Product Reviews

Intel has formally launched the latest update to its Centrino notebook platform. This is the fifth update to the platform since its introduction in 2003, but for the first time it comes with a name change: the new platform (internally codenamed 'Montevina') is to be branded 'Centrino 2'.

Despite the new version number, the platform hasn't fundamentally changed. Intel has simply upped the specification to use newer versions of the components that make up Centrino - the CPU, chipset and wireless networking controller.

New mobile Core 2 processors

The most interesting development is on the CPU front. Intel made the switch to mobile versions of its 45nm 'Penryn' parts in the last update to Centrino - the 'Santa Rosa refresh' in January. Now, Centrino 2 introduces six entirely new mobile processors, all with 1,066MHz FSBs - up from the previous generation's 800MHz.

The bottom-end processor is the Core 2 Duo P8400, which has a core clock speed of 2.26GHz. It features 3MB of cache and a TDP of 25W - down from the 35W of previous mobile Penryns.

Next up is the P8600, which is architecturally identical to the P8400 but raises the clock to 2.4GHz. The P9500 runs faster still, at 2.53GHz, and also doubles the L2 cache to 6MB.

Then come two heavier chips - the T9400 and T9600. The run at 2.53GHz and 2.8GHz respectively, and share the 6MB cache of the P9500. TDP for these models is unchanged from the previous generation, however, at 35W.

Finally, at the top of the tree sits Intel's first mobile Core 2 Extreme processor: the multiplier-unlocked X9100, with a stock speed of 3.06GHz and a concomitantly higher thermal design power of 44W.

Intel has also promised a further eight processors for Centrino 2 within the next three months, for a total of 14 new mobile CPUs. The new models are promised to include the industry's first quad-core mobile chip, as well as more models designed for low power computing.

Naturally, the new processors all support the Deep Power Down feature introduced with the first mobile Penryn chips. This introduces a new C6 low-power state, in which the processor is turned almost entirely off when idle.

Wi-Fi Link 5000 series

While AMD's Puma platform permits manufacturers to pick their own wireless chipset, Intel has always insisted on a specific Intel part: all 'Santa Rosa' Centrinos used the draft-n Intel WiFi link 4965AGN controller.

Centrino 2 brings in certified 802.11n and introduces a little more choice. Manufacturers can now choose the Intel WiFi Link 5100, 5300, 5150 or 5350 (pictured).

We expect most domestic laptops to use the 5100 - an 802.11n chipset

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with 300Mb/s of receive bandwidth. The 5300 is the same, but bandwidth is increased to 450Mb/s, making it more suitable for business use where LAN transfers can be time critical. The -50 variants are the same, but include WiMAX support, enabling high speed wireless networking with a range of several miles.

Graphics

Like previous Centrino specifications, Centrino 2 can accommodate discrete graphics. But the default Intel IGP has been upgraded from the GMA X3100 to the new GMA X4500, which includes hardware-accelerated decoding of all three major HD codecs (MPEG2, AVC and VC-1). Intel claims that this, coupled with lower overall power consumption, will allow users to watch a Blu-ray disc on a full battery charge - though evidently the manufacturer's choice of components will play a part here too.

The GMA X4500 also supports DirectX 10 and up to 384MB of graphics RAM, though we doubt it'll satisfy gamers. With ten stream processors, it's unlikely to trouble discrete chips such as the ATI Mobility Radeon range, which offers a minimum of 40 shaders. Still, as soon as one of these GPUs reaches us, we'll bring you full benchmarks.

Centrino 2 vPro

Intel has also updated its Centrino vPro corporate management system. Its 'Active Management Technology' already enabled IT managers to configure wireless clients remotely, even changing BIOS settings from a central console. A new update adds new features including the ability to manage Centrino 2 devices in sleep states and cross-firewall communications.

Real-world performance

Intel has plenty of manufacturers on board, including Asus, HP, Lenovo, Sony and Toshiba. We've received an early sample of Asus' first Centrino 2 laptop - the gargantuan M70V (pictured), sporting a 17in screen, an integral Blu-ray drive and 4GB of RAM. It uses the full-fat 5300 wireless chipset, and eschews Intel's onboard graphics in favour of a more meaty Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS.

But of most interest is the processor - one of the new Core 2 Duo T9400 parts, running at 2.53GHz. In our benchmarks, this enabled the M70V to attain an impressive score of 1.29. That's excellent performance from a laptop, outclassing even many desktop systems.

AMD has nothing to compete at this level: its new Turion Ultra processors struggle to achieve 1.00 in our benchmarks.

Leading from the front

Centrino 2 is less of a revolutionary upgrade than the name change suggests. The new processors improve on their predecessors in several ways, but there's nothing here that actually changes the game.

The networking upgrade too is hardly earth-shattering. The move from draft-n to certified WiFi will have little practical effect for most users, while WiMAX is very much a niche technology.

Yet Centrino 2 undeniably represents progress on all fronts - and that's progress from an already dominant position. While AMD is still struggling to get Puma notebooks out the door, Intel continues to press ahead, driving performance ever higher while lowering power consumption. And with bulk processor prices starting at a little over $200 for the P8400, Centrino 2 can afford to be a mainstream brand.

Make no mistake, we'll be hearing a lot more of Centrino 2. Look out for benchmarks and reviews of notebooks based on the new parts as they become available.