Intel has begun shipping the first of its dual-core Atom line of chips.

The low-power Atom 330 processors are the first multi-core chips in the Atom line and aim to expand the reach of the brand into the low-cost, low-spec PC market.

The dual-core chip sports a 1.7GHz clock speed, 1MB of cache and support for Intel's 945GC graphics chipset.

The Atom 330 was unveiled in August during the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. Showcased alongside the latest UMPC models, the chip promised to expand Atom's range past low-power notebooks.

Where most of the Atom line is intended to power the UMPC and "netbook" classes of machines, the 330 chip will take on the desktop market. Intel envisions the Atom 330 powering this new class of low-power desktop models.

Known as 'net-tops', Intel sees the machines taking over the low-end PC market and appealing to users in developing nations alongside the Atom UMPCs.