Intel D525MW Motherboard Review

Introduction

Today we are reviewing the Intel D525MW Mini-ITX motherboard, which comes with an on-board Atom D525 CPU. Check it out!

The Atom is a low-power CPU from Intel. Actually, this name is used for two series, one aimed at handheld devices (“Silverthorne” and “Lincroft” models) and another one made for ultra-thin laptops, netbooks and energy-conscious desktops, represented by the “Diamondville” (first generation) and “Pineview” (second generation) models.

The main difference between these two generations is that Diamondville models must be paired with a northbridge chip, typically the Intel 945GC Express, and a southbridge chip. The newer “Pineview” models have this northbridge chip integrated into the CPU chip, which reduces the total power consumption. These CPUs must be paired with the NM10 chip, which assumes the role of a southbridge, or peripheral control hub (PCH). To learn more about the Atom CPUs, please read our All Atom Models tutorial.

The Atom D525 processor that comes soldered on the Intel D525MW motherboard is a “Pineview” model, with two processing cores and a 1.8 GHz clock, which is currently the most powerful Atom CPU available. It has a 1 MB L2 cache, is manufactured under 45 nm technology, and has a TDP of 13 W. The integrated memory controller supports up to 4 GB of as much as DDR2-800 or DDR3-800 memory, in single channel configuration.

This processor supports the Hyper-Threading technology, which means each physical core is recognized by the operating system as two logical cores (threads). So, the D525 CPU is recognized as a quad-core processor.

In Figure 1, you see the D525MW, which uses the Mini-ITX form factor, meaning that it measures 6.7 x 6.7 inches (170 x 170 mm).

Figure 1: Intel D525MW motherboard