Less Than Half the Size of Intel’s Pentium M
VIA Technologies Inc. keeps enhancing its “Nehemiah” CPU core: The newest Eden-N processor combines solid x86 computing credentials — 16 pipeline stages, SSE multimedia instruction support, and a 64K Level 2 cache — with the industry’s most advanced embedded hardware security technologies, led by a new PadLock Advanced Cryptography Engine (ACE) that secures e-mails, personal files, and online transactions over wired or wireless networks.
But designers of compact, silent (fanless) desktops will be even more intrigued to learn the processor’s nanoBGA package measures only 15mm by 15mm — approximately the size of a penny — and achieves a thermal design power of only 7 watts at 1.0GHz (or 6 watts at 800MHz or 4 watts at 533MHz).
VIA says the Eden-N will lead the next generation of smaller, highly integrated designs such as its forthcoming 12cm by 12cm (4.7-inch square) Nano-ITX motherboard form factor. The PadLock cryptography engine provides unmatched performance for the U.S. government-approved Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), encrypting data at up to 12.5Gbps at 1.0GHz — more than eight times as fast as a power-hungry 3GHz Pentium 4 processor with software-based AES.
For enhanced digital media applications, the Eden-N can be paired with VIA’s CLE266 chipset, featuring an integrated hardware MPEG-2 video decoder, DDR266 memory support, USB 2.0 and 10/100Mbps Ethernet connectivity, and VIA’s Vinyl Audio 5.1 surround sound.