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Intel Centrino 2004: Dual-Channel DDR-II, PCI Express, Serial ATA, Dolby-Digital, etc...

Category: Mobile

by Anton Shilov

[ 09/20/2003 | 01:32 AM ]

You probably now realize that Intel is planning a major technology shift to happen next year. The company will start a very rapid transition to numerous new technologies, such as PCI Express, the interconnection protocol for the next decade, DDR-II SDRAM, 90nm fabrication process and so on. The company will not only implement these exiting things into desktop platforms, but will add them into its mobile lineup as well! Besides, dozens of new things will be intended for Centrino mobile field only!

The main components of Intel’s Mobile Internet PC 2004 Platform known as “Sonoma” (we can call it Centrino 2004) will be Intel’s next-generation “Dothan” Pentium M processor with 2MB of L2 cache made using 90nm “Strained Silicon” process; Intel’s next-generation code-named Alviso core-logic as well as future-generation Intel PRO/Wireless WLAN solution.

Note that Dothan processors themselves will emerge in the market very early next year, whereas the whole “Sonoma” Mobile Internet PC 2004 Platform will appear in the second half of the year.

The Alviso chipsets will be intended for both mobile and portable computers, hence, even though Dothan chip will only support 400MHz Quad Pumped Bus at the launch, the (G)MCH will be able to work with both 400 and 533MHz PSB that will be utilized by mobile Prescott processors.

Intel’s code-named Alviso core-logic will support dual-channel DDR-II SDRAM memory to improve performance tangibly compared to current mobile platforms. Moreover, the core-logic will enable PCI Express interconnections in notebooks, allowing installation of powerful mobile graphics add-in cards designed specifically for this bus. In order to complete the transition of the mobile technologies to the most-advanced level, Intel adds support for Serial ATA-150 to the upcoming ICH6-M and is bringing advanced Azalia audio to its “Sonoma” Mobile Internet PC 2004 Platform enabling Dolby-Digital 7.1 and high-quality audio on such kind of PCs. Additionally, expect the new platform to support NEWCARD, as well as new and even more effective power-saving (EBL’04) and security features, such as biometrics.

As a part of its “Sonoma” Mobile Internet PC 2004 Platform (Centrino 2004), Intel also plans to launch an 802.11g/Bluetooth solution with improved Bluetooth audio quality while using WLAN. The company’s longer-term plans are to enable 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth and GSM-GPRS co-existence on the same mobile platform.

To sum up, the Sonoma platform and Alviso core-logic will bring the most-important technologies in the mobile field for the next 2-3 years. The successor of the Alviso currently known as Crestine as well as code-named Merom and Gilo processors will develop technologies further, but will still be based on the conceptions of Intel Mobile Internet PC 2004 Platform.