What
exactly goes into an Intel Centrino mobile notebook is a mystery to
many people. We demystify this sometimes misunderstood technology as
well as look at the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor. Know
exactly what you are getting with your new laptop.
There has been a lot of confusion over the use of the term Intel
Centrino and what it actually means. An Intel Centrino mobile notebook
is actually a combination of Intel products, including what is marked
as the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor, put together to create a
wireless networking, high performance Intel Centrino mobile notebook.
When wireless networking became popular, Intel introduced the Intel
Centrino mobile notebook concept to make it easier for people to get a
wireless networking computer. Instead of fishing around for the right
parts and the like, Intel effectively made a package that would give
them these things they were looking for. The specifications for an
Intel Centrino Mobile Notebook cover an Intel chipset, a Pentium M
Processor (often referred to as an Intel Centrino mobile laptop
processor) and Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection. In fact, any
Intel Centrino Mobile Notebook is basically an all Intel machine.
Practically all of the internal parts will be Intel parts.
The Intel Centrino Mobile Laptop processor is an Intel Pentium M
Processor. Confusion between the Pentium M processor and Centrino is
common, but the Pentium M is part of the Centrino package. This
processor is a variant on the Pentium processors from their desktop
range, but with lots of different technologies and additions, making
them quite different from the desktop versions. There are a number of
Intel Centrino mobile laptop processors offered with the Sonoma
revision of Intel Centrino mobile laptop technology. Intel Pentium M
processors 780, 770, 760, 750, 740 and 730. They also offer Low voltage
models in the 778 and 758 as well as two Ultra Low voltage models, the
753 and 733J. All of the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processors use
90nm manufacturing process, 2MB of L2 cache and various other
technologies, including the Execute Disable Bit with the models that
have a J at the end.
The Intel Centrino mobile laptop processors have some specific benefits
which make them suitable for the mobile environment. One of the most
obvious of the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor is the low
volatage design. Low voltages allow Intel Centrino mobile notebooks to
have lower power consumption, lengthening running time. As well as this
there is technology to raise of drop the voltage of an Intel Centrino
mobile notebook as necessary, further saving power.
Intel Centrino mobile notebooks also come with the Mobile Intel 915
Express Chipset. This chipset specifically designed for Intel Centrino
mobile notebooks provides many new features that the older Intel
Centrino mobile notebooks did not offer. Some of the most notable are
the addition of SATA, PCI Express X16 for graphics, PCIe for the other
cards internally and DDR2 400/533MHz. It is desgined specifically with
the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor in mind.
For Intel Centrino mobile laptops SATA provides an increase in the
performance of hard drives and DVD drives. This technology allows for
faster transfer of information which speeds up all applications. PCI
Express X16 is a breath of fresh air for those who are looking to get
better graphics from their system and in particular, those who would
like to play 3D games, which using the more recent Intel Centrino
mobile notebooks has become more feasible. The internal PCI Express
should also allow for speed increases for parts, and helps to pass more
strain away from the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor.
Most beneficial for the Intel Centrino mobile laptop is the addition of
DDR2 400/533MHz memory. DDR2 not only offers speed increases over the
older DDR, but most importantly for mobile technology is that it
consumes less power, just like the Intel Centrino mobile laptop
processor. Power saving is an everpresent concern for laptop users who
have to work with limited battery life.
Intel Centrino mobile notebooks also include technology for wireless
networking. Although this is nothing new, the technology has been
improved and updated, supporting the latest technologies. There is much
increased security from the newer Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG and 2200BG
which increase security, have higher performance, better ease-of-use
and better power management, allowing power saving. In short it is a
fully featured card that gives everything you could need. It is
specifically aimed at meeting the stringent needs of the business user
who chooses an Intel Centrino mobile notebook.
The benefits of the Intel Centrino mobile laptop processor and Intel
Centrino mobile laptop technology are clear and although you can get
the same things from other combinations of parts there is a certain
comfort in the combination. It allows you to be fairly certain of what
to expect from your laptop and how much it will perform. Intel Centrino
mobile notebooks have been around for a while now and on the whole
there is a good reason they are so popular. The Intel Centrino mobile
laptop processor in an Intel Centrino mobile laptop has become almost
synonymous with mobile networking for laptops.
