Intel unveils new Centrino chips
'Yonah' processor demonstrated in sneak preview
Intel's next generation of Centrino notebook chips will deliver the same multimedia performance as high-end Pentium 4 processors without sacrificing battery life, according to the firm.
Intel gave a sneak preview of its forthcoming notebook processor, code-named Yonah, at its recent Developer Forum. The chip will power the next generation of its Centrino platform, code-named Napa, which is due for release in 2006.
Yonah, a dual-core processor for notebooks, will be the first manufactured using a 65nm process, which Intel has said will make it faster and more energy-efficient. Despite generating twice the power of a single-core processor, its battery life will be similar to current Dothan-based mobile processors, the firm claimed.
Many of the improvements in the new processor are designed to boost the average multimedia performance of existing Pentium M processors.
All three of Yonah's decoders can decode Single Simd Extension (SSE) instructions. SSE 3 will be supported by both cores and Yonah's floating point performance has been boosted. These changes are grouped under the Digital Media Boost technology banner.
Other Yonah offerings will include a new power management system, called Dynamic Power Co-ordination, that can automatically adjust the performance and power between the two processing cores on demand. Intel's new Advanced Thermal Manager technology will help with the increased heat produced from two cores on a single chip.
The Yonah chip will be teamed with a new chipset called Calistoga and a next-generation wireless technology called Golan to create the next Centrino platform.
"Centrino-based notebooks are selling well," said John Turner, business manager at distributor Midwich. "Samsung is doing very well on the thin and light Centrino side of the market, and Acer is starting to make its presence felt here, too. In business terms, not everyone needs a thin, Centrino-powered notebook; it depends on who's controlling the budget.
"If the individual has a choice they will go for the super-slim Centrino model. If the financial director is overseeing the spending, then you're looking at an entry-level Celeron-powered machine."
Intel is now focusing its notebook and desktop efforts on multi-core processing.
Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel, said: "Intel is extending the platform approach across a number of areas, including the digital home, the enterprise, healthcare and, more broadly, mobility.
"In order to meet evolving end-user requirements in these areas with integrated platforms, the additional processing capabilities of multi-core technology for multi-user and multi-tasking activities will be needed. Multi-core technology represents a tremendous opportunity for the developer community."