VIA Nano L2100 vs. Intel Atom 230: Head to Head

Name: VIA Nano L2100 vs. Intel Atom 230: Head to Head - Page 6
Brand: VIA

by Marco Chiappetta — Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 11:00 AM EDT

We have one final data point we'd like to cover before bringing this article to a close. Our goal was to give you all an idea as to how much power each of the system configurations we tested used while idling and running under load.

Power Characteristics

Processors and Platforms

Please keep in mind that we were testing total system power consumption here at the outlet, not just the power being drawn by the processors alone. In this test, we're showing you a ramp-up of power from idle on the desktop to full CPU load.

Now you see can all see why the Nano and Atom aren't quite in the same class as the Athlon 64 X2 and Core 2 Duo. One of the main goals when both the Nano and Atom were being designed was low-power operation and both design teams have succeeded on that front. Intel's part has an obvious advantage, consuming 19 fewer watts than the Nano under load, but remember the Nano is 1.8GHz, 65nm part, while the Atom is a 1.6GHz, 45nm part. If / when VIA is able to transition the Nano to a more advanced 45nm process, its power consumption should be reduced significantly. Of course, this hints at Intel's huge advantage in manufacturing. By the time any of their main competitors are able to "catch" Intel at 45nm, they'll be readying the next iteration.

Tags: Intel, Atom, VIA, Nano, Intel Atom, Via Nano, Atom 230, Tom, EA

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com