Intel's fifth-gen Centrino to launch as Centrino 2
Chip giant to make darn sure buyers know it's different
18th February 2008 09:52 GMT
Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome Centrino... 2. Yes, despite numerous annual updates since the launch of Intel's laptop platform, the next version, codenamed 'Montevina', will apparently be released as its second generation.
That's what laptop maker moles claim, at least. And, according to a DigiTimes report, they approve of the move, since it'll make it clear to computer buyers that successive Centrinos are better than the previous ones.
Hopefully, it'll also mean an end to the use of Intel Centrino codenames - 'Carmel', 'Sonoma', 'Napa' and 'Santa Rosa' - as differentiators, an unofficial naming scheme even more confusing for consumers.
Montevina is due in Q2, probably in May following a formal unveiling the month before at Intel Developer Forum in Shanghai. The chip giant is expected to roll out six 45nm Core 2 Duo mobile processors to accompany Centrino 2, all running on a 1066MHz frontside bus and clocked at between 2.26GHz and 3.06GHz.
Montevina will be accompanied by the 'Cantiga' chipset and updated 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi adaptors, one of which, 'Echo Peak', will also incorporate WiMax.
Second-generation Intel Turbo Memory cache modules will form optional additions to Montevina.
Seven further mobile processors are due in Q3, these targeted at slim'n'light laptops of the MacBook Air persuasion.
Q3 should also see the arrival of Intel's first quad-core mobile CPUs.


Intel Core i7 I7-920 Quad Core Processor (2.66GHz, 4x256kB, 4.8GT/s QPI, LGA 1336 Socket B)
Intel Core i5 750 Qaud Core Processor (2.66GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, 2.5 GT/s Bus, Socket H LGA1156)
Asus P7P55D Motherboard (Intel Socket H LGA1156, P55 Express, ATX, 16GB DDR3)
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Motherboard (AMD Socket AM3, 785G, ATX, 16GB DDR3, 5200 MT/s Bus)
Micro Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 6MB L3 Cache, 4x512kB L2 Cache, 2000 MHz Bus, Socket AM3)