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The two leading laptop processor manufacturers are AMD and Intel. Wide range of processors are available from both manufacturers to suit various needs, from the very basic to high end graphics and multimedia usage. Intel’s latest mobile offering is the Intel Pentium M processor with Centrino technology. AMD have come up with the 64bit architecture, Mobile AMD Athlon 64. Both companies are manufacturing smaller and lighter processors. The architecture is based on 90nm process technology, 130nm (0.13-micron) being the standard used so far in process technology.
Mobile processors have integrated wireless connectivity, allowing notebooks to connect to 802.11 a,b and g based networks. Another key development is low voltage and ultra-low voltage for power efficiency. There are several Other technologies offered by both AMD and Intel, some of the main ones are listed below. These enhance performance and a time saving by running faster and loading applications faster. Thereby producing a power saving and prolonging the battery life.
Check the processor section of Tom's Hardware Guide for more information about processors.
AMD
AMD Power Now! Technology
- Optimizes battery life
- Provides performance on demand when required by the application
- Allows the processor to dissipate less heat under normal operating conditions, providing a cooler and quieter running notebook
- Operates automatically in the background
3DNow! Professional Technology
- Combined with an AMD Mobile processor, this technology delivers outstanding 3D graphics and multimedia capabilities
HyperTransport Technology
- Reduces I/O bottlenecks
- Increases system bandwith
- Reduces system latency
Enhanced Virus Protection
- Provides extra security at the platform level in conjuntion with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
INTEL
Intel Centrino Power Saving Features
- Intelligent power distribution
- Power optimized logic design – optimizes consumption and dissipation levels for lower CPU average power
- Automatically adjusts and powers down to preserve battery life whenever possible. (When using less computing intensive tasks)
Power Aware Features
- Reduces the number of instructions per task
- Reduces the number of micro-ops per instruction
- Reduces the number of transistor switches per micro-op
- Reduces the amount of energy per transistor switch
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
- Minimizes system and processor unavailability
- Self-managed voltage and frequency stepping
- Optimizes power and performance according to demand