It was finally yesterday that Intel launched its Centrino 2 platform a little more than 5 years after the introduction of the first laptop PCs based on the first version of this flagship brand for the mobile segment. The concept is basically the same as it still includes a CPU, chipset and WiFi controller.
In terms of processors, six new models were launched:
While these are all still Penryns (already found on the Centrino "Santa Rosa Refresh") they now use an FSB 1066 which should be amply sufficient given the fact that they only have two cores.
Concerning the chipsets, there will first be the PM45 and GM45 (which has a DirectX 10 graphic circuit) sold for $39 and $43, respectively, combined with an ICH9M. One interesting innovation is that they support DDR3-1066 whose voltage is 1.5V (following JEDEC recommendations) versus 1.8V for DDR2. This should enable reducing power consumption in addition to the obvious performance increases. Otherwise, PCI Express 2.0 support is finally a reality with the Centrino 2.
For WiFi, Intel offers its Link 5000s whose prices vary between $19 and $30 depending on the model. Being prudent, the Santa Clara giant mentions support for
the 802.11n specification project which offers five times the bandwidth (up to 450 Mbit/s) and double the range on a Wireless N network compared to wi-fi 802.11a/g norms. We’ll just have to wait and see what this means in practice because the 802.11n is supposed to be everything
but new for the Santa Clara company.
An optional element has appeared on the Santa Rosa. Intel Turbo Memory is still present but this time there are 2 GB modules sold for $27 to $30. You may recall that this consists of integrating flash memory interfaced via the PCI-E bus. Otherwise, we can now use Vista’s ReadyDrive and ReadyBoost technology that adds gains in performance and autonomy. Finally, on the professional segment the Centrino 2 vPro supports AMT 4.0 which should facilitate administration.
It's now official. Nvidia has lowered the price of the GeForce GTX 280 and 260 to $499 and $299 versus a previous $649 and $399, respectively. In practice this means that they should soon be found for around 400€ and 240€, the lower of the two being similar to the current price of the Radeon HD 4870. While performances of the ATI card are generally superior, we should nevertheless keep in mind that it doesn’t support PhysX or CUDA. These could be decisive elements for some buyers.