"The Nano 3000 isn't dual-core. It's a different version of the Nano that's based on a more advanced manufacturing process," said Richard Brown, Via's vice president of corporate marketing.

In May, Via disclosed plans to release a dual-core produced using a 45-nanometer process, saying the chip should be ready by the end of 2009. That schedule remains on track, with Brown saying the first dual-core Nano processor is set to arrive during the fourth quarter.

He did not say when computers based on the dual-core chip will be available.

The Nano 3000 processor will hit the market during the third quarter of this year, Brown said. This chip packs a single processor core but is manufactured using a more advanced version of the 65-nanometer process that's used to produce the Nano 1000 and 2000 series processors.

The more advanced manufacturing process will give the Nano 3000 better performance and lower power consumption compared to the 1000 and 2000 series, he said.