Pentium M Dual Core in January 2006 - Summary of the Intel Mobile Roadmap
by Peter Mayerhofer on October 6, 2005 1:16 PM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
Pentium M Dual Core in January 2006 / Summary of the Intel Mobile Roadmap
With the flurry of new products from Intel coming up, we thought it best to recap a little bit on a CPU that is our personal favorite: Yonah. Intel will be introducing this highly anticipated dual core Pentium M CPU in January 2006. Yonah is based on the 65nm process technology. For the first few months of next year, it will coexist with the current Pentium M generation codenamed Dothan (based on the 90nm process technology). The Yonah based Pentium M's core also has architectural improvements for better SSE and floating point performance, two major weak points of the Dothan based Pentium M.
Intel currently identifies its dual core Pentium M series by using the letter "x" followed by the two digits. The chips with a leading "x" do not have a digit assigned to them yet, although we're already hearing some OEMs call these chips the "800" series. That will be a little odd, as there will be overlap with the already existing Pentium D line. However, Intel has done this in the past with the Celeron M and Desktop Celeron parts, so placing the chips in the 800 series seems likely.
The mainstream Pentium M dual core CPUs to be introduced in January will range from the 1.66GHz (Pentium M x20) to the 2.16GHz (Pentium M x50), similar in speed to all but the fastest current single core Pentium M CPUs. Intel will also be introducing two low voltage (LV) Pentium M dual core CPUs, the x38 (1.5GHz) and the x48 (1.66GHz), for the thin and light notebook and tablet PC markets. The front bus speed (FSB) for these new Pentium M CPUs will also be increased from 533 to 667.
Intel has not yet indicated if these dual cores will include Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT), but roadmaps did state that VT will be available in future Pentium M dual core CPUs such as the x60 (2.33GHz) and LV X58 (1.83GHz), currently scheduled to be released in H2'06. As with most of the Dothan Pentium Ms, all Yonah based Pentium M's will also have XD (Execute Disable Bit), EIST (Enhanced Intel Speedstep® Technology) and a 2MB L2 cache. The L2 cache for a dual core Pentium M will be shared between both cores, unlike the current Pentium D and Athlon X2 designs.
Unlike AMD's Turion mobile CPU, the Yonah based Pentium M's will not have 64 bit capability - at least initially. 64-bit will have to wait until the second half of 2006 with the arrival of the second-generation dual core Pentium M CPUs, codenamed Merom. Merom also doubles the L2 cache to 4MB. If you aren't aware, Merom is really just the mobile version of the new Conroe architecture that Intel recently announced, so it will have all of the other architectural changes planned for Conroe, and likely some low power performance tweaks as well.
Although dual-core will be the primary focus of the Yonah based Pentium M CPUs, there will also be a few single core versions of this CPU. Intel continues with the existing Pentium M numbering scheme for these CPUs, starting with the Pentium M 756 (1.66GHz) scheduled to be released in January, followed by the Pentium M 766 (1.83GHz) in H2 '06. They will not include VT.
The ULV Pentium M Yonah based CPUs, aimed at the imbedded market, will be introduced in the second half of '06. They are still unnamed, but will be 1.06GHz in both single and dual core and 1.2GHz in single core only. They will have an FSB of 533 and a 2MB L2 cache.
The Celeron M 410 and the Celeron M ULV 423 CPUs, based on the Yonah single core, will be released in Q1 of 2006. Clock speed has not yet been determined for these CPUs. The main difference from the Dothan based Celeron M is the increase of the FSB from 400 to 533 and the improved core. In 2H '06, the Celeron M 420 and 430 will also be released.
The last two Dothan based M chips will also be released in January '06. They are the Pentium M 773 ULV (1.3GHz) and the Celeron M 390 (1.7GHz). Intel will price the Pentium M dual core processors competitively with the existing single core Pentium M, for a rapid transition from single core to dual core. The dual core Pentium M, with the dual core AMD Turion, will ensure that the notebook market will not be left behind in the dual core revolution.
