The arrival of the Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile processors, previously codenamed "Merom", completes Intel's revamping of their entire line of processors (Desktop, Server, Mobile) over to the Core™ micro-architecture, which we covered in the September ASI Technical Newsletter. The first "Core™" mobile processor debuted in Q1 2006 in the form of the Core™ Duo mobile processor, but the Core™ 2 Duo mobile family adds several new features to enhance performance and reduce overall power consumption.

Besides these additional Core™ micro features, the Core™ 2 Duo mobile processor gets a face-lift with 64-bit OS support (EM64T) as well as a larger 4MB shared L2 Cache for some models. The Core™ 2 Duo mobile processors are architecturally identical to the desktop Core™ 2 Duo's ("Conroe"), but get the addition of more aggressive power management technologies. Merom utilizes higher clock multipliers than Yonah and consumes a bit more power to operate, but with its aggressive power management improvements, the overall battery-life is just about as good as Yonah, but with far greater performance being realized.
  
Intel Core™ Microarchitecture with Additional Mobile Technologies
 
We covered the new Intel Core™ micro-architecture extensively in our September ASI Technical Newsletter article and is online Here if you need a quick refresher on the main features of Core™. The Core™ 2 Duo mobile processors differ from the desktop Core™ 2 Duo's (Conroe) with regards to following specialized mobile technologies and are tuned for power savings.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo mobile processors include these advanced innovations:

• Intel® Dynamic Power Coordination - Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
   

• Intel® Dynamic Bus Parking - Enables platform power savings and improved battery life by allowing the chipset to power down with the processor in low-frequency mode.
    

• Enhanced Intel® Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing - Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.
   

• Advanced Power Gating - Allows parts of the CPU core to be shut down even during periods of high performance execution to optimize performance per watt.
   

• Enhanced Deep C4 Sleep State - Extends power-saving capabilities by further reducing processor core voltage when the L2 cache is off.
   

• Split Bus Array - Many buses and arrays are split so data required in some modes of operation can be put in a low-power state when not needed for improved power savings.
   

Core™2 Duo Mobile processors (T7000 & T5000 Families)
 
The Core™ 2 Duo Mobile processor family consists of five processors currently: the T7600, T7400, T7200, T5600, and T5500. They run at clock speeds from 2.33 GHz all the way down to 1.66 GHz. The T5600 and T5500 are equipped with a 2MB L2 cache and the T7x00 models  have a 4MB L2 cache. All five of these new mobile processors use Intel's 65 nm manufacturing technology packing 291M transistors into a die size of approximately 143mm². Like the previous Core™ Duo, the Core™ 2 Duo processors utilize a 667 MHz front-side bus, and support DDR2-667 SODIMM memory. These Core™ 2 Duo processors voltage draw ranges from 1.0375V to 1.3V, are rated at 34W thermal design power (TDP), have a thermal specification of 100°C, and use the standard mPGA 479-pin socket (Socket M) found in all current "Napa" (945GM/PM) BTO notebooks.

ASI SKU	Processor Number	Clock Speed	Cache Size L2	Front Side Bus	Dual Core	Intel® VT	Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology	Intel® EM64T	Execute Disable Bit	sSpec#
51677	T7600	2.33 GHz	4MB	667 MHz						SL9SJ
51678	T7400	2.16 GHz	4MB	667 MHz						SL9SK
51679	T7200	2.00 GHz	4MB	667 MHz						SL9SL
51680	T5600	1.83 GHz	2MB	667 MHz						SL9SP
51681	T5500	1.66 GHz	2MB	667 MHz						SL9SQ

 
Performance Comparison -  Core 2™ Duo  vs.  Core™ Duo  BTO Notebooks:
 
In Intel speak "the new Intel^® Centrino^® Duo mobile technology with the Intel^® Core™2 Duo mobile processor gives you greater than 2x the overall performance when multitasking on gaming and graphics applications compared to previous generation Centrino^®-based BTO notebooks." From what we've gathered and read, the Core™2 Duo knocks the socks off Core™ Duo based notebooks in most real-world benchmark tests. In the benchmark testing from Intel and others, the Core™ 2 Duo mobile processor proved to show performance advantages anywhere from ~7% to as much as almost 50% in certain applications when compared to the prior generation Core™ Duo.  This increase in performance was achieved with about the same power consumption characteristics as the Core™ Duo mobile architecture.

If we look at some real-world benchmark testing results we find that in terms of raw CPU throughput, PCMark 05's CPU test module shows a 14% advantage for Core™ 2 Duo over Core™ Duo. PCMark 05's Memory subsystem test shows roughly a 35% advantage for the Core™ 2 Duo T7600 processor versus the fastest Core™ Duo chip on the market. This is most likely attributed to the additional 2MB of L2 cache, and the more advanced pre-fetch algorithms that Intel calls 'Smart Memory Access.' In the 3DMark '05 test, the CPU performance gains come in at 48%, and realizes a 50% gain over Core™ Duo in the well-regarded SPEC CPU2000 test. More official Intel Core™ 2 Duo performance test results can be found Here.

	Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology  with Intel® Pentium® M Processor 780 and Intel® 915GM Express Chipset	Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology  with Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2700 and Intel® 945GM Express Chipset	Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology  with Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T7600 and Intel® 945GM Express Chipset

 
Notebook Shell Support for Core™2 Duo Mobile processors

Currently the Core™ 2 Duo processor is pin-to-pin compatible with the existing Socket M (479-pin) 945GM / 945PM "Napa" platform notebooks currently being sold by ASI. Of course you will have to update the notebook BIOS to a version that will properly recognize the Core™ 2 Duo processors. The lone shell exceptions are the older ASUS Z62F and VBI S62J/F models, which don't have the necessary voltage (VRM) circuitry to support the Core™ 2 Duo processors. All of these BTO notebook shells will have updated versions to support the Core™ 2 Duo processors => Z62Jm, S62Jm and S62Fm respectively.

