30 Aug 10 The Power Of Netbook Processors

If your shopping for a netbook or just researching one, then you have heard that the processor is important. The central processing unit, or the processor, is simply a computer chip, but it is not any old computer chip. It is the engine behind the computer. A good laptop will come with an Intel core 2 Duo processor. Most PCs will come with the same processor, if this tells you anything about the strength of them. It has been known for a while that a laptop is comparable to a desktop and this is why. These are substantially different from the processors inside of a netbook, though.

Netbooks run one Intel’s Atom processor. It is a tiny little thing, only 2.2 centimeters square. It is among the smallest processors ever created by Intel, the clear leader in the processor industry. It was designed just for small gadgets such as netbooks and laptops under $300. It doesn’t take as much power as a Core 2 Duo processor and does not radiate the same heat. This is the key to the netbooks super long battery life, which make laptop batteries look sluggish in comparison.

Of course the Intel Atom is not nearly as powerful at those used in laptops and PCs. The Atom comes in several different varieties, so there will be variation in performance form netbook to netbook. The most popular model right now is the N450, which has the speed of 1.66GHz. This is nothing to sneeze at and is quite impressive for such a small processor. You can do a lot without hindrance on a netbook with the Atom inside.

This is not the final word on the topic, though. Intel and other up and coming companies are trying to fit more power into smaller spaces. There is promise of a dual core netbook processor on the market before long. Of course, it will be a long time before anything as strong as a Core 2 Duo will be able to fit into something the size of a netbook, but it is not an impossibility. When it is here, though, it will be an impressive thing to carry around in your black laptop case.

Tags: laptop case, laptops under $300