Intel's Centrino 2 Platform
Notebooks that are true Montevina (Centrino 2) not only have to have a recent Penryn 45nm processor but also the correct chipset (Intel Mobile 4 Express series chipset) , video technology (Intel's GMA X4500 and ICH9M southbridge), a 880 or 1066 MT/s FSB and a LAN controller (such as 82567LM and 82567LF) - plus other things such as NAND flash memory support, newer DDR2 and DDR3 RAM support and video support for HD.
The dv7-1014ca (and many others!) does not have this configuration and has an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT although it has a P7350 processor which could be part of a Centrino 2 notebook
Many notebooks are being marketed and sold as CENTRINO 2 when they are NOT!
The HP dvdv7-1034ca - it has a P8400 processor and a Nvidia GPU - it is not being sold with a Centrino 2 sticker - because it isn't! The hp dv5-1010us IS NOT CENTRINO 2 but has a sticker - so does the Acer Aspire 5930G sold in Norway.
"Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology" does not a Montevina make!
Lies, damned lies and advertising copy.......
Lies, damned lies, and statistics" is part of a phrase attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and popularized in the United States by Mark Twain
Manufacturers and retailers can claim that notebooks feature Centrino 2 technology processors, but they cannot call these models Centrino 2 (Montevina) unless they contain ALL components of the Centrino 2 platform.
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Requirements for Centrino 2
Intel may be trying to be exclusive here, but to be a Centrino 2 the notebook is pretty much ALL Intel technology. Mixing and matching Intel with Nvidia (or even AMD - not that this has been seen) is not possible.
The "must haves" are:
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor
A processor using the 45nm process technology - etc
Mobile Intel® 4 Series Express Chipset Family
Be "Power-Optimized" with an (up to) 1066 MHz System Bus - Supporting DDR3 (up to 1066 MHz) memory - A Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4700MHD, (or a similar Intel graphics technology) plus and a lot more
Intel® WiFi Link 5000 Series
Faster 802.11n - EAP/AES-CCM Wi-Fi Connection Security - Plus more.....
Mobile Intel® Cantiga Chipset
Cantiga is the code name for the Intel video chipset that is supposed to compete head-to-head with the new Nvidia 8900 series technology
Intel say:
Intel Centrino 2 features new breakthroughs on all five vectors of mobility: performance, battery life, wireless, form factor, and manageability capabilities.
All this information is clearly explained on the Intel vidoes that are linked from many manufacturers websites. It would appear that some either have not watched them, or have not understood them?
Links:
- Great Expectations for Centrino 2
- WikiP page for Centrino Centrino 2 Montevina
- Intel's Product Brief for the Centrino 2 - clearly outlines the requirement for:
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor - Mobile Intel® 4 Series Express Chipset Family - Intel® WiFi Link 5000 Series - for a notebook to be considered Centrino 2 - Steven McBarnes A dv5-1010us with a Centrino 2 sticker
- arstechnica.com -
Intel launches Centrino 2 with host of chipset improvements - July 15 2008
One thing to note, however, is that the very first set of Centrino 2 systems will not use Intel's own integrated graphics, but will rely on discrete parts. Intel is currently re-screening Montevina boards with integrated GPU, so if you want one of these in particular, you may have to wait a few weeks. - www.crn.com
AMD Beating Nvidia On Intel Centrino 2 Graphics? By Damon Poeter, ChannelWeb 12:34 PM EDT Tue. Jun. 17, 2008
..... a technical issue with the Intel 4 Series Express chipset and a paperwork hang-up in getting FCC certification for Centrino 2's basic WiFi chip. - Canadian notebook builder Eurocom may have jumped the gun with news issued last week*** that it had launched the "world's first Montevina 15.4-inch high-end notebook." - ***May. 27, 2008 (also mentions the technical issue with Intel Express 4)