Mobile Chipsets
There are four new mobile chipsets for the new Yonah based Pentium M CPUs. The two high performance chipsets are the 945PM and the 945GM, the difference being that the 945GM adds the Intel's GMA 950 (Graphic Media Accelerator). These two chipsets have a PCIe x16 connection, and support an FSB of 533/667MHz and up to 4GB of 533/667 dual channel DDR2 RAM. These chipsets will be released in January 2006.
Besides the high performance chipsets, Intel will also be offering a couple of lower-end chipsets. The third chipset is the 945GMS. This chipset supports an FSB of 533/667MHz with a single channel of DDR2-533 RAM. This will be released in Q2 '06 and is aimed primarily at small designs such as tablet PCs. The last chipset, the 945GML, will also be released in Q2 '06. This is a value chipset supporting an FSB of 533MHz and up to 2GB of DDR2-400 memory, again in single-channel operation. It will have the Intel's GMA 950 video solution, but will not have a PCIe x16 connection.
With the flurry of new products from Intel coming up, we thought it best to recap a little bit on a CPU that is our personal favorite: Yonah. Intel will be introducing this highly anticipated dual core Pentium M CPU in January 2006. Yonah is based on the 65nm process technology. For the first few months of next year, it will coexist with the current Pentium M generation codenamed Dothan (based on the 90nm process technology). The Yonah based Pentium M's core also has architectural improvements for better SSE and floating point performance, two major weak points of the Dothan based Pentium M.
Intel currently identifies its dual core Pentium M series by using the letter "x" followed by the two digits. The chips with a leading "x" do not have a digit assigned to them yet, although we're already hearing some OEMs call these chips the "800" series. That will be a little odd, as there will be overlap with the already existing Pentium D line. However, Intel has done this in the past with the Celeron M and Desktop Celeron parts, so placing the chips in the 800 series seems likely.
| Pentium M Roadmap | |||||
| CPU Model | Codename | Clock (GHz) | Cores | FSB (MHz) | Launch |
| TBD | Merom | TBD | 2 | 667 | 2H'06 |
| x60 | Yonah | 2.33 | 2 | 667 | 2H'06 |
| x58 | Yonah LV | 1.83 | 2 | 667 | 2H'06 |
| x50 | Yonah | 2.16 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| x48 | Yonah LV | 1.66 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| x40 | Yonah | 2 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| x38 | Yonah LV | 1.5 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| x30 | Yonah | 1.83 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| x20 | Yonah | 1.66 | 2 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| 780 | Dothan | 2.26 | 1 | 533 | Jul'05 |
| 778 | Dothan LV | 1.6 | 1 | 400 | Jul'05 |
| 773 | Dothan ULV | 1.3 | 1 | 400 | Jan'06 |
| 766 | Yonah | 1.83 | 1 | 667 | 2H'06 |
| 756 | Yonah | 1.66 | 1 | 667 | Jan'06 |
| TBD | Yonah ULV | 1.2 | 1 | 533 | Q2'06 |
| TBD | Yonah ULV | 1.06 | 2 | 533 | 2H'06 |
| TBD | Yonah ULV | 1.06 | 1 | 533 | Q2'06 |
The mainstream Pentium M dual core CPUs to be introduced in January will range from the 1.66GHz (Pentium M x20) to the 2.16GHz (Pentium M x50), similar in speed to all but the fastest current single core Pentium M CPUs. Intel will also be introducing two low voltage (LV) Pentium M dual core CPUs, the x38 (1.5GHz) and the x48 (1.66GHz), for the thin and light notebook and tablet PC markets. The front bus speed (FSB) for these new Pentium M CPUs will also be increased from 533 to 667.
