VIA announces its Nano X2 CPU

[zalbard]

Source: http://www.fudzilla.com/

It has been a subject of plenty of rumors so far, but today VIA finally annouced its dual-core Nano X2 CPU. Featuring two Isaiah cores, Nano X2 is made using 40nm manufacturing technology and is pin-compatible to platforms that were released for the original single-core Nano, as well as VIA C7, C7-M and VIA Eden processors.

VIA Nano X2 features SSE4 instructions, has native 64-bit support, VT CPU virtualization technology and VIA's proprietary PadLock hardware security features. Although it hasn't revealed any details, VIA was keen to point out that the new Nano X2 has advanced power and thermal management features.

VIA Nano X2 is currently available for OEMs and MB manufacturers, while the first products are expected in this quarter.

Not sure where and how it's going to be used. I have a feeling it will have hard time on the market thanks to AMD Brazos platform, and Intel Atom.

[nn_step]

Sadly Via look the inferior route.

[Dainas]

Only problem for Via is that they never can hit the pricepoint they need. Having and old fashioned bus/northbridge isn't a problem if the core is fast enough, but its about 2-3 years too late for what they will want to charge for these chips. If they were far more ambitious; people would at least humor them, theoretically if they were run well enough Via could have had a platform out just like brazos 2 years ago, the architecture was there, but they had to drag there heels to keep profit margins up over market share.

[Spectrobozo]

they don't have availability nor competitive prices, the performance is OK, but it was the same for the single core Nano, a very good Atom competitor in terms of performance, but almost no availability and high prices, the same for the S3 VGAs, the Chrome 4xx and 5xx looked very competitive against the lower end Ati/nv cards, but again you couldn't find them to buy...

[445533]

I was waiting for this. Two years ago.

I've moved on. Hopefully someone can buy VIA and do something with them. They're too small and lack proper R&D.

[jeremyshaw]

I was waiting for this. Two years ago.

I've moved on. Hopefully someone can buy VIA and do something with them. They're too small and lack proper R&D.

Too bad their loose their x86 lic if they get bought out. Though Intel seems set on not renewing it anyways. Via only survives on some extremely niche market sales, since I have no clue what in this stinkin world could possibly be keeping them afloat. No CPU chipset sales, no decent GPU, no decent mITX stranglehold.... what's keeping them alive?

[saaya]

I was waiting for this. Two years ago.

I've moved on. Hopefully someone can buy VIA and do something with them. They're too small and lack proper R&D.

idk... i think they lack direction, not rnd skills... and they are painfully slow for some reason... again id rather blame direction and execution than engineering, but thats just me...

and via wouldnt lose their x86 license if theyd be bought out i though?
isnt that a part of the intel-amd agreement from last year?
non x86 license holders can mfc x86 chips (socs) and x86 licenses CAN be transferred?

[jeremyshaw]

idk... i think they lack direction, not rnd skills... and they are painfully slow for some reason... again id rather blame direction and execution than engineering, but thats just me...

and via wouldnt lose their x86 license if theyd be bought out i though?
isnt that a part of the intel-amd agreement from last year?
non x86 license holders can mfc x86 chips (socs) and x86 licenses CAN be transferred?

You mean Intel-nVidia...? AMD still has AMD64, which Intel wants, in light of IA64 effective failure. VIA has nothing (AFAIK) that Intel cares about.

[Kai Robinson]

Finally a die shrink! Just what this little powerhouse needed. The single-core Nano was available in two netbooks - the Samsung NC20 and the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 - and was substantially quicker than the Atom in single-threaded apps. With a dual core - and a die shrink - this might be exploited by the OEMS a bit more.

Everyone is always negative about VIA - even when they put out decent products. Yes, availability is a problem - but, that's down to OEM Manufacturers, not VIA. OEM's are usually too scared to play ball with 'the other guys', when they have a safe bet with either Intel or AMD.

VIA *needs* to shop this around to as many OEM's as possible - either for use in Mini-ITX HTPC boards, Nettops or Netbooks/Low-end Notebooks and pair it with an Integrated Graphics Solution thats a little more advanced than they've been using so far, with more hardware video decoding features.

