Although I will do my best to give a heads-up to new technology in the mobile space, it should be clear that Intel has decided to make a huge turn in its planned products for the microprocessor arena. Very recently Intel decided to dump its desktop and server processors ('Tejas' and 'Jayhawk' and their successors) slated to come out in the next couple of quarters without much explanation. In retrospect, it is quite clear why Intel did this and every computer user from beginners to the pros should be listening—it’s not every day a multi-billion dollar behemoth of a company hits the e-brake and makes a u-turn. The big problem is that the architecture that is too concerned with a longer pipeline so that clock frequencies could get ramped up quickly but the consequences (not directly) were massive power consumption which led to heat removal issues. As processors get faster but smaller, the current direction Prescott was heading in would have led to the ratio of heat dissipated per unit area skyrocketing.
Intel has instead decided to turn in the direction of ‘Jonah’ which is going to be the first dual-core Pentium M processor. What dual-core essentially means is putting two CPUs into one package so they can communicate with each other without slow buses getting in the way. This will also be accompanied by a far more efficient memory management and access system (which Intel has traditionally lacked) such that each CPU won’t have to waste clock cycles waiting for data from the main system memory. So hopefully this means that processors for desktops and mobile systems will be more alike in their capabilities rather than the huge speed discrepancies that existed in the past. So for all of you out there who have repeatedly claimed that the Pentium-M processor is somehow inferior; well all the proof you need is out on the table for anyone to examine. In the end, Prescott and its successors are flawed in terms of key design issues that warranted Intel to move to Centrino onto both the desktop and notebook.
With this in mind, we should be looking at future developments in the mobile space as even more important. This is a perfect lead in to the original post… There is a ton of information on the "2004 Centrino Platform" or as many have called it: Centrino 2 (better known as ‘Sonoma’).
Dothan will be coupled with the Alviso chipset (Intel 955) around the late second half of 2004 which is the same time the 533 MHz FSB model Dothans are to be released. The current Dothan is based on a 90-nanometer process with 2MB of L2 cache. This replaces the Banias core based on the 130-nanometer process with 1MB of L2 cache. Although during full-speed running states the Dothan consumes less power per clock cycle, its sleep, deep sleep and deeper sleep power mode states actually consume more power than Banias. The quick and dirty numbers are:
Dothan (any model #):
Thermal Design Power: 21 W (Full speed) / 7.5 W (Speedstep)
Sleep Power: 3.2 W
Deep Sleep Power: 2.5 W
Deeper Sleep Power: 0.8 W
Centrino (the normal voltage models--i.e. 1.7 GHz, 1.6 GHz, 1.4 GHz, etc):
Thermal Design Power: 24.5 W (Full speed) / 6 W (Speedstep)
Sleep Power: 1.7 W
Deep Sleep Power: 1.1 W
Deeper Sleep Power: 0.55 W
Another item that stands out is the fact that the only time you gain anything with Dothan is when it’s running its full clock potential because even in low-MHz Speedstep the Banias consumes less power.
Alviso is going to be a mobile revolution of sorts because it will be bringing so many new technologies to the mobile space. Along with a FSB speed increase from 400 MHz to 533 MHz, we will see a new system bus called PCI Express. This has a lot of advantages over the now aging PCI bus system which includes much more bandwidth so that, for example, uncompressed audio streams, gigabit Ethernet, next-generation Firewire / USB peripherals, and improvements in SCSI / SATA will have room to breathe. The bandwidth available is 250 MBps in each of two directions while PCI is only 132 MBps total in both directions.
Another welcomed addition with Alviso will be ExpressCard and the removal of PCMCIA (PC Card) slots which it is replacing. Current PC Card slots have a pin-in-socket design (prone to breaking) with 132 MBps bandwidth total. This link can easily be saturated by most add-on peripherals people want to put into their laptops these days. The replacement ExpressCard will be a serial connection (not parallel like PC Card) and the connector will be a beam-on-blade style. It will have 250MBps of bandwidth in each of two directions and therefore requires PCI Express to be present as the system bus. There will be two sizes of cards, one is ExpressCard/54 and the other is ExpressCard/34. These cards will no longer have the mechanical removal mechanism seen on PC cards but will stick out about half an inch so the user will have to manually pull them out. ExpressCard specifications require connection compatibility with USB 2.0, so older notebooks will have external USB readers for ExpressCard. Expresscard/34, the smaller form-factor of the two, will have a PC Card adapter so it can plug into older notebooks.