Intel has not yet indicated if these dual cores will include Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT), but roadmaps did state that VT will be available in future Pentium M dual core CPUs such as the x60 (2.33GHz) and LV X58 (1.83GHz), currently scheduled to be released in H2'06. As with most of the Dothan Pentium Ms, all Yonah based Pentium M's will also have XD (Execute Disable Bit), EIST (Enhanced Intel Speedstep® Technology) and a 2MB L2 cache. The L2 cache for a dual core Pentium M will be shared between both cores, unlike the current Pentium D and Athlon X2 designs.
Unlike AMD's Turion mobile CPU, the Yonah based Pentium M's will not have 64 bit capability - at least initially. 64-bit will have to wait until the second half of 2006 with the arrival of the second-generation dual core Pentium M CPUs, codenamed Merom. Merom also doubles the L2 cache to 4MB. If you aren't aware, Merom is really just the mobile version of the new Conroe architecture that Intel recently announced, so it will have all of the other architectural changes planned for Conroe, and likely some low power performance tweaks as well.
Although dual-core will be the primary focus of the Yonah based Pentium M CPUs, there will also be a few single core versions of this CPU. Intel continues with the existing Pentium M numbering scheme for these CPUs, starting with the Pentium M 756 (1.66GHz) scheduled to be released in January, followed by the Pentium M 766 (1.83GHz) in H2 '06. They will not include VT.
The ULV Pentium M Yonah based CPUs, aimed at the imbedded market, will be introduced in the second half of '06. They are still unnamed, but will be 1.06GHz in both single and dual core and 1.2GHz in single core only. They will have an FSB of 533 and a 2MB L2 cache.
| Celeron M Roadmap | |||||
| CPU Model | Codename | Clock (GHz) | Cores | FSB (MHz) | Launch |
| 430 | Yonah | TBD | 1 | 533 | 2H'06 |
| 423 | Yonah | TBD | 1 | 533 | Jan'06 |
| 420 | Yonah | TBD | 1 | 533 | 2H'06 |
| 410 | Yonah | TBD | 1 | 533 | Jan'06 |
| 390 | Dothan | 1.6 | 1 | 400 | Jan'06 |
The Celeron M 410 and the Celeron M ULV 423 CPUs, based on the Yonah single core, will be released in Q1 of 2006. Clock speed has not yet been determined for these CPUs. The main difference from the Dothan based Celeron M is the increase of the FSB from 400 to 533 and the improved core. In 2H '06, the Celeron M 420 and 430 will also be released.
The last two Dothan based M chips will also be released in January '06. They are the Pentium M 773 ULV (1.3GHz) and the Celeron M 390 (1.7GHz). Intel will price the Pentium M dual core processors competitively with the existing single core Pentium M, for a rapid transition from single core to dual core. The dual core Pentium M, with the dual core AMD Turion, will ensure that the notebook market will not be left behind in the dual core revolution.
Mobile Chipsets
There are four new mobile chipsets for the new Yonah based Pentium M CPUs. The two high performance chipsets are the 945PM and the 945GM, the difference being that the 945GM adds the Intel's GMA 950 (Graphic Media Accelerator). These two chipsets have a PCIe x16 connection, and support an FSB of 533/667MHz and up to 4GB of 533/667 dual channel DDR2 RAM. These chipsets will be released in January 2006.
Besides the high performance chipsets, Intel will also be offering a couple of lower-end chipsets. The third chipset is the 945GMS. This chipset supports an FSB of 533/667MHz with a single channel of DDR2-533 RAM. This will be released in Q2 '06 and is aimed primarily at small designs such as tablet PCs. The last chipset, the 945GML, will also be released in Q2 '06. This is a value chipset supporting an FSB of 533MHz and up to 2GB of DDR2-400 memory, again in single-channel operation. It will have the Intel's GMA 950 video solution, but will not have a PCIe x16 connection.