[BeepBeep2]

Yeah, I'm glad about this too. It's good to see that VIA has a product at 40nm, hopefully power draw is down enough and performance is good enough...I honestly wouldn't mind this in my netbook...

[jeremyshaw]

Finally a die shrink! Just what this little powerhouse needed. The single-core Nano was available in two netbooks - the Samsung NC20 and the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 - and was substantially quicker than the Atom in single-threaded apps. With a dual core - and a die shrink - this might be exploited by the OEMS a bit more.

Everyone is always negative about VIA - even when they put out decent products. Yes, availability is a problem - but, that's down to OEM Manufacturers, not VIA. OEM's are usually too scared to play ball with 'the other guys', when they have a safe bet with either Intel or AMD.

VIA *needs* to shop this around to as many OEM's as possible - either for use in Mini-ITX HTPC boards, Nettops or Netbooks/Low-end Notebooks and pair it with an Integrated Graphics Solution thats a little more advanced than they've been using so far, with more hardware video decoding features.

Well, with both AMD and Intel moving to a two chip solution, it's gonna get harder (IMO) to convince laptop ODM/OEMs to make another three chip design (inherently, it's gonna draw more power due to the interconnect buses, and extra PCB space needed for more packages - unless if VIA moves the NB/SB onto one package ), the extra PCB space can be used for anything from cost cutting, to a bigger battery (premium pricing), a smaller computer, etc.

Though this is just the thinking of somebody with little clue as to what's really happening in there :p

[god_43]

if someone bought via, then per the ftc agreement there would be a grace period where intel and the new company would negotiate.

[nn_step]

Finally a die shrink! Just what this little powerhouse needed. The single-core Nano was available in two netbooks - the Samsung NC20 and the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 - and was substantially quicker than the Atom in single-threaded apps. With a dual core - and a die shrink - this might be exploited by the OEMS a bit more.

Everyone is always negative about VIA - even when they put out decent products. Yes, availability is a problem - but, that's down to OEM Manufacturers, not VIA. OEM's are usually too scared to play ball with 'the other guys', when they have a safe bet with either Intel or AMD.

VIA *needs* to shop this around to as many OEM's as possible - either for use in Mini-ITX HTPC boards, Nettops or Netbooks/Low-end Notebooks and pair it with an Integrated Graphics Solution thats a little more advanced than they've been using so far, with more hardware video decoding features.

One would have assumed that VIA would have learned from their previous dual core efforts and spent the extra time connecting both via a shared dual-channel memory controller/north bridge and additional control logic [HyperTransport anyone ? ].

Or perhaps they are attempting to keep the cost low by having the two cores on two separate dies. Then again I never heard of VIA having yield problems given their small die sizes.

[Mechromancer]

This would have been cool a year ago. VIA should ditch x86 and get on the ARM bandwagon.

[zalbard]

Yeah, I'm glad about this too. It's good to see that VIA has a product at 40nm, hopefully power draw is down enough and performance is good enough...I honestly wouldn't mind this in my netbook...

Over AMD Brazos? Really?

[BeepBeep2]

Over AMD Brazos? Really?

I didn't say over Brazos, I guess I mean over Atom/Ion platform.

[jeremyshaw]

I didn't say over Brazos, I guess I mean over Atom/Ion platform.

It'll have to depend on pricing. While I hate VIA to a dot because of their "excellent driver support" that makes AMD Radeon in Crossfire Eyefinity look like a cakewalk.... seriously. I have a small load of older VIA systems with no drivers for their chipsets, S3 GPU, and I have just simply kept them on WinXP or Win2k until they are slowly replaced (or never used again), IF they manage not to drop the ball this time with pricing/performance, then there is a chance in the freezing hell I might even glance at another VIA product. And VIA is the one that got me to love mITX products and make several mITX builds (now it's AOpen :p... Zotac is up there with VIA in both first to market, and utter crap products, IMO.).