Ubuntu and the Intel Atom 330 Processor

[Michael Haney]

On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 9:35 AM, Conrad Knauer <atheoi at gmail.com> wrote:
> (posted + e-mailed)
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 2:22 PM, Michael Haney <thezorch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> the Intel Atom 330 processor.  This is the 2GHz dual-core Intel Atom
>
> Shouldn't that be 1.6 GHz?
>

No, this specific CPU+mobo combo is a 2GHz Atom 330, they do exist but
haven't appeared in netbooks yet.  A 2GHz 330 is appearing in a new
tiny-form factor nettop from Acer.

This is the board+CPU combo I'm talking about:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121359&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Motherboard+/+CPU+/+VGA+Sets-_-Intel-_-13121359

I got the URL for it from a article at Extremetech.com on how to build
a decent Ubuntu PC on a low budget.  The article said this was
specifically a 2GHz Atom 330 and not a 1.6GHz version.  Its one of the
first of the 2GHz Atom's actually from what I understand, the same one
that's in that Acer nettop.

That nettop is the Acer AspireRevo, this is the 1st gen with an Atom
230, a new model with this 2GHz Atom 330 is on the way and will be the
first 2GHz Atom to use Nvidia's Ion graphics technology:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/acer-aspirerevo-nvidia-ion-atom,7488.html

>
> I have an Acer Aspire One running an N270 and the computer I'm typing
> this from uses a 330 :)
>
> For my needs it runs quite well; I originally built this machine for
> my daughter and then realized that it was actually better than the old
> machine I was using! ^^;  I had most of the parts I needed (case, HD,
> power supply, DVD-RW, monitor) so all I needed was the motherboard
> (which had the Atom processor on it) and DDR2 RAM (I got the Intel
> D945GCLF2 board and a 2GB stick for $165 CN tax included about half a
> year ago)
>
> The nicest thing about the 330 is that it can run 64-bit Ubuntu :)
> Also, between the dual core and the hyper threading, Ubuntu treats it
> as if it had four processors 8-)
>

That's similar to this board's specs, except the CPU is clocked at
2GHz.  My budget is extremely limited and it will take time to
assemble the parts to build this system.

> If you're going from a 1.2 GHz single core desktop machine to this, it
> will be step up.
>
> If you already have all the other parts handy (as I did) and can
> assemble it yourself, then it's economical.
>

That's what I'm hoping for and I do have parts I can use for the new
machine.  I already have a descent working DVD-RW drive and two hard
drives.  Though I'd get a SATA to use as the boot drive due to the
faster performance.

> *heh*  My wife went Mac; it is indeed $$$ :)
>

Not so much so anymore.  They're now comparable in price to a high-end
Dell or HP laptop, and in quality they're far better than either.  My
friends both have Macs, one has two MacBook Pros and another has a
current generation iMac.  They are really sweet machines, the iMac
runs games really well and the big screen looks awesome.  He replaced
an aging Pentium 4 machine with the iMac.  My other friend with the
two MBPs built himself a $3,000 Nvidia SLI gaming rig and has barely
ever used it.  He lives out of his MBP and has recently started using
both of them for all of his major projects.  The gaming rig is barely
used except when he wants to game and doesn't want to use the HD space
on his MBP to install the games.

He does run Final Fantasy XI from his MBP, which is just one
generation older than the current models.  That machine can run Elder
Scrolls IV Oblivion on a setting just below maximum.  His gaming rig
and run it at full settings without flinching.

-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
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