Is Via's Nano small enough to outdo Intel's Atom?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 30 May 2008 12:51

Opinion and Analysis

There will be two SKU’s (stock keeping units), or versions of the Via Nano processor – the L-series for regular desktop and mobile PCs, and the ultra-low voltage U-series for “small form factor desktop and ultra mobile devices”.

The Nano L2100 runs at 1.8GHz with a 800MHz front side bus (FSB) and 25W maximum power, the L2200 runs at a slower 1.6GHz, 800MHz FSB and 17W.

The U2300 runs at 1.0Ghz, 800MHz FSB and 5W, the U2400 runs at 1.3GHz, 800MHz FSB and 8W while the WU2500 runs at a slower 1.2GHz, 800MHz and 6.8W.

Quite why Via has its higher processor numbers not properly reflecting higher clock speeds is unknown, but such is life, I guess.

Via has a PDF whitepaper that you can read for more information, while the page on its site with more information (non-PDF) is here.

The Nano processor is available now for OEMs and motherboard vendors but you’ll need to wait until sometime in Q3 2008 before computers with the Via Nano will be available to purchase. There's no pricing as yet so it's hard to say just how competitive they will be against the Intel Atom, but given Via's low cost heritage it's safe to say they should be competitively priced.

ArsTechnica's interesting article has some speed comparisons against the older Via C7 processor showing just how much faster the little Nano is, and it will certainly be interesting to see how well Nano powered computers perform with Vista and simply in general.

Via certainly needs a massive performance boost to ensure its processors stay a viable choice for consumers, and perhaps the Nano is the processor that will finally deliver on Via’s promise of being an x86 processor manufacturer that creates processors people buy out of choice and are happy to use, not because it’s the cheapest available.