Intel Demos Low-Power Chip, 1-GHz PIII

LAS VEGAS -- Intel offered the first public demonstration of notebooks using its two highly anticipated upcoming mobile Pentium III processors: a 1-GHz processor and an extremely low-power chip.

The chip maker showed a Dell notebook running the 1-GHz processor and an IBM notebook with a low-power processor that drops to 300 MHz for an average power consumption of less than half a watt during typical use.

Intel first demonstrated the two CPUs at Microprocessor Forum in October. It conducted those demonstrations using only custom motherboards, not full systems. (See "Intel Readies 1-GHz Mobile Pentium III.")

The Comdex demonstrations show that Intel and notebook vendors are making significant progress in developing systems using the new chips, says Frank Spindler, general manager of Intel's mobile platform group. Intel plans to launch both processors in the first half of 2001.

The Dell and IBM notebooks used in the demonstration are not actually planned products yet, Spindler says. Vendors will only announce supporting products when Intel officially launches the chips.

The launch of the 1-GHz mobile chip will be momentous, as it was when Intel and Advanced Micro Devices announced the first desktop processors at that speed. However, Intel seems to be garnering even more interest in its low-power chip.

The new low-power Pentium III will have a maximum speed of 500 MHz (where it will still consume less than 1 watt of power on average), or you can use SpeedStep technology to drop it to 300 MHz to achieve less than half a watt of power draw on average, Spindler says.

Notably, Intel demonstrated the low-power chip in an IBM ThinkPad. IBM recently announced it was shelving plans to offer a notebook using Transmeta's Crusoe processor; it appears Intel offered a more attractive option.

Responding to Transmeta

Some analysts suggest the new low-power PIII is Intel's direct reaction to the challenge from Transmeta.

But Spindler says Intel had lower-power processors in the works long before Transmeta appeared on the scene. The mobile Pentium III chip has technology Intel included at the design level to improve power consumption, he says. Those designs go back several years.

That said, it seems clear Intel has moved these technologies to the fore at a quicker rate thanks to Transmeta's appearance in the market.

Spindler won't comment, but he acknowledges the PIII's forward-looking design allowed Intel "more flexibility to meet the needs of a new segment."

Faster Than a Speeding Crusoe?

Transmeta has drawn fire for overstating the Crusoe chip's capability to extend overall notebook battery life, and for the 600-MHz chip's poor initial benchmark performance in the first Transmeta notebook released in the United States, the Sony PictureBook. (See "Sony's Transmeta: Longer Life, Less Performance.")

Spindler won't speculate on how much additional battery life to expect from a notebook with the new chip because he says it's nearly impossible to say. Some systems will gain more than others, and improvements also depend on the rest of the unit's hardware and software.

The low-power chip won't be for everyone, Spindler adds. It won't offer the power of a 1-GHz PIII, but people interested in a smaller notebook with decent battery life understand that, he says. They're often willing to give up some performance for increased mobility.