VIA preps SSE4-enabled, dual-core Nano chips
12/31, 1:55am
New Via Nano chips coming
Chip manufacturer VIA will begin sampling a dual-core version of its Nano CPU in the second half of 2009 and shipping the next-generation processor in volume in late 2009 or early 2010, slightly earlier than previous a roadmap leak indicated. Like rival AMD which recently outlined new Atom-competitors, VIA's X86-compatible Nano chips debuted in May to compete with Intel's Atom and lower-end Celeron M chips. VIA hopes to stem the growing adoption of Intel's Atom processor (and dual-core nettop PC variant); VIA, the report says, expects to deliver samples ahead of the previously reported June 2010 launch. Digitimes reports that the new dual-core Nano chips will arrive before the end of the first quarter of 2010, while a next-generation SSE4-enabled Nano CPU will arrive in the third quarter of 2009.