Alviso will support up to eight USB 2.0 ports and four PCI Express ports.
Memory technology continues to hum along at a good pace and we should see dual-channel DDR 2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB) as the new memory standard with Alviso.
Although some laptops (such as my Dell M60) come with gigabit Ethernet, it is companies like Broadcom and not Intel supplying the networking portion of the chipset. Alviso will change this by offering integrated gigabit Ethernet which should translate into a slightly cheaper system in the end due to reduction in the number of components with the same performance potential.
Although present already in desktops, Serial ATA (SATA) will make its debut in Alviso. Hard drive rotational speeds are already creeping past the standard 4200 RPM drive onto 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM drives which should benefit from the faster interface.
Intel has already released the 2200BG which includes both 802.11b/g under the Centrino brand name. Look for Calexico II (Intel codename) wireless with 802.11a/b/g functionality with better Bluetooth integration when Alviso debuts. Other technologies to look forward to are 802.11n which should double the speed of 802.11g but Intel has no plans right now of integrating this into its Centrino (Calexico) line-up. WEP was replaced with a better standard known as WPA. WPA was meant as an interim fix until 802.11i security is released in early 2005. Most manufacturers will have firmware upgrades from WPA to 802.11i available around the products release. (802.11i is just a security protocol and note another form of wireless networking like 802.11g.) Along with the release of Calexico II, Intel will feature new wireless configuration software, codenamed 'Muroc', that provides a much easier to use interface. Intel has also built in hardware-based AES encryption which replaces the current DES encryption. Intel is hoping that all wireless technologies can be integrated onto the system board without the need for mini-PCI connectors that most laptops use today as this should allow laptops to become even smaller. However, initially don't be surprised to continue to see mini-PCI playing its usual role in systems.
Next, AC97 audio which has been the standard for a long time will be replaced with Intel's High Definition Audio sub-system (formerly known as “Azalia”) built into the ICH6-M South Bridge. This is a multi-channel audio system that will come standard with Alviso-equipped notebooks along with a whole host of amazing new sound-related technologies and software that should allow any laptop system to play a DVD in a multi-channel format without the need for an add-on external sound "card". The aim will also be to make it easier for laptops to play multi-channel audio-equipped video games with less equipment clutter.
NVIDIA recently released information on their new MXM (short for Mobile-PCI eXpress Module) upgradeable video standard. There are three types of MXM cards. The smallest type, MXM-I has been designed for thin and light notebooks and MXM-II is for the average notebook. The one to really have is the MXM-III which is for large desktop replacements and workstation laptops. Look for this in new laptops which should make the upgrade process to newer and faster video cards much easier. Although not directly meant as a part of Intel’s Alviso, this technology requires PCI Express equipped laptops so it will not come out before then. Many Taiwanese manufacturers have signed on to providing this technology so expect most name-brand laptops to come with it. Although not of concern to most hardcore gamers, systems integrators will be able to choose a version of Alviso that includes the third version of Intel's integrated Extreme Graphics which will have dual-display capability and TV out.
Screens should be improving with technology such as MVA by Fujitsu which allows brighter text with better viewing angles. Screen resolutions will be increasing across the board. 17" screens with WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution will be making their debut once the problems with large-scale manufacturing can be brought down in price. 4:3 non-widescreen systems will be relegated to only the cheapest systems.
The last and most important thing is when is all this coming? Don't expect all of these components in a single laptop until January 2005.
In conclusion, the next 6 months will be an exciting time for the mobile industry. Small systems such as OQO and Flipstart that run full versions of Windows XP will also be making their debuts. Furthermore, Motorola will be releasing their MPX which will be far and away one of the most well equipped Pocket PC systems and hopefully will be functional without any usability headaches. My recommendation to anyone who is waiting right now for a system to show up is that waiting is probably a good thing. Times like this come only once every so often in the computer industry and consumers should take advantage of it. The last time this happened was when Centrino first debuted. Today, many of us who bought systems back then can still upgrade to Dothan and have top-of-the-line systems. For those who cannot wait, buy a used notebook or one of the bargain systems out there that show up for a few hundred dollars and then splurge when all these components show up.