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stateofbeasley - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
Wider = slower implies that Wider ALWAYS = slower. The burden of proving this false requires only one counterexample. I've provided two examples. P6 clocked higher than P5, and K7 clocked higher than P6. In each case, a CPU with wider execution core clocked higher than a CPU with narrower execution core. Therefore, the assertion is false. Itanium is irrelevant to the argument because only ONE counterexample will destroy the sweeping generalization.Napa is the platform, not the chipset (http://www.intel.com/technology/computing/ngma/)">http://www.intel.com/technology/computing/ngma/) "Intel is developing a mobility-optimized, dual-core processor based on next generation microarchitecture, codenamed Merom, targeted for introduction in the second half of 2006. ****The Merom processor will work within the Napa Platform that is planned to launch in early 2006.****"
See the emphasized part. Merom will be compatible with the platform. This defeats the argument that Intel will change the chipset in midyear 2006.
Anemone's claims are supported by nothing. It's obvious he doesn't know what he is talking about.
Anemone - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
Sorry I should not have responded when tired. We disagree, and I should not have been so unkind in my responses. In the fullness of time we'll just have to see, and I guess I could be wrong. Sorry if I upset you. Next time I'll be wise enough to just let you speak your piece in peace and leave a difference of opinion as exactly that.Again, I do apologize :)
stateofbeasley - Thursday, October 13, 2005 - link
I accept your olive branch, and there will be peace in this thread.photoguy99 - Saturday, October 8, 2005 - link
Dothan already wasn't far away from being competitive with AMD's best chips in terms of power and performance.Then over the next year Intel will build on that with better SSE and floating point, better power efficiency, 64-bit, etc.
What's AMD working on to maintain their lead?
drizek - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
I've heard that merom is going to use 1/10th the power of current cpu's when idle. That, and the promise of 64 bit makes merom much more apealing to me than yonah. I want to buy a lappy, and i really dont care much about dualcore(pinmodding a singlecore to 2ghz is cheaper and faster than a 1.6ghz DC, at least for gaming) but i think it will be worth waiting till january if it means a possible upgrade in the future to merom. anyone know if these new chipsets are going to be compatible with it?IntelUser2000 - Friday, October 7, 2005 - link
No, its the other way around. Conroe is the desktop version of Merom. Merom was only the one in the beginning, now its Conroe too. Conroe just takes out the power constraints and puts higher TDP limit.
JarredWalton - Friday, October 7, 2005 - link
It's the same thing.Merom + Vcc == Conroe
Conroe - Vcc == Merom
Since at present Intel is talking more about Conroe than Merom, we've taken the same approach.
Marlowe - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
Do you know if these new Yonahs will be pin compatible with the older Pentium M and Dothan? And therefore also the Asus ct479 adapter? I would simply love to have one of those Yonahs hooked up to my P4C800E ;-)I'm currently running my 1,73 GHz 740 Dothan stable at 2,86 GHz with quiet aircooling and you must know it sure pack a punch! An even improved Yonah would be stunning :-)
JarredWalton - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
2.86 GHz!? Ummm... I have a 2.0 GHz Dothan that won't run above 2.3 GHz without issues. Granted, I'm not using the CT479 adapter, but I can't see that getting me an extra 400 MHz. Maybe I'm wrong, though....As for the new Yonah parts, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think all of the Yonah cores are moving to socket 775. I'm almost sure of it (which is why there's a change in chipset support). I looked through the last Intel roadmap I got, though, and while Dothan was clearly listed as socket 479, there was no mention of socket for Yonah. That said, every 945 chipset at present is listed as LGA775.
Marlowe - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
The 7x0 series Dothans with 533 bus are generally very good overclockers when coupled with the ct479 adapter and a compatible motherboard. They are also said to be faster clock for clock than the FX's in games. Fitting anything other than the supplied HSF for cooling could be troublesome, but it's absolutely worth it!If the Yonahs will use the s775 socket I guess Intel will upgrade its Centrino platform in January as well.. That might be interesting enough (for some people), but I want kickass desktop performance through my lovely little adapter!! :-D
The 2,86 GHz overclock really isn't that special, as most people can reach 2,50 - 2,75 GHz without much trouble with the same hardware. :-) I'm surprised you didn't know of the fastest gaming processor around, Mr. hardware reviewer ;-)