10 |MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC|OCT 08 |www.maximumpc.com
QUICKSTART^
THE BEGINNING OF THE MAGAZINE, WHERE ARTICLES ARE SMALL
QUICKSTART^THE BEGINNING OF THE MAGAZINE, WHERE ARTICLES ARE SMALLI
ntel usually garners a lot of attention for a
product that’s been renumbered. The new
number implies signifi cant changes, and
oft en that’s the case. It was that way when
Pentium became Pentium II and Pentium III
became Pentium 4. But does Centrino 2 truly
deserve a new revision number—and all the
hype?
That’s the question some folks are asking
as they kick the tires on Intel’s new mobile
platform, which is more evolutionary than
revolutionary in nature. There’s no die
shrink for the CPU and no new instruc-
tions—and it doesn’t exactly represent a
quantum leap in performance.
That’s not to say the Centrino 2 doesn’t
offer any changes. The new Centrino 2 line-
up features five CPU models ranging from
2.26GHz to 2.8GHz. And though they’re all
based on the same 45nm Penryn-core chips
the earlier Centrino offered, the front-
side bus for Centrino 2 is stepped up from
800MHz to 1066MHz. A new Wi-Fi chip
promises better range and power savings
but no changes in standards—it supports the
same 802.11a/b/g/n as the last-gen Centrino
part. Intel also offers a WiMax component
for Centrino 2, but it’s not a required feature
of Centrino 2-branded notebooks due to the
lack of WiMax providers.
Perhaps Centrino 2’s most significant of-
fering is in the chipset. Intel is promising in-
creased graphics performance with the new
GMA 4500MHD graphics core, as well as the
ability to support a hybrid mode that lets
a consumer switch between power-saving
onboard graphics and a discrete GPU. The
new chipset also supports DDR2/800MHz
speeds, up from 667MHz, and DDR3 up to
1066MHz data rates.
But beyond that, Centrino 2 hardly
seems deserving of the deuce. Intel officials
disagree and say that the new number is
warranted. “There has been incremental
performance and capabilities in the previ-
ous Centrino-based notebooks, but withCentrino 2, we were able to deliver new core
features and better energy-efficient capa-
bilities. This branding also helps consumers
distinguish it as the latest generation,” a
spokesperson explained.
Rob Enderle, principal analyst with the
Enderle Group, says naysayers are being too
cynical in thinking that the new revision is
just a way to sell more units. At the end of
the day, he says, it’s just marketing, but he
believes that Intel’s intention with Centrino 2
is to get people focused on WiMax capabili-
ties and the fact that integrated graphics may
actually be decent for once.
Ian Lao, an analyst with
In-Stat, agrees that most people
won’t see any signifi cant
changes in a feature-for-feature
comparison between Centrino
and Centrino 2, but he thinks
there are enough changes for
Intel to give a revision number.
Among those signifi cant diff er-ences is the power savings, which, accord-
ing to Lao, is fairly significant with the new
chips and chipset. Three of five new Core 2
Duos announced with Centrino 2 feature a
25-watt TDP—just slightly higher than the
TDP of the original 1.7GHz Pentium M in the
first Centrino.
A more compelling argument Intel has
for the new number is the addition of the
company’s first quad-core mobile part. That’s
expected by the end of the year. Of course,
many expect a truly new mobile CPU based
on Nehalem by next summer.THE NEWS
Company touts hybrid graphics, better battery life, and optional WiMax in
its new mobile platform —GORDON MAH UNG
Intel’s Centrino 2 Arrives
THE NEWS
Intel’s Centrino 2 Arrives
THE NEWS
THE CENTRINO 2 CPU LINEUP
Processor Clock/FSB Cache/TDP
Core 2 Duo T9600 2.80GHz/1066 6MB/35w
Core 2 Duo T9400 2.53GHz/1066 6MB/35w
Core 2 Duo T9500 2.53GHz/1066 6MB/25w
Core 2 Duo T8600 2.40GHz/1066 3MB/25w
Core 2 Duo T8400 2.26GHz/1066 3MB/25wIntel is promising a boost in integrated graphics with the Centrino 2’s new GM45 chipset.