Anyway, I hope that helps. Please excuse the typos and grammatical problems. I'll fix them after my nap. =)
NOTE: Someone already asked me about posting this on another site. Shoot me a PM about the location and please link to the original post I wrote on these forums (www.sagerforums.com) and give me credit. Thanks
Intel has instead decided to turn in the direction of ‘Jonah’ which is going to be the first dual-core Pentium M processor. What dual-core essentially means is putting two CPUs into one package so they can communicate with each other without slow buses getting in the way. This will also be accompanied by a far more efficient memory management and access system (which Intel has traditionally lacked) such that each CPU won’t have to waste clock cycles waiting for data from the main system memory. So hopefully this means that processors for desktops and mobile systems will be more alike in their capabilities rather than the huge speed discrepancies that existed in the past. So for all of you out there who have repeatedly claimed that the Pentium-M processor is somehow inferior; well all the proof you need is out on the table for anyone to examine. In the end, Prescott and its successors are flawed in terms of key design issues that warranted Intel to move to Centrino onto both the desktop and notebook.
With this in mind, we should be looking at future developments in the mobile space as even more important. This is a perfect lead in to the original post… There is a ton of information on the "2004 Centrino Platform" or as many have called it: Centrino 2 (better known as ‘Sonoma’).
Dothan will be coupled with the Alviso chipset (Intel 955) around the late second half of 2004 which is the same time the 533 MHz FSB model Dothans are to be released. The current Dothan is based on a 90-nanometer process with 2MB of L2 cache. This replaces the Banias core based on the 130-nanometer process with 1MB of L2 cache. Although during full-speed running states the Dothan consumes less power per clock cycle, its sleep, deep sleep and deeper sleep power mode states actually consume more power than Banias. The quick and dirty numbers are:
Dothan (any model #):
Thermal Design Power: 21 W (Full speed) / 7.5 W (Speedstep)
Sleep Power: 3.2 W
Deep Sleep Power: 2.5 W
Deeper Sleep Power: 0.8 W
Centrino (the normal voltage models--i.e. 1.7 GHz, 1.6 GHz, 1.4 GHz, etc):
Thermal Design Power: 24.5 W (Full speed) / 6 W (Speedstep)
Sleep Power: 1.7 W
Deep Sleep Power: 1.1 W
Deeper Sleep Power: 0.55 W
Another item that stands out is the fact that the only time you gain anything with Dothan is when it’s running its full clock potential because even in low-MHz Speedstep the Banias consumes less power.
Alviso is going to be a mobile revolution of sorts because it will be bringing so many new technologies to the mobile space. Along with a FSB speed increase from 400 MHz to 533 MHz, we will see a new system bus called PCI Express. This has a lot of advantages over the now aging PCI bus system which includes much more bandwidth so that, for example, uncompressed audio streams, gigabit Ethernet, next-generation Firewire / USB peripherals, and improvements in SCSI / SATA will have room to breathe. The bandwidth available is 250 MBps in each of two directions while PCI is only 132 MBps total in both directions.
Another welcomed addition with Alviso will be ExpressCard and the removal of PCMCIA (PC Card) slots which it is replacing. Current PC Card slots have a pin-in-socket design (prone to breaking) with 132 MBps bandwidth total. This link can easily be saturated by most add-on peripherals people want to put into their laptops these days. The replacement ExpressCard will be a serial connection (not parallel like PC Card) and the connector will be a beam-on-blade style. It will have 250MBps of bandwidth in each of two directions and therefore requires PCI Express to be present as the system bus. There will be two sizes of cards, one is ExpressCard/54 and the other is ExpressCard/34. These cards will no longer have the mechanical removal mechanism seen on PC cards but will stick out about half an inch so the user will have to manually pull them out. ExpressCard specifications require connection compatibility with USB 2.0, so older notebooks will have external USB readers for ExpressCard. Expresscard/34, the smaller form-factor of the two, will have a PC Card adapter so it can plug into older notebooks.
Alviso will support up to eight USB 2.0 ports and four PCI Express ports.
Memory technology continues to hum along at a good pace and we should see dual-channel DDR 2 SDRAM (up to 2 GB) as the new memory standard with Alviso.
