At the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) being held in Shanghai today, the chipmaker is expected to launch five new 'Atom' chips as also a collection of chips meant mainly for use in portable gadgets that access the Internet.

The 'Atom' processors will boast speeds of up to 1.86GHz making them the fastest processors -- and at a power consumption of just 3Watts or less, according to Intel. Besides the die size of these chips will be lesser than 25 sq mm allowing Intel to target the embedded market as well.

Reports suggest the five different versions of 'Atom' will be: Atom Z500 (800MHz clock speed, 512KB L2 cache, FSB400, 0.65watt TDP); Atom Z510 (1.1GHz, 512 KB, FSB400, 2watt); Atom Z520 (1.33GHz, 512KB, FSB533, Hyperthreading, 2watt); Atom Z530 (1.60GHz, 512KB, FSB533, Hyperthreading, 2watt); and Atom Z540 (1.86GHz, 512KB, FSB533, Hyperthreading, 2.4watt). This includes the 'Poulsbo' chipset which is now officially called 'System Controller Hub' or SCH. The prices of the chips will likely range from $45 to $160.

Anand Chandrasekher from the Intel Ultra Mobility Group said, "Global Internet growth continues unabated. The best Internet experience is still on the PC, but users want to carry that experience with them". Chandrasekher said the features of 'Atom' chips would help device makers create a range of mobile Internet devices (MIDs) with different functions and designs. He said major device makers are planning on adopting 'Atom', adding that over 20 manufacturers including Asus, Fujitsu, Lenovo, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba among others are coming out with products using the processor. The gadgets -- that will be smaller than a laptop but larger than a cell phone -- are expected to be available in China, Japan, and South Korea by the end of May or early in June. Europe and the US will see them launch later. Chandrasekher said he expects about 30 percent of the mobile Internet devices to have both WiFi and WiMax access designed into them. The prices of these will probably average around $500, he added.