The Z3000 series of Atom chips is Intel's first designed specifically for tablets, and the first big revamp for Atom in five years.
Intel disclosed a lineup of revamped Atom chips Wednesday that target both Windows 8.1 and Android tablets.
The Z3000 series is based on a redesigned Atom processor that promises better performance than the pokey chips that powered Windows 7 Netbooks of the past.
Performance is boosted by employing so-called "out-of-order execution," similar to what Intel uses in its higher-performance mainstream laptop processors.
It also packs improved graphics silicon that is essentially the same "HD" technology used in Intel's laptop-class Ivy Bridge processors, said Chris Walker, general manager for tablet processors at Intel, in an interview.
Intel will need everything in its formidable arsenal of technology to battle ARM chip giants Apple, Qualcomm and Samsung, which dominate the tablet market today.
