IDF, Fall 2005: Intel unveils dual-core mobile CPU

 

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By Tim Danton in San Francisco

Posted on 24 Aug 2005 at 07:28

Attendees of IDF Fall saw two fully working notebooks based on Intel's next-generation mobile CPU, codenamed Yonah, despite the fact it isn't due to be released until the first half of 2006. This is in stark contrast to AMD, which can currently only provide a proof-of-concept system.

The demonstration was part of a grand unveiling of Intel's next version of Centrino mobile technology, codenamed Napa. As with current Centrino technology, it will be formed of a trio of Intel components: a processor (Yonah), chipset (Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset, codenamed Calistoga) and wireless (Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG).

Despite having two cores, Intel claims Yonah will on average consume the same amount of power - if not less - than the current generation of Pentium M processors. For the first time, Intel revealed its latest technology to help this process: Smart Cache Sizing. When not being used, each processor core will slip into deeper states of sleep, and when it reaches the deepest level the cache will be gradually flushed until it's empty - then the data is transferred to main memory, allowing the voltage drawn by the processor to drop still further. Before, turning the voltage this low meant all the data in the cache was lost.

The chipset has a huge part to play too. Although the front side bus runs at 667MHz to the 915 chipset's 533MHz, Intel claims power optimisations will reduce consumption. So-called Smart 2D Display Technology also minimises the amount of screen refreshes, while Automatic Display Brightness can adjust the backlight intensity to match the ambient light levels - theoretically without the user noticing. Finally, the new graphics chipset includes adaptive de-interlacing and a faster core (250MHz to 200MHz).

The wireless technologies are aimed at improving the user experience. 'Two of the things we'll be delivering are an enhanced VoIP quality to guarantee bandwidth available to the voice,' said Sean Maloney, general manager of Intel's mobility group, 'and the second is technology where your notebook will connect with the access point with the most amount of bandwidth - not, as now, the strongest signal. That isn't a smart thing to do.'

Evidently, the world's notebook manufacturers are impressed. Already, Intel has over 200 'design wins', compared to 150 for the original Centrino. And remember that we're still around six months from launch.

Nevertheless, we don't think manufacturers are quite as upbeat as Mahoney. 'We are really excited about what Napa is going to do in 2006,' he said. 'First of all, we've put another major effort into power management. Secondly, on the radio side, we're improving performance and adding new features, and we're also improving significantly the graphics performance. And lastly, we're introducing dual core.'