Xunchi Third Generation
Napa is the name of Intel's third-generation mobile technology platform. It is an integrated platform composed of Intel 945 series chipsets, Yonah Pentium M processors, and Intel 3945ABG wireless network card modules. Compared with the second-generation Centi Sonoma platform, the system bus speed is increased to 667MHz. Yonah processors have launched single and dual-core technologies and adopt 65nm processes. Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG wireless module has begun to be compatible with three network environments: 802.11a/b/g. Among them, the Yonah Pentium M processor began to introduce dual-core technology, which is a key technology for Napa this time.
The difference between Sonoma and Napa
Pentium M processor
In the Napa platform, the most eye-catching thing is the Yonah Pentium M processor that uses dual-core technology. The Yonah Pentium M processor uses a new generation of mobile processor with 65nm process, but it still uses Socket 479 pins. In addition to introducing dual-core technology, it also increased the front-end bus rate to 667MHz, SmartCache technology used due to the existence of dual-core, the new generation of power management technology, and the beginning of supporting SEE3 multimedia instruction set.
Single and dual core Yonah
Yonah Pentium M dual-core is Intel's first product to introduce dual-core technology into mobile processor products. It implants two core units into one processor, and uses SmartCache technology to share the 2M L2 secondary cache. According to the load level of processing tasks, it coordinates between the two core processing units, and then performs instruction operations at the same time, thereby achieving more efficient processing capabilities. What the dual-core technology solves is the overall performance of concurrent multitasking runtime.
Yonah dual core internal diagram
Although Yonah dual-core Pentium M has two cores, the cache is shared and used by SmartCache technology to use 2M L2 cache, and no secondary cache is designed separately for the two cores. Therefore, increasing the bus rate to 667MHz at the same time will reduce the possibility of bottlenecks in communication between the processor and the chipset.
Although the introduction of dual-core technologies has achieved absolute improvements in performance and has also improved the processing efficiency of multi-task concurrent operation, as a mobile processor product, whether power consumption is controlled accordingly is also the most concerned aspect of users. Among the product line of Yonah Pentium M processors, the power consumption of a single-core Yonah processor is still the same as that of Dothan processors, while the maximum operating power of the dual-core Yonah ordinary version reaches 31W, the ultra-low voltage dual-core Yonah Pentium M is only 9W, the low voltage single-core 15W, and the average single-core is 27W. The power consumption of a single-core Yonah processor remains the same level as the corresponding Dothan processors, while the dual-core Yo The power consumption of nah processors has been improved, so Intel has introduced Intel Dynamic Power Coordination technology and Enhanced Intel Deeper Sleep energy-saving technology to enable the Napa platform to adjust power consumption more reasonably according to user applications. Combined with Intel SPeedstep automatic frequency regulation technology, the Napa platform will improve accordingly in terms of overall power consumption.
Intel Digital Media Boost is also a new technology introduced by Yonah processors. It is mainly in SSE/SSE2 Micro Ops Fusion, SSE decoder capacity improvement and support for SSE3 instruction sets. The introduction of this technology will increase the performance of Yonah processors in multimedia applications. For home users, its entertainment will be improved, such as in applications such as video editing and video playback, the performance and effect will be improved.
945 chipset series
Calistoga is the code name of the mobile Intel 945 series chipset. Compared with the Intel 915 series chipset, the Calistoga chipset provides a system bus to 667MHz, supports DDR2 dual-channel memory, a maximum speed of 667MHz (PC5300), supports PCI-Express x16 interface technology, Intel 945GM integrates Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 display unit, a 400MHz display core, and improves the shared system DDR2 667MHz memory as video memory.
The Intel 945 north bridge is matched with the ICH7-M south bridge, supporting 6 PCI-Express x1 interfaces, and also supporting PCI interfaces and SATA-300 hard disk interfaces, with a maximum support of 3Gbps transmission rate. In addition, HD Audio audio technology is also supported.
Pro/Wireless 3945ABG wireless module
Napa will use the Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG wireless module, which supports the IEEE 802.11a/b/g wireless network protocol, and will change the PCI interface used in Sonoma and the previous Carmel platforms in Napa, and start using the PCI-Express x1 interface, and the module specifications will also be converted to a smaller mini card.
The biggest benefit of WiFi mini card based on PCI-Express x1 interface can undoubtedly save some resources for the machine, and develop in a more portable direction in line with the size of the laptop. However, as of now, some engineering prototypes of the Napa platform still use Intel 2200BG wireless module based on PCI interface. Therefore, in the future Napa products, these two wireless modules will exist at the same time, and a transition period is required to complete the handover of the two generations of wireless modules.
