Intel releases information on Centrino Processor

Intel has released information about the latest updates to their Centrino line of processors. These processors cater to mobile computing users and the proposed upgrade has been in the pipeline since a long time. The latest updates have been codenamed ‘Sonoma’ and include many feature improvements over the original processors. Surprisingly, the age old trends of releasing updated processors with just enhanced clock speeds seems to be over as the changes in the new lines are rather on a different note.

Intel is now concentrating on improving the total package of the processor instead of the raw speeds. The new processors in the Pentium M range would have their front-side bus upgraded from 400MHz to 533Mhz. In addition, memory architecture has been upgraded as well considering Intel will now switch to dual-channel DDR2 running at 400Mhz or 533Mhz.

The new processors would now also support 802.11a wireless standard. The current version supports just the “b” and “g” standards. All these changes the company claim would double the performance of existing processors. Interestingly, Intel also claims that these processors would be able to handle high definition video.

Despite all these proposed changes, which should start arriving in the market by the end of February, the notebooks powered by these should become popular only in about a years time. This is because original Centrino is yet to reach its end of refresh cycle and corporates takes time to replace their notebooks for updated models.

This should give Intel enough time to check their strategy and prepare to face any competition that might come from their rivals in the form of AMD.