In a press-release earlier, Intel has announced a new version of the Atom platform codenamed Pine Trail. Much like all Atom processors, Pine Trail would focus on bringing a new computing experience to Netbooks with a new and much better technology.
Intel Corporation announced new Intel Atom processors today that feature integrated graphics built directly into the CPU, enabling improved performance and smaller, more energy-efficient designs in a new generation of netbooks and Atom-based entry level desktop PCs.
One of the most significant features of the new platform is the integration of memory controller and graphics into the CPU, which brings a significant performance boost for Netbooks not only in terms of Graphics but also power and battery-life. The new Intel Atom powered devices would even be able to run HD movies without the use of an external GPU such as the Nvidia Ion.
The family of Pine Trail consists of three processor chips, namely the N450, D410, D510 The N450 is aimed at netbooks, while the D510 and D410 are aimed at entry-level desktops, often called as "Net-tops". All of these processors run at 1.66 Ghz.
Intel claims that the Pine Trail platform scores a 20 percent average power reduction and a 60 percent package size reduction for Netbooks allowing the Netbooks to run for as long as 12-14 hours on a single charge. Though whether the chip is powerful enough to run HD or not is still a mystery. Pricing and availability will be announced in January as systems become available from OEMs.