Not all Intel® AtomsTM
are created equal Over the past few quarters, there has been a lot of buzz about the Intel® AtomTM processors. There are several varieties of the Intel® AtomTM processor, some are cheaper than others, some are hard to find, and some seem to be just about everywhere. With this information, some important questions arise that need to be addressed. In the commercial market, Mini-ITX boards and systems using the Intel® ATOMTM processor seem to be becoming more and more popular. These commercial boards and systems ring-in at a low price point, but when you look to the industrial PC companies, the prices seem to be higher. Why is this?
Let's use this as an example: Commercial PC Company ‘X' has a barebones system using the Intel® ATOMTM processor 230 and the Intel® 945GC chipset for $150.00. The industrial PC company, Global American, Inc., has a barebones system using the Intel® ATOMTM processor N270 and the Intel® 945GSE chipset for $350.00. When we look at the differences in the prices, especially during this economic downturn, we only see the price difference of $200.00. When we look deeper into the technical specifications of these two systems, it's more than just the price difference that stands out. Commercial PC Company X's system with the Intel® ATOMTM processor 230 combined with the Intel® 945GC (released in Quarter 2 of '08) has a max TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 29.5 watts and has a manufacturing availability of 2+ years. This means that in approximately 2010, this processor may no longer be available or may only be available in limited quantities and at higher costs. Global American's system, consisting of the Intel® ATOMTM processor N270 combined with the Intel® 945GSE chipset (also released in Quarter 2 of '08), has a max TDP of 11.8 watts and has a manufacturing availability of 7+ years, meaning it will still be available until at least the year 2015.
In the industrial application field, Global American, Inc. realizes that you, our valued customer, create your projects based on long term, reliable solutions. Sometimes developing these projects can take weeks or even months to complete. Purchasing Commercial PC Company X's solution may be cheaper in the short term, but what happens when you finish the final specifications for your project and the system you developed it around is no longer available? It's back to the drawing board to start over.
With Global American's solution, you can have the confidence that the system will be available and viable when you complete the developing and testing stage and will continue to be so for years to come. This, combined with lower thermal design power, make this a better overall industrial solution for anyone looking to do more with their design than run simple desktop applications.
Global American, Inc. is a leader in the Industrial PC field and is here to help explain the technical differences between commercial and industrial components.
Please call or email your sales support personnel if you have any questions. |