Although some laptops (such as my Dell M60) come with gigabit Ethernet, it is companies like Broadcom and not Intel supplying the networking portion of the chipset. Alviso will change this by offering integrated gigabit Ethernet which should translate into a slightly cheaper system in the end due to reduction in the number of components with the same performance potential.
Although present already in desktops, Serial ATA (SATA) will make its debut in Alviso. Hard drive rotational speeds are already creeping past the standard 4200 RPM drive onto 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM drives which should benefit from the faster interface.
Intel has already released the 2200BG which includes both 802.11b/g under the Centrino brand name. Look for Calexico II (Intel codename) wireless with 802.11a/b/g functionality with better Bluetooth integration when Alviso debuts. Other technologies to look forward to are 802.11n which should double the speed of 802.11g but Intel has no plans right now of integrating this into its Centrino (Calexico) line-up. WEP was replaced with a better standard known as WPA. WPA was meant as an interim fix until 802.11i security is released in early 2005. Most manufacturers will have firmware upgrades from WPA to 802.11i available around the products release. (802.11i is just a security protocol and note another form of wireless networking like 802.11g.) Along with the release of Calexico II, Intel will feature new wireless configuration software, codenamed 'Muroc', that provides a much easier to use interface. Intel has also built in hardware-based AES encryption which replaces the current DES encryption. Intel is hoping that all wireless technologies can be integrated onto the system board without the need for mini-PCI connectors that most laptops use today as this should allow laptops to become even smaller. However, initially don't be surprised to continue to see mini-PCI playing its usual role in systems.
Next, AC97 audio which has been the standard for a long time will be replaced with Intel's High Definition Audio sub-system (formerly known as “Azalia”) built into the ICH6-M South Bridge. This is a multi-channel audio system that will come standard with Alviso-equipped notebooks along with a whole host of amazing new sound-related technologies and software that should allow any laptop system to play a DVD in a multi-channel format without the need for an add-on external sound "card". The aim will also be to make it easier for laptops to play multi-channel audio-equipped video games with less equipment clutter.
NVIDIA recently released information on their new MXM (short for Mobile-PCI eXpress Module) upgradeable video standard. There are three types of MXM cards. The smallest type, MXM-I has been designed for thin and light notebooks and MXM-II is for the average notebook. The one to really have is the MXM-III which is for large desktop replacements and workstation laptops. Look for this in new laptops which should make the upgrade process to newer and faster video cards much easier. Although not directly meant as a part of Intel’s Alviso, this technology requires PCI Express equipped laptops so it will not come out before then. Many Taiwanese manufacturers have signed on to providing this technology so expect most name-brand laptops to come with it. Although not of concern to most hardcore gamers, systems integrators will be able to choose a version of Alviso that includes the third version of Intel's integrated Extreme Graphics which will have dual-display capability and TV out.
Screens should be improving with technology such as MVA by Fujitsu which allows brighter text with better viewing angles. Screen resolutions will be increasing across the board. 17" screens with WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution will be making their debut once the problems with large-scale manufacturing can be brought down in price. 4:3 non-widescreen systems will be relegated to only the cheapest systems.
The last and most important thing is when is all this coming? Don't expect all of these components in a single laptop until January 2005.
In conclusion, the next 6 months will be an exciting time for the mobile industry. Small systems such as OQO and Flipstart that run full versions of Windows XP will also be making their debuts. Furthermore, Motorola will be releasing their MPX which will be far and away one of the most well equipped Pocket PC systems and hopefully will be functional without any usability headaches. My recommendation to anyone who is waiting right now for a system to show up is that waiting is probably a good thing. Times like this come only once every so often in the computer industry and consumers should take advantage of it. The last time this happened was when Centrino first debuted. Today, many of us who bought systems back then can still upgrade to Dothan and have top-of-the-line systems. For those who cannot wait, buy a used notebook or one of the bargain systems out there that show up for a few hundred dollars and then splurge when all these components show up.
Anyway, I hope that helps. Please excuse the typos and grammatical problems. I'll fix them after my nap. =)
NOTE: Someone already asked me about posting this on another site. Shoot me a PM about the location and please link to the original post I wrote on these forums (www.sagerforums.com) and give me credit. Thanks
