Microprocessor Watch

Editor: Kevin Krewell, kkrewell@mdr.cahners.com
Contributors: Keith Diefendorf

In This Issue:

• Intel Strikes Back at Transmeta
• Cahners MicroDesign Resources Seeks New Analysts
• July 13th MDR Seminars and Dinner
• EEMBC's Second Certified Processor Benchmark Results
• Platform Conference: July 18-19, 2000

Intel Strikes Back at Transmeta

By Keith Diefendorff

Not wishing to see Transmeta gain too strong a foothold in the growing ultrathin portable and Internet appliance markets, Intel has launched a salvo of new Mobile Pentium III and Mobile Celeron processors at the fledgling startup. However, Intel's five new mobile processors are not all that new; they use exactly the same Coppermine die Intel has been shipping to the notebook market for some time, but they broaden Intel's mobile portfolio with higher frequencies, lower voltages, and lower prices. Intel did not change the bus speeds of the new offerings: all Intel Mobile parts clock in with a 100MHz front-side bus.

Taking a page from Transmeta's book, Intel has tossed in a new specification it calls "average power" to make its chips appear more power-competitive with Transmeta's Crusoe chips. While Intel's power-modulation techniques are less effective than Transmeta's, they do allow Intel to claim substantially lower power. Intel quotes an average power of 2.8W in AC-power mode and 1.6W in battery-optimized-SpeedStep mode for the new 750/600MHz Mobile Pentium III, and 1.6W and 0.8W for the 600/500MHz version. Power consumption of the 600/500MHz version in battery-optimized mode is so much less, because it operates at a reduced 1.1V, compared with 1.35V for the 750/600MHz part. The new 650MHz and 600MHz Mobile Celerons, which do not implement SpeedStep, burn less than 3W of power, on average, at 1.6V.

Intel's new mobile parts are available immediately. List prices in 1,000-unit quantities are $562 and $316 for the 750/600MHz and 600/500MHz Mobile Pentium IIIs, $181 and $134 for the 650MHz and 600MHz Mobile Celerons, and $134 for the 500MHz low-power Mobile Celeron. Intel did not indicate whether the new parts will take advantage of the new C-0 Coppermine die stepping, which reduces die size by about 5%, from 106mm2 to 100mm2, but we assume that they will do so--if not initially, then soon. The 750/600MHz Mobile Pentium III and the 650- and 600MHz Mobile Celerons are offered in BGA, microPGA, and mobile-module packages. The low- power 600/500MHz Mobile Pentium III and 500MHz Mobile Celeron are offered in BGA only.

While Intel's new mobile processors do not reach down to the power levels of Transmeta's Crusoe, despite Intel's average-power ruse they will provide higher performance. So, for customers looking for top performance in their ultrathin notebooks, Intel still looks like the best bet in town.

MPR readers can find the article here: http://www.mdronline.com/mpr/h/2000/0703/142702.html _____________________________________________

Cahners MicroDesign Resources Seeks New Analysts

Cahners MicroDesign Resources, the publisher of this newsletter as well as Microprocessor Watch and Microprocessor Report, and the organizer of Microprocessor Forum and Embedded Processor Forum, is seeking new analysts to join its team. Positions focused on either embedded processors or PC/Server processors are available. Our analysts are highly visible thought leaders in the microprocessor industry and frequently meet with top architects and executives. Candidates must have at least five years of relevant design, marketing, or analysis experience as well as excellent communication skills. For more information, contact Steve Leibson for embedded (mailto:sleibson@mdr.cahners.com) and Keith Diefendorff for PC and server (mailto:keithd@mdr.cahners.com).

July 13th MDR Seminars and Dinner

Information appliances, USB 2.0, and pervasive computing. They're the new buzzwords we encounter daily. Now here's your opportunity to take a close look at the substance behind the headlines in two full-day seminars and a special dinner presentation being presented by MicroDesign Resources in Santa Clara on July 13.

FULL DAY SEMINARS: "Information Appliances: Reshaping the Computer Landscape"-- Michael Slater, MicroDesign Resources

"USB: A Hands-On Workshop"--Lane Hauck, Cypress Semiconductor

DINNER PRESENTATION: "Pervasive Computing: Technology, Crossings, Issues, and Implications"--Robert Morris, Director of IBM's Almaden Research Center and IBM Vice President for Personal Systems and Storage

REGISTER NOW! Space is limited for both the seminars and dinner, so reserve your place today. Complete seminar descriptions, plus pricing information and on-online registration is available on the MDR web site at www.MDRonline.com/July13, or give us a call at 800.527.0288 or 408.328.3900.

EEMBC's Second Certified Processor Benchmark Results

Frustrated with Dhrystone and other useless, synthetic benchmarks, EEMBC (the EDN Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium) has developed a suite of real-world processor benchmarks and a process to certify the results. This Webcast will explain details of these benchmarks, illustrate the certification process, provide and contrast the results of the benchmark scores published on April 11th and June 16th, and offer insight and analysis from the world's leading authorities on processors. You'll be able to compare processor performance using certifiable, reproducible, and real tests that illustrate how different processors handle different problems. The second cycle of results are from EEMBC members that include AMD, Analog Devices, IBM, IDT, Mitsubishi, National Semiconductor, and Texas Instruments.

Register for the webcast on the EDN web site at: http://webevents.broadcast.com/cahnersedn/eembc0600/home.asp

Platform Conference July 18-19, 2000

The Platform Conference is now one month away (July 18 & 19). The Platform Conference is an independent conference devoted to leading edge computing platform technologies and strategies. The conference is tuned to satisfy the interests of product strategists, designers, architects and executives. The platform conference has become a forum to explore such topics such as: Willamette vs. Thunderbird, Rambus vs. DDR, Itanium (IA-64) vs. Sledgehammer, ACR vs. CNR, PCI-X vs. InfiniBand.

Date: July 18-19, 2000 Place: Silicon Valley Conference Center Cost: $695 before June 30th, $895 after Group Registration Discounts available till June 30th Contact: Bert McComas and Greg Fawson InQuest Market Research P: 480-813-7785 F: 480-813-7442 E: info@inqst.com W: http://www.platformconference.com

AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS: Below are a few highlights from the agenda. More than 50 sessions will be presented during the two-day conference. (The entire agenda can be viewed online at http://www.platformconference.com.)

DDR Motherboard Design Communications Integration: An Independent Analysis of the Latest Trends and Technologies Designing Competitive DDR Platforms - Just Added InfiniBand vs. PCI-X: How Will Each Meet the Needs of Next Generation Server Platforms Performance SMA: The No-Compromise Solution RDRAM, Today and Tomorrow - Just Added Migrating To Fabric I/O Advancing wireless networking in the home: Adding QoS and multimedia support Mobile Athlon Chipset with Power Now Technology