Inside Intel's Napa platform

Intel's latest mobile platform, now officially christened Centrino Duo, introduces the Core Duo chip with dual CPU cores. This and other developments should deliver useful -- if not revolutionary -- increases in notebook performance and battery life.

The launch of Intel's new Napa platform brings with it Yonah, the company's first dual-core mobile processor. Now more properly named the Intel Core Duo, Yonah is an evolution of the Pentium M processor. As it's also expected to find its way into low-power blade servers and the like, there's no M or Mobile in the processor name: the next generation of this architecture, codenamed Merom, will move further into full-blown desktop (Conroe) and server configurations.

Core facts
Intel's nomenclature takes a bit of work to decode. The Napa platform is officially called Centrino Duo, which includes the Mobile Intel 945 Express chipset, the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Wi-Fi PCI Express MiniCard and the Intel Core Duo processor. A low-cost version of the platform built around a single-core Yonah -- why throw away a faulty chip if only half has failed? is simply called Centrino as before, although the processor chip itself is labelled the Intel Core Solo.

Intel's new Centrino Duo mobile platform (previously codenamed Napa) comprises the Core Duo processor, the PRO/Wireless 3945ABG wireless networking module and the 945 Express chipset.

Yonah's two cores are functionally identical mirror images of each other, which simplifies the routing of common signals between them. Apart from duality, Yonah's biggest -- or smallest -- change is its architectural feature size, shrunk to 65nm from its predecessor Dothan's 90nm. This smaller size keeps the processor line in track with the precepts of Moore's Law, and gives the designers more room to trade off performance against power consumption. Intel claims that Yonah has twice and Merom will have three times the integer performance per watt of Banias, the 130nm mobile chip that kicked off this line of designs

Can’t edit your favorite pics while performing Hi-Def video encoding or having a problem playing any game which demands a high performance processor.

Can’t edit your favorite pics while performing Hi-Def video encoding or having a problem playing any game which demands a high performance processor. Well do not be so worried, Intel (the god of processors) has come up with its exciting new Intel Core i7 processor extreme edition. Although Intel has released many processors over the years, most of these offered only small iterations on existing designs, and were more evolutionary than revolutionary. This time it has come up with the world’s most advanced processors for those who like to use their PCs for things such as video gaming, photo editing or any other memory consuming operations. It has a monstrous capacity of handling various strenuous tasks simultaneously. Apart from its high speed performance, high quality gaming, the components of the processor are also amazing. It has 3.2 GHz of core speed as well as three channels of DDR3 1066 MHz memory. This quad core processor also includes eight processing threads with Intel’s incredible HT technology and eight megabytes of Intel Smart Cache and with the combination of Intel Turbo Boost technology and Intel Hyper-Threading technology, it merely has no match.

Currently this extreme i7 processor is being sold at a retail price of about 1010 USD. Although the price is a bit on the higher end, but if you are looking for a tool which makes interaction with your PC as smooth as it has never been, then you better go for it. Also, the cost of the desktop boards which are based on this new processor is a bit high (around 260 USD); no need to worry though, the prices are going to take a downward leap in a couple of months.





Best features of the Core i7’s are

* 3.20 GHz core speed
* 3 Channels of DDR3 1066 MHz memory
* 8 MB of Intel Smart Cache
* Intel Turbo Boost Technology
* Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

When are you going to get this revolutionary new processor??
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These four upcoming chips will run on a new Intel Series 5 chipset, codenamed Kings Creek (shown above) for desktop and Calpella for mobile. Intel showed off these new 32nm processors and chipsets at the event in a very informal demo, just to show that these products work and exist (the mobile platform even ran Spore).

It's also interesting to note that normally, most Intel processors are released to the server market first, then go to the consumer PC market for consumption. With the upcoming Westmere processors, Intel will produce the chips for consumer PCs first, marking a departure in strategy for them.

While Intel is probably jumping forward to stay ahead of the pack in a slumping economy, what this means for you, the consumer, is that you'll get better performing processors even sooner than expected, which should be early 2010.

  Intel Demonstrates First Working 32nm-based Microprocessor in Both Mobile and Desktop Systems

  Feb. 10, 2009 - At a media briefing in San Francisco today, Intel Corporation discussed new milestones for 32nm manufacturing and progress toward future products. Earlier that day, in Washington, DC, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini disclosed that Intel is making the largest-ever investment in a single process technology in the United States to support upgrades to advanced manufacturing facilities in the country and the move to its next-generation, 32nm chip manufacturing technology. Intel is investing approximately $7 billion in 2009-10 on 32nm manufacturing technology, raising the total by the end of that timeframe to approximately $8 billion (for 32nm investment in the United States).

  Below is a summary of the product roadmap news at the briefing in San Francisco:
  First-ever demonstration of a working 32nm-based microprocessor:
  - Intel is demonstrating the first 32nm working microprocessor in both mobile and desktop systems.
  - Great 32nm process and product health are enabling Intel to accelerate 32nm product ramp
  – Westmere mobile and desktop processor production in the fourth quarter of 2009
  – 32nm enables increased performance and power flexibility
  - Intel processors based on Westmere will ramp into mobile, desktop, and server segments over time, as the 32nm process ramps

  For client, Westmere brings Nehalem through Intel's mainstream processor product line
  - Increased performance, smaller processor core size
  - New multi-chip package with graphics integrated in the processor
  - Repartitioned system architecture, simplified motherboards
  - Volume ramp; expect 32nm in server market in 2010

  Westmere key features
  - Intel® Turbo Boost technology
  - Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (2 Cores, 4 threads)
  - Integrated graphics, discrete/switchable graphics support
  - 4MB cache, Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) – 2ch DDR3
  - AES Instructions

  The 32nm process with second-generation high-k + metal gate transistor era begins
  Intel's strength as an integrated device manufacturer allows the company to continue to deliver new generations of advanced process technology on a 2-year cadence. Intel has developed a 32nm logic technology with industry-leading features:
  - Second-generation high-k + metal gate transistors
  - 32nm marks the first time Intel uses immersion lithography on critical layers
  - 9 copper + low-k interconnect layers
  - About 70 percent dimension scaling from 45nm generation
  - Pb- and halogen-free packages

A Demo of Intel's First 32nm Westmere Processors

At today's San Francisco event, Intel mostly discussed what we know about the upcoming Westmere processor, but revealed they're scrapping the next dual-core 45nm processors, in favor of 32nm Westmere chips in early 2010.

The first Westmere chips will be the dual-core Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. In addition to the 32nm CPU, these chips will feature a 45nm integrated graphics and memory controller. Integration in particular was a big point of emphasis for Intel, and said they plan to continue down this path, because it cuts costs in development and production, and also gets products to market faster. A six-core, 32nm processor (codename: Gulftown), is also planned for a future release.

Also announced early this morning, and reiterated at today's event, is that Intel scrapped plans for refreshed dual-core 45nm processors, Havendale (desktop) and Auburndale (mobile), in favor of the Clarkdale and Annendale processors, for desktop and mobile uses, respectively. Intel said than an "accelerated product ramp" is allowing them to overlap the newer, smaller dual-core chips with the upcoming pair of 45nm quad-core processors, Lynnfield (desktop) and Clarksfield (mobile, and not to be confused with Clarkdale), which will give end-users options when it comes to CPU performance.