed one; and found it a middle level performer as an android phone.

The title specifically says "PCs, servers, and tablets", but you are right. I just don't believe it and Ars reads more and more like a place to go to read press announcements.

These slides talk specifically about non-phone SoCs, but Intel still has the smartphone-oriented Medfield and I'm sure that platform will continue to be developed.

To my mind, Bay Trail is about getting beefier SoCs available for tablets (the current Cedar Trail and Oak Trail platforms still need both a CPU and a separate chipset, which is just too many chips to be viable vs. ARM SoCs in a tablet) and the high-density low-power server market, which are markets where ARM already is. I also see this as a pre-emptive strike of sorts against Cortex A15 chips that might try to worm their way into low-power consumer laptops/netbooks and desktops. Definitely an aggressive push.