The End of an Era

From its introduction in 2003, the Centrino brand has been more or less synonymous with an Intel-equipped laptop, so it’s something like the end of an era. Since the Centrino brand is now being phased out, future Intel-based laptops will be marketed based on what processor it contains. So there are plenty of new stickers to let you spot the difference.

Calpella differs from its predecessors in more than its branding policy – the new processors are basically the biggest upgrade since laptop CPUs went dual core. The new i-series includes several mobile quad-core processors, as well as several quite revolutionary features.

Modified Desktop CPUs

The new CPUs are of course based on Intel’s successful Nehalem architecture for the desktop market, which has also set new performance standards. The first versions of the Nehalem-based processors for notebooks – Clarksfield – was built using a 45nm production process and with a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 45W. Clarksfield also includes Intel’s Extreme-series enthusiast processors, which provide more performance in exchange for a less efficient 55W TDP.
One of the most interesting features with the new processors is the support for Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. This allows the processor to overclock itself and run exceed the standard clock speed when running demanding applications. Turbo Boost comes into play in demanding situations, but only as long as the processor remains within certain limits in terms of heat and power consumption. The frequency is increased in steps of 133MHz and can both be increased in individual cores or all cores simultaneously. How much clock rates can be raised depends on the number of cores and the processor model.

Breaking the 32nm Barrier

From 2010, Calpella has been extended with new processors based on the new Arrandale core and a 32 nanometer manufacturing technology. The new 32nm processors come in three flavors: i3, i5 and i7. All three have the brand new integrated graphics core on the same die as the CPU, but only come in dual-core variants. However, the (reintroduced) HyperThreading feature is still there, so you get four threads without having four physical cores. List of Arrandale CPUs:

Core i3 is the entry-level model, with 3MB cache and clock frequencies slightly above 2GHz and no Turbo Boost. In contrast, the i5 in its fastest version has a standard clock speed of 2.53GHz, but can take this up to 3.06GHz using Turbo Boost. Another step up the ladder is the 32nm versions of the i7, which have a 4MB cache compared to 3MB for i3 and i5, and a clock speed of up to 2.66 GHz.

In the i5 and i7 line-ups there are also power-efficient variants with lower clocks and an added U or an L in the name. For these models the the TDP has been reduced to 18W and 25W respectively, compared to the standard 35W.

In effect, both supply and demand for gaming laptops is on the rise and you can find a pretty decent portable gaming machine for $1,000 or less. Sure, if you want a fully loaded Alienware gaming monster you will still have to empty your savings account and then some, but thankfully you now have a lot more choices than that.

What’s Important in a Gaming Laptop?

Being a PC gamer who made it to this site, it’s a reasonably safe assumption that you already know a thing or two about computer hardware. Most likely, you are also aware that the graphics card is the engine that drives your games. Laptops are no exception, but the technology is adapted to a completely different setting.

Compared to desktop PCs, the space inside a laptop is extremely restricted. It can be hard enough to move hot air away from the GPU in a full-size tower case, and in the confines of a laptop it gets even warmer. Therefore, laptop GPUs are not only scaled-down variants of their desktop counterparts, but they are also underclocked. For example, the mid-range ATI Mobility Radeon 4650 has chip/memory clocks at 575MHz and 800MHz respectively while the desktop 4650 has 600MHz/1000MHz clocks. Now this shouldn’t deter you from getting a gaming laptop, but it might be good to know that it’s no apples-to-apples comparison.

What About the Rest?

Even though the graphics card is the most important part of a gaming laptop, the rest of the system is no less important. A much too slow processor has a tendency to “bottleneck” the GPU and reduce frame rates in games. The same is true for the memory speeds, but to a lesser extent. For the best possible speed and energy efficiency, Intel is well ahead of AMD right now. And with the launch of the new Core i7 for laptops, the gap will be even larger for the foreseeable future.

Don’t count AMD  out, however – historically speaking the semiconductor industry is not easy to predict. Besides the company is doing well enough in the budget segment. If you want a reasonably cheap but fully adequate notebook for gaming, by all means look at AMDs dual-core Turion lineup.

Memory speeds and timings do not have the same impact on the end result (in this case, frame rates) as the CPU. DDR3 is the latest in memory technology, but in laptops it doesn’t make as much difference as in desktops – the clock speeds are generally lower, and so far no laptop can use it in triple channel configuration. Of course, every small speed bump counts, and if you want the latest tech DDR3 is the way to go.