Centrino


Centrino is a brand name of Intel Corporation which represents its Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless computer networking adapters. Previously the same brand name was used by the company as a platform-marketing initiative. The change of the meaning of the brandname occurred on January 7, 2010.
The old platform-marketing brand name covered a particular combination of mainboard chipset, mobile CPU and wireless network interface in the design of a laptop. Intel claimed that systems equipped with these technologies delivered better performance, longer battery life and broader wireless network interoperability than non-Centrino systems.
The new product line name for Intel wireless products is Intel Centrino Wireless.

Intel Centrino

Notebook implementations

Carmel platform (2003)

Intel used "Carmel" as the codename for the first-generation Centrino platform, introduced in March 2003.
CentrinoCarmel platform
Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile 855 Express series chipset, including ICH4M southbridge.
Mobile processorProcessors - Socket 479
  • an Intel Pentium M processor with a 400 MT/s FSB, or
  • an Intel Pentium M processor with a 400 MT/s FSB.
    • Wireless networkan Intel PRO/Wireless 2100B or later 2200BG mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter.
    Industry-watchers initially criticized the Carmel platform for its lack of support for IEEE 802.11g, because many independent Wi-Fi chip-makers like Broadcom and Atheros had already started shipping 802.11g products. Intel responded that the IEEE had not finalized the 802.11g standard at the time of Carmel's announcement.
    In early 2004, after the finalization of the 802.11g standard, Intel permitted an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG to substitute for the 2100. At the same time, they permitted the new Dothan Pentium M to substitute for the Banias Pentium M. Initially, Intel permitted only the 855GM chipset, which did not support external graphics. Later, Intel allowed the 855GME and 855PM chips, which did support external graphics, in Centrino laptops.
    Despite criticisms, the Carmel platform won quick acceptance among OEMs and consumers. Carmel could attain or exceed the performance of older Pentium 4-M platforms, while allowing for laptops to operate for 4 to 5 hours on a 48 W-h battery. Carmel also allowed laptop manufacturers to create thinner and lighter laptops because its components did not dissipate much heat, and thus did not require large cooling systems.

    Sonoma platform (2005)

    Intel used Sonoma as the codename for the second-generation Centrino platform, introduced in January 2005.
    CentrinoSonoma platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile 915 Express series chipset, including ICH6M southbridge.
    • RAM supported for PC2-4200 SO-DIMM.
    Mobile processorProcessors - Socket 479
  • an Intel Pentium M processor.
    • Wireless networkan Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG or 2915ABG mini-PCI Wi-Fi adapter.
    The Mobile 915 Express chipset, like its desktop version, supports many new features such as DDR2, PCI Express, Intel High Definition Audio, and SATA. Unfortunately, the introduction of PCI Express and faster Pentium M processors causes laptops built around the Sonoma platform to have a shorter battery-life than their Carmel counterparts; Sonoma laptops typically achieve between 3.5–4.6 hours of battery-life on a 53 W-h battery.

    Napa platform (2006)

    The codename Napa designates the third-generation Centrino platform, introduced in January 2006 at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show. The platform initially supported Intel Core Duo processors but the newer Core 2 Duo processors were launched and supported in this platform from July 27, 2006 onwards.
    CentrinoNapa platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile 945 Express series chipset, including ICH7M southbridge.
    • RAM supported for PC2-4200 and PC2-5300 SO-DIMM.
    Mobile processorProcessors - Socket M / Micro-FCBGA
  • an Intel Core Solo, Core Duo processor, or
  • an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 667 MT/s FSB for Napa Refresh platform, or
  • an Intel Core 2 Solo processor with 533 MT/s FSB for Napa Refresh platform.
    • Wireless networkan Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG mini-PCIe Wi-Fi adapter.
  • Some newer models of the Napa Refresh platform contain the newer 4965AGN wireless cards.
    • Intel uses Centrino Duo branding for laptops with dual-core Core Duo processors and retains the Centrino name for laptops with single core processors. Some of the initial Core Duo laptops are still labeled as Intel Centrino rather than Centrino Duo.

    Santa Rosa platform (2007)

    The codename Santa Rosa refers to the fourth-generation Centrino platform, which was released on Thursday May 10, 2007.
    CentrinoSanta Rosa platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile 965 Express series chipset : GM965 with Intel GMA X3100 graphics technology or PM965 with discrete graphics, and ICH8M southbridge, 800 MT/s front side bus with Dynamic Front Side Bus Switching to save power during low utilization.
    • Intel Dynamic Acceleration, better Windows Vista Aero support.
    • RAM supported for PC2-4200 and PC2-5300 SO-DIMM. