RAM | Reseller Advocate Magazine: Issue 50

By Chris Angelini

Meet Your Newest Whitebook Weapon Centrino is alive and well. But it's changing, just as it has before. The Centrino technology you've been selling recently is actually from the platform's second generation, referred to as Sonoma. Immensely more powerful than the initiative's first incarnation, Sonoma introduced PCI Express, DDR2 memory, Serial ATA hard drives, and a more powerful Pentium M processor to an already successful brand name. OEMs and ODMs really took a liking to Sonoma, enabling the VAR community with a slew of whitebook configurations spanning from thin and light to desktop replacement.

You can expect the same from Napa, Intel's third-generation Centrino platform, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show this past January. Although it's improved all around, Napa's focus unquestionably gravitates around Intel's newfound newfound devotion to dual-core processing.

Intel…Core Duo?

Not only is Intel making big changes architecturally, but on the marketing side, as well. The Pentium M brand is being retired in favor of two new monikers: Core Duo and Core Solo. You shouldn't have a difficult time extrapolating what each represents; one is a dual-core design and the other leverages a single processing core.

Beyond the basic name, there's also a new model designation for each member of the Core family consisting of a letter and four numbers. The letter reflects power consumption with the T models rated for 31W and the Ls at 15W. Then, the first number corresponds to core composition. Core Duo chips have two processing cores, so they get a "2" designation. The last three numbers indicate performance, higher numbers being faster. So take the Core Duo T2500 as an example. You can tell right off the bat that it's a dual-core 31W part. A trip to Intel's Web site also reveals a 2 GHz clock speed and 667 MHz front side bus.

Because Intel is evangelizing the virtues of multiple cores, you won't see the same enthusiasm over the 27W Core Solo. However, it remains a viable option for VARs looking to build low-cost whitebooks while still exploring Napa's advantages. You can currently find a single Core Solo model, the T1300, running at 1.66 GHz and also on a 667 MHz bus.

Making a Good Chip Better

Of course, performance doesn't change at the hands of PR managers, so what else has Intel done to make Core Dual and Core Solo faster than their predecessors? To begin with, it added a feature called Digital Media Boost, a blanket that covers several distinct improvements. Most marketable is the inclusion of SSE3 instruction support, establishing parity with Intel's historically multimedia-rich desktop processors. Other little tweaks here and there further accelerate media apps—throughput enhancements to the SSE decoder, modifications to floating-point performance, and better handling of SSE operations, for instance.

Then there's the obvious second processing core on Intel's Core Duo models. Unlike the Pentium D 900-series, which mates two individual dies on a single package, Core Duo consists of one silicon piece that plays host to two cores, a special communications bus, and 2MB of what Intel calls its Smart Cache. Architecturally, the design is fairly different from the company's desktop offerings.

A Pentium D CPU sports two cores. Each has its own L2 cache, meaning any request to the other core's cache must be sent over the front size bus. AMD isn't subject to that limitation. Core Duo sits somewhere between the Pentium D and Athlon 64 in that core to core communication takes place on one die. The pair shares 2MB of cache, dynamically resizing it according to what each core needs. Ideally, the architecture will run much more efficiently as a result of the Smart Cache design. Customers should expect longer battery life as a result of of the improved efficiency.

Get Efficient

Two Heads Are Better Than One
Core Duo proves the truth behind the cliché. As applications make greater use of threading, a new Centrino notebook will deliver plenty of power.

One of the big reasons to buy Centrino is mobility. Knowing a notebook will run for three to four hours or more is real value when so many customers are used to bulky desktop replacements good for 45 minutes. Generally, you'd expect a platform boasting double-digit performance increases to consume more power rather than less. But Intel has dedicated significant resources to ensuring that the latest Centrino notebooks last longer than ever.

Much of that power savings is the result of a well-timed shift from 90nm manufacturing to a 65nm process. The transition allows Intel to cram more transistors onto a smaller die, which is one reason dual-core processing is even possible on the road.

The other power optimizations are a little less prevalent, and maybe not even meaningful to your customer. But the basic idea is that each of the processor's cores is constantly looking to run at a lower power state, ramping up only when more horsepower is needed. Such subtle optimizations, combined with process refinements, give the Centrino platform its best efficiency characteristics ever experienced.

The Whole Family
How do you make Centrino? Mix equal parts Core Duo processor, Mobile 945 Express chipset, and Pro/Wireless 3945ABG networking module.

Have a New Chipset, Too

The past couple of desktop chipsets have landed without much commotion. Apparently, that's what happens when subsequent releases feature very little fresh functionality. The good news is that the chipset accompanying Core Duo does more for mobility than simply extending dual-core processor support.

Getting Technical
If you really want the dirt on Intel’s Mobile 945 Express chipset, this block diagram shows you all you need to know.

