How about a next gen Atom for the Pandora 2 ?

[kamui_kun]

I don't know if it was suggested before, but how about using a next gen x86 Intel Atom for the next Pandora ?


The Atom processors are evolving, in 2013 for instance there will be new CPUs at 22 nm, and I suppose we could get the equivalent in performances to a Intel Core 2 Duo at 2 GHZ, which would be perfect for almost anything.


Why an x86 ?


- You could install most of the available x86 OSs, like any x86 Linux or Windows XP to 8 (8 should works pretty well), so the P2 could be released without an OS, no more OS developpement, all the hard work would go to the bios / drivers developpement.


- No more application developpement / porting, no more optimisations, you could use any application available for your OS, and most are already optimised for SSE. If you are on Windows, you'll get fullspeed Saturn, MS-DOS, Dreamcast, Mame, and maybe some PS2 / GC / Wii games... And also native PC games, by the way


Why not an x86 ?


Well, the current Atoms sucks, they are slow, needs a lot of battery power, ect. But, the upcomming 2013 Atoms (code name Silvermoon) could correct these 2 problems.


For short : If the upcomming Atoms could get the performance of a Core 2 Duo at 2 GHZ and a bettery life of at least 5 Hours, I think making a Atom based P2 could be a great idea


Sorry for the spam, but its the spam section anyway, right

 

[slaeshjag]

Apart from battery life, the heat profile also needs to be considrered. In its current state, an Atom CPU would probably melt a hole straigth through the case


Craigix has also stated that the OpenPandora will not use an x86 processor, end of story.

 

[kamui_kun]

Well I hope the next gen Atoms will make him change his mind... Maybe.


Is that a cost problem ? Or size ?

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Indeed, this question has to be asked, but:


x86 is crap, Atom is crap, Intel is crap.

 

[Grench]

Apart from battery life, the heat profile also needs to be considrered. In its current state, an Atom CPU would probably melt a hole straigth through the case

Bah - cut a hole in the case and stick an aluminum heat sink right through it. It'd look like the supercharger through the hood of the Mad Max mobile.

Craigix has also stated that the OpenPandora will not use an x86 processor, end of story.

But wow - check out the power...

 

[Exophase]

The Atom processors are evolving, in 2013 for instance there will be new CPUs at 22 nm, and I suppose we could get the equivalent in performances to a Intel Core 2 Duo at 2 GHZ, which would be perfect for almost anything.

Why do you suppose this?


Intel hasn't released any hard information about what the new Atom microarchitecture (Silvermont) will be like but what you're suggesting is one hell of a change. Right now it'd be lucky to get even half the perf/MHz that Core 2 does. So unless you're talking more power from more threads/cores rather than single threaded performance then this seems unlikely.


There has been one rumor that Intel is looking at a 25% improvement in perf/MHz (from SemiAccurate). Nothing has been said about clock speed but I doubt it'll go up a huge amount.

 

[kamui_kun]

Just checked some benchs, the Atom N2800 at 1.86 GHZ is at half the performances of a Core 2 Duo T6400 at 2 GHZ (722 VS 1353 score)


Also I'm pretty sure Intel will boost it's Atom processors now that Arm processors are compatible with Windows 8, for the tablet market mainly. Well this is just a supposition, of course

 

[slaeshjag]

Max TDP 6.5 W


That thing won't just melt a hole through the case, it might even catch fire

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Also I'm pretty sure Intel will boost it's Atom processors now that Arm processors are compatible with Windows 8, for the tablet market mainly. Well this is just a supposition, of course

It's the exact opposite, windows 8 is supposed to be compatible with ARM.


I previously stated that windows for ARM is a vaporware, even if something "just boot" to a classic BSOD.

 

[kuru]

And batteries near those temperatures will die an early death.

 

[slaeshjag]

Or up the temperature even more by catching fire, incinerating your entire pandora instead of just a case part

 

[Null]

And people near those batteries will die an early death.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

^^^^And craig and ed will die a legal death.

 

[craigix]

X86 is suffering a long and slow death, rather like Windows (although Windows8 might see to that speeding up!).


There are so many reason why we would never go near X86, but most of you will know them anyway so I'm not going to start any kind of argument.

 

[ShleeDragon]

atom? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE

 

[Foxgod]

I would prefer the Tegra 3.

 

[Exophase]

I would prefer the Tegra 3.

Why? Tegra 3 is going to be old news by late 2013..

 

[Foxgod]

I would prefer the Tegra 3.

Why? Tegra 3 is going to be old news by late 2013..

Because theres multiple versions of the Tegra 3, one being released in Q3 2013, and one in Q1 2014, which will both dust off the competition.


Also it got a Geforce GPU that supports both DX11 and OpenGL, + Physx.


Q1 2014 will be an ArmV8 Soc (64bit).


Those Soc's are used for tablets tho, so they might suck some battery power.

 

[Exophase]

Because theres multiple versions of the Tegra 3, one being released in Q3 2013, and one in Q1 2014, which will both dust off the competition.
Also it got a Geforce GPU that supports both DX11 and OpenGL, + Physx.


Q1 2014 will be an ArmV8 Soc (64bit).


Those Soc's are used for tablets tho, so they might suck some battery power.

No Foxgod, those are not multiple versions of Tegra 3. They will presumably be called things like "Tegra 4" and "Tegra 5", if they don't decide to change the product name altogether.


The information you claim about those processors, from that Wikipedia page, is either vague nVidia promises like "50x better" - which they are already on track of falling short of, given that Tegra 3 is nowhere close to 10x the power of Tegra 2 using any reasonable metric - or lacking sources altogether (and potentially completely made up). I see no reason to jump to the conclusion that nVidia will dust off anyone.

 

[Foxgod]

Because theres multiple versions of the Tegra 3, one being released in Q3 2013, and one in Q1 2014, which will both dust off the competition.
Also it got a Geforce GPU that supports both DX11 and OpenGL, + Physx.


Q1 2014 will be an ArmV8 Soc (64bit).


Those Soc's are used for tablets tho, so they might suck some battery power.

No Foxgod, those are not multiple versions of Tegra 3. They will presumably be called things like "Tegra 4" and "Tegra 5", if they don't decide to change the product name altogether.


The information you claim about those processors, from that Wikipedia page, is either vague nVidia promises like "50x better" - which they are already on track of falling short of, given that Tegra 3 is nowhere close to 10x the power of Tegra 2 using any reasonable metric - or lacking sources altogether (and potentially completely made up). I see no reason to jump to the conclusion that nVidia will dust off anyone.

K, you got a point that they will most likely be Tegra 4 and 5.


But if the three is 10x the power of the tegra 2, why would the 3 be 50 times faster then the 2?


If the Tegra 4 is 10 x faster then the three, then it would would be a factor 100 faster then the 2.