To obtain the correct BIOS versions to support the Core™ 2 Duo processors on the ASI sold BTO NB shells go Here.
 

On April 24th, 2006 at their Intel Developer Forum, Intel unveiled their new vPro technology-based platform with hopes that this will become the model for the business PCs of the future.

With IT costs rising, companies are looking to do whatever they can to reduce their budget. By allowing a streamlining of client PC maintenance through remote manageability options, Intel is helping to cut down on-site PC issues and therefore require less personnel to maintain more computers at a lower cost for organizations who choose to invest in infrastructure and to deploy the newest available technology.

Requirements

Intel's "vPRO" technology brand is a platform, much like Intel's Centrino and Viiv Technology platforms, the vPRO platform requires certain hardware and software specifications to be met in order to qualify for the program. On the hardware side, the specifications are:

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor E6000 series with Intel Virtualization technology
• A motherboard with the Intel Q965 Express Chipset with the ICH8-DO south bridge chip

Intel Branded Desktop Boards available include:

• Intel Desktop Board DQ965WC (SKU# 50723 Q965WCEKR)
• Intel Desktop Board DQ965GF (SKU# 50725 Q965GFEKR)
• Intel Desktop Board DQ965CO (SKU# 50727 Q965COEKR)

• Intel Active Management technology 2.0 firmware
• A motherboard BIOS that supports Intel Active Management technology as well as Intel Virtualization Technology
• Intel 82566DM Gigabit Network Connection

For the software side, Intel has not set a specific requirement, however, they have tested and validated the platform on the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows XP
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

Intel's vPRO technology provides organizations with reduced costs through remote access, manageability, enhanced security, and increased performance. On the manageability side of the equation, Intel vPRO based machines can be remotely accessed for purposes of asset inventory, hardware and software inventory or control, diagnostics and repair, and roll-out of updates for both the hardware and software components of your organization.

With the pro-active security options available by using the vPRO platform organizations can filter network traffic, isolate compromised machines, push updates, and create virtual environments in order to improve security. By basing the vPRO platform on their newest, and greatest processor, the Intel Core 2 Duo, and chipset, the Q965, Intel has insured that the performance levels that will be seen across the platform will easily best any other business platform available on the market today.

Exciting New Technology Solution

One of the many challenges today faced by IT departments world-wide is the ability to keep track of their corporate assets. vPRO technology works at an "always available" hardware level which insures that if a system is plugged into the wall, and connected to the network, the management tools can contact and inventory this system. The IT console is able to remotely connect to, and troubleshoot systems whether they are on or off.

The three main different scenarios faced by IT personnel in regards to system accessibility are:

1. System powered on and working properly
2. System powered off
3. System powered on, but the OS is down

vPRO technology allows the IT department to contact the PC under all of these situations in the following manners...

System powered on and working properly; IT console is able to interact with standard communication through the OS and also through the communication channel "below" the OS (hardware/firmware stack). All functions available including hardware and software asset inventory management, access to pre-boot BIOS settings, console re-direction.

System powered off; IT console is still able contact the users system and perform such tasks as hardware asset inventory management, firmware or BIOS updates, monitor persistent event logs, and remote boot the machine for repair assessment.

System powered on, but the OS is down; IT console still has full access to the machine in order to upload critical system information, view event logs, access hardware asset information for the purpose of obtaining repair parts without a desk-side visit, and remote booting through redirected boot devices in order to troubleshoot hardware without reloading a system or changing physical components in a system first.

Rapid Updates Protect Your Network

With the proliferation of harmful software such as virus' and other mal-ware these days, the speed at which you are able to protect your network is critical. The typical deployment time of a security patch over a large network is anywhere between a few hours to a week. Using the new Intel vPRO technology the deployment time is dramatically reduced to a few hours which also includes polling all the machines and sending updates to those who are currently in a powered down state. All this can be done remotely, at anytime, day or night, reducing your IT staffs hours and saving your company money.

vPRO as part of the "Averill" Platform

Intel is a major proponent of advocating comprehensive strategy to help you plan the deployment of your PC systems. Intel issues yearly reports detailing the features and technologies available in everything from desktop business PC's, to home entertainment PC's, through server systems. This year, the business platform has been dubbed "Averill" and is then split into two different levels, the "Fundamental" usage model, and the "Professional" usage model. Needless to say, vPRO weighs heavily in this years platform and sweeps the category under the "Professional" usage model.

Usage Models and Capabilities Supported
 

Usage Model	Capability	Fundamental	Professional
Protect Threat, vulnerability, identity and trust management	Protection against certain types of malicious buffer overflow attacks
	Transparent deployment of security patches at any time
	Tamper-resistant virtual IT services partition
	End-point access control based on IT policies
	Containment of infected clients before they impact the network
	Hardware hardened platform identity and configuration attestation
	Hard drive backup and RAID for protection and recovery, including recovery of accidentally corrupted/deleted files
Connect Effective collaboration with voice, video, and data	Performance to run new collaboration tools
	High-quality audio for a superior VOIP solution
	Rich collaboration enabled through high-quality graphics
	Expanded visual workspace for richer collaboration through dual-independent display
	Fast, reliable networking with GbE wired or 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN
Manage Easier maintenance, deployment, allocation of resources	Platforms with stable image to reduce image management costs
	IT manageability partition for more robust seamless upgrades
	Out-of-band management to allow platform diagnosis, maintenance and upgrades irrespective of the computer's state