i945 Express (mobile) chipset, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WiFi
i945 Express chipsetNo new Intel mobile CPU would be complete without a compliant chipset to run it on, would it? The partner here is the lower-power Intel i945 Express chipset, offering dual-channel DDR2-667 support and - optionally (945GM), and in keeping with desktop chipsets - Intel's GMA950 onboard graphics accelerator that comes packed with a host of power-saving features that includes automatic adjustment of backlight levels depending upon the environment. Of course, for ODMs looking to include discrete graphics, a x16 PEG link is included. Two SATA ports (not SATA2), a single PATA, eight USB2.0 ports and six PCIe ports all emanate from the ICH7-M southbridge, as well as the high-definition audio found on current Sonoma chipsets.
An optional Intel Gigabit Ethernet controller will most likely be paired up with thin-and-light models. A single PCIe port will also be reserved for the third hardware element that makes up the Napa brand - Intel's new WiFi.
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
Hardware-wise, the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG will ship in a new form factor known as Minicard which is less than half the size of the current Mini-PCI card used on most notebooks, thus enabling thin-and-light notebooks to shave a little extra space off. The name gives the connectivity options away, and compatibility with 802.11e, which includes Quality of Service (QoS) features such as transmission prioritisation that's useful for, say, the ever-increasing VoIP market. Optimal Access Point selection and a host of power-saving features are also present, too.
Summary
Napa, the overall name given to the three hardware requirements of a Yonah CPU, i945 Express chipset, and PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WiFi, brings with it the loveliness of dual-core processing in a package that's architected solely for the mobile market. Building on the strengths of the current Dothan core, Yonah, in its dual-core incarnation, is designed to meet the needs of folk who require their laptops to do more and yet demand excellent battery life at the same time. An updated supporting chipset and sleeker WiFi package, both with improvement over the present Sonoma platform, makes Napa a drop-in choice for the vast range of manufacturers and distributors that are already invested in the strong Centrino brand.
We already have a Napa-powered notebook from ASUS sitting in the labs. Stay tuned to see how it fares against Dothan-powered rivals.
