Intel's 366-MHz Mobile Celeron Takes a Bow

Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, CA) is rolling out its 366-MHz Mobile Celeron microprocessor for portables--along with a pair of supporting mobile core logic chipsets dubbed the 440MX and the 440ZX. Intel says it also intends to release a 400 MHz Celeron next month.

Like the Celeron itself, Intel's latest chipsets are low in cost, in part due to their stripped-down architectures. For example, the 440MX, the lowest cost silicon in the lot, lacks the logic for Intel's popular AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) technology. The ZX version, on the other hand, does include AGP logic, and is therefore a bigger—and more costly--die.

A New Package Makes The Scene

Intel's 366-MHz mobile Celeron also debuts with the firm's Micro Pin Grid Array. It lets you use a single motherboard design for a variety of processor speeds. The goal is to help you cut inventory and expedite just-in-time builds of systems.

The Celeron also touts Intel's Quickstart technology. Using QuickStart, the chip dissipates about 400 mW in idle mode. Intel says Quickstart can actually power-down a power-hungry CPU between a user's keystrokes! Continuing the trend to extract every last milliamp from a portable computer's battery pack, later this year Intel expects to roll out its Geyserville technology that will reduce operating voltage on-the-fly.

For more details, contact Intel, Santa Clara, CA.