Intel makes the dual-core Atom 330 official

Intel is bringing new Atom processors to market for the low-cost computer segment. Its single core Atom 230 processor is already a favorite in the netbook market, but the company is looking to take things a step further with its first dual-core Atom part, the Atom 330, which is now officially shipping.

The chip is clocked the same as the existing single-core Atom 230, or 1.6 GHz, features 1MB of L2 cache (512KB per core), and support for DDR2-667 memory. With an 8W thermal design power, however, it draws four times more power than the single-core part – which would critical to battery life. For this reason, Intel is aiming this chip at nettops (low cost desktop computers) rather than netbooks.

According to Intel’s pricelist, the dual-core Atom 330 will cost $43 each in 1,000 unit quantities, or about 50 percent more than the single-core Atom 230.