The gap between Via Technologies and two leading suppliers of central processing units seems to be widening. According to unofficial reports from Taiwan, the company only plans to release its first quad-core Via Nano microprocessors in late 2011, about five years after Intel Corp. and about four years after Advanced Micro Devices.

After several setbacks, Via intends to launch dual-core Nano microprocessors later this year. The dual-core Via Nano central processing units (CPUs) will be clocked at up to 2GHz clock-speed, will have 2MB L2 cache and will utilize 1333MHz V4 bus, reports DigiTimes web-site. With 20W thermal design power (TDP), Via Technologies will position the dual-core Nano product for notebooks. The chips are to be made using 40nm process technology at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

Sometime in late 2011 the Taipei, Taiwan-based company also plans to release its first quad-core microprocessors along with a core-logic with integrated DirectX 11-class graphics core. Not only Via will be years behind AMD and Intel with quad-core CPUs, but its platform will also be less progressive compared to AMD's Fusion or Intel's Sandy Bridge due in 2011.

Even though Via has been working hard on adding exclusive security and other capabilities to its microprocessors, their low performance amid relatively high thermal design power have consistently ruined the company's reputation among computer makers as well as end-users. As a result, Via's net loss for the first half of the year widened to $45.011 million on sales of $79.974 million.

Via Technologies did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: Via, Via Technologies, Nano, 40nm, Isaiah