Compatible with the three wireless network protocols of 802.11a/b/g, it can give Napa a wider application field. As the wireless network market developed by Xunchi technology, the current common ones are still compatible with 802.11b/g dual-mode wireless environments, while the 802.11a wireless environment with stronger anti-interference capabilities is mostly used in some special fields.
The fourth generation of Xunchi
Intel released the latest fourth-generation Centi mobile platform Santa Rosa on May 9. Compared with the previous Centi platform, the biggest advantage of the latest Santa Rosa platform is its better multitasking processing capabilities, clear video playback capabilities, better manageability and security, which further expands the advantages of the Intel mobile platform.
1. Processor:
The new Merom core processor also uses Core micro architecture, with high energy and low consumption characteristics. The new processor increases the front-end bus frequency from 667 MHz to 800MHz, increasing the data transfer speed between the CPU and the chipset.
In addition, the new processor has further optimized its energy consumption savings, using dynamic front-end bus frequency switching technology, which reduces the core voltage by changing the front-end bus frequency in real time, allowing the CPU to enter a new low-power operating state called Super LFM, reducing operating power consumption. After the addition of the technology of dynamic front-end bus switching, the battery life will be extended in a low-power operating state. A new lower voltage operating state is added, and the CPU and chipset enter a low voltage operating state according to changes in bus clock frequency by reducing CPU core voltage and bus speed. The two cores are in HFM (high frequency mode), P3, P2, P1, LFM (low frequency mode), and Super LFM (super low frequency mode). The newly added mode can reduce power consumption more.
The new processor also introduces Intel dynamic acceleration technology to improve the performance of single-threaded applications. In layman's terms, when the CPU is in a single-threaded working state, one core of the processor is in the C3 state (a state in the idle state) to reduce power consumption, while the other running core can obtain additional TDP space from the idle core, thereby achieving higher performance.
2. Chipset:
The Santa Rosa platform uses the latest 965 series chipset, paired with the ICH8M south bridge, supports the Merom dual-core processor with 800MHz/667MHz front-end bus, dual-channel DDR2 667MHz/533MHz memory, SATA 3.0Gbps disk data transmission bandwidth, supports Intel fast data recovery technology, Intel active management technology, and Intel clear video technology, which is much better than the 945 series used in the previous generation.
The ICH8M South Bridge uses the 2.5 version of the active management technology, and the control link implementation management engine supports multiple interface communications, including wireless network and Ethernet. ICH8M has 10 USB 2.0 interfaces, 3 SATA 3.0Gbps ports, and 6 PCI-Express x1 interfaces.
Beiqiao integrates the GMA X3100 graphics core, has INTEL clear video technology, and provides MPEG2/WMV9 hardware acceleration. High-quality video playback and hardware high-definition video decoding accelerate, which is very important for increasing the platform experience. It supports DX9 graphics rendering, has 8 shader units, which greatly enhances the core capabilities of the previous generation of graphics. The X3100 has hardware vertex units, which can be said to be a relatively complete graphics processor. X3100 can support Vista Premium and provide complete Vista effects. The graphics core's operating frequency is 500MHz, and it has a new generation of energy-saving functions. You can use INTEL DVMT 4.0 to increase the video memory. Bear Online
Among them, the Intel 965 series chipset includes three models: PM965, GM965 and GL960. PM965 is a version that does not integrate the graphics display core. GM965 integrates the X3100 graphics display core, with a core frequency of 500MHz, supports DirectX9.0c and OpenGL1.5, and can perfectly support the Vista Premium and Aero graphical interfaces. The GL960 is a simplified version of the GM965. Not only does the graphics display core frequency be reduced to 320MHz, but the front-end bus only supports 533MHz.
3. Wireless network card:
The Santa Rosa platform is equipped with Intel Pro/Wireless 4965AGN wireless network card. In addition to the 802.11a/b/g standard, it can also support the latest 802.11n standard. 802.11n uses three technologies to make its performance better and its coverage wider. First, MIMO, that is, multi-in and multi-out technology, which uses multiple antennas to transmit and receive multiple wireless channels at the same time to improve data transmission rate. In addition, MIMO can also effectively alleviate the multi-path effect, which is the main reason affecting the performance of wireless networks. The second way is to use channel bundling, using two 20MHz channels to transmit double data. The third method is load optimization, which can achieve more data transmission each time.
The network equipment manufacturers currently involved in the construction of the Intel Santa Rosa platform include D-Link, NetGear, Buffalo, ASUS and Belken. Currently, laptops using these wireless network cards can be labeled with the Cunchi label, but we also noticed that the new Santa Rosa platform does not mandate the use of 4965AGN wireless network cards, so the Cunchi logo can also be labeled with the Cunchi label when using the previous generation wireless network cards. However, this increases the difficulty of purchasing for ordinary consumers, and they can only check with their eyes wider when purchasing.