Firstly, you have an updated outlook on performance. Dual-core processing exerts a sizeable burden on front side bus throughput for somewhat obvious reasons. So Intel turned the bus clock up to 667 MHz on its Mobile 945 Express chipset versus its predecessor's 533 MHz. In the interest of keeping things synchronous, 945 Express also enables DDR2-667 module support, simultaneously giving mobile platforms the same memory speeds available on the desktop. Customers can expect the greatest benefit in ultra-thin designs relying on system memory to feed integrated graphics performance.

Functionality also gets due attention. A mobile ICH-7 adds more PCI Express connectivity than the Sonoma platform offered, maintaining two SATA 1.5 Gbps ports, Intel HD Audio, and eight USB 2.0 ports. The big differences are that Intel's wired Gigabit Ethernet controller is now a PCI Express part and so is the requisite wireless component.

Despite the faster clocks and extra features, Intel is claiming its mobile 945-series chipset actually saves power, too. The improvements come from small tweaks all over the system, including the updated ICH. Moreover, PCI Express features much more control over power management than the standard PCI bus, so transitioning vital networking components to the new interface also yields power conservation gains. Even if your customer isn't interested in any of that, the story remains consistent: Intel is adding a lot more performance and some significant new features to Centrino, all the while extending battery life, not reducing it.

Shedding Wires

Critical component number three in Centrino's grab bag of goodies is a genuine Intel wireless adapter. Past generations of the initiative gave system builders a choice between a couple of different wireless options, but this time around Intel is pushing an all-in-one, PCI Express-based controller called the PRO/Wireless 3945ABG. The module's name gives away its functionality—all three wireless standards, 802.11a/b/g, are supported.

The software bundled with Intel's PRO/Wireless 3945ABG card has also been updated. Of course, customers will still have the option of managing their wireless connection through Windows' built-in applet. However, you might find the PROSet/Wireless Software to be a more user-friendly solution.

An Alphabet of Wireless
No more worrying about wireless interoperability; the new 3945ABG module supports them all.

First off, the software facilitates central profile management, ideal for businesses with a number of notebooks that need connection profiles. Administration thus gets a whole lot easier. The software also supports Wake on LAN, so mobile clients maintain their wireless connections even in sleep mode to receive patch distributions or antivirus definitions.

Intel includes specialized 802.11e considerations for VoIP quality of service. In other words, employee-to-employee calls made using Skype or some other telephony application may reserve bandwidth and optimize their connections with real-time voice in mind. Standard security settings naturally accompany the package, letting you offer everything a customer would get in Windows XP SP2 plus more.

I Gotta Get Me One of These!

Now you know all there is to know about Intel's third generation Centrino platform, at least from a raw technology standpoint. The top-tier integrators already demonstrated some of their designs at CES, so those are either available today or very close to it. Now, where does the channel fit into this picture? How might the VAR capitalize on Intel's great brand and solid technology?

The Sonoma debut saw a number of ODMs offer up whitebook designs ready for customization, and Napa will be no different. Take ASUS' Z62F, announced at CES, for example. The ASUS whitebook is expected to be one of the first channel-friendly products available to VARs in early February.

While the performance, power, and mobility hallmarks of Centrino are reflected in the ASUS design, system builders should be even more excited about the CBB (Common Building Block) Program. An Intel idea, the CBB Program initially provides for interchangeable LCD panels, mobile hard drives, optical drives, and power supplies.

Unbranded, for Your Pleasure
ASUS’ Z62F is an empty slate, ready for SI intervention. The solid design is a true testament to the company’s channel efforts.

As it turns out, ASUS' Z62F is aCBB-compatible whitebook, and as a result you can get it with three different-sized LCD screens, a standardized 12.7mm optical drive, 2.5" hard drives, and a lithium-ion battery pack. Integrators are able to inventory fewer items, and hopefully upgrades should be easier, as well.

The rest of the notebook's specifications have no problem going toe-to-toe with competing tier-one designs. You can support both Core Duo and Core Solo processors, install up to 2GB of DDR2-667 memory (or use DDR2-533 as a less expensive alternative), leverage 2.5" Serial ATA storage, offer a duo of optical drives, boast roughly four hours of battery life, and all in a 5.5-pound package. A built-in megapixel camera makes the deal that much sweeter for multimedia enthusiasts.

Moving Forward

In addition to insightful programs such as the CBB, Intel is also apparently looking to improve the supply of mobile hardware to channel vendors. Such an effort should help ODMs, and in turn integrators, get access to components in a timelier manner.

If you remember back to the first Centrino launch, almost all of the company's focus was directed toward the large OEMs. Boxed Pentium M processors were pretty much non-existent, and whitebooks still seemed like an obscure idea (even though the first whitebook designs were indeed beginning to emerge). That all changed with the second generation of Centrino, as ODMs started aggressively packaging chassis, power supplies, system boards, and discrete graphics processors while Intel wrapped the Pentium M up and made it available.

Now we're being treated to almost immediate access to Napa-based whitebooks. Core Dual and Core Solo processors are showing up on distributor price lists and might even be available by the time you read this. Mobile hard drives with the latest technology are slowly coming online. And you can get your hands on plenty of high-speed SO-DIMM memory. Thanks to Napa, the whitebook market now stands poised to take off in earnest.