AMD have introduced a new range of low power consumption Geode CPUs, based upon their Mobile Athlon architecture. The Geode NX is Socket A compatible, and will be available in 1Ghz and 1.4Ghz versions. AMD have also introduced the inevitable numbering scheme to describe performance and power consumption - the two versions will be called the Geode NX 1500@6W, and the Geode NX 1750@14W. The earlier Geode GX2 CPU has been renamed the Geode GX533@1.1W (which runs at 400Mhz), and gains some siblings - the Geode GX466@0.9W and the Geode GX500@1.0W.
The NX1500@6W version requires no cooling fan and typically consumes 6W at 1Ghz, peaking at 9W under load, utilising AMD's PowerNow! power saving technology. Our picture shows one nestling in AMD's DB1500 Mini-ITX form factor development board, but we'll have to wait for another manufacturer to take advantage of the promise of the NX range, as the DB1500 isn't priced or targetted at the consumer market. AMD purchased the Geode line from National Semiconductor last August - the same company who sold Cyrix to VIA in 1999.
Intel is finally looking at reducing power consumption too, and have brought forward plans to use a dual-core architecture to reach higher levels of performance without melting through the base of your computer. It's unlikely we'll see these in a Mini-ITX anytime soon, but their newly announced (and dutifuly numbered) Dothan range of Pentium M mobile CPUs certainly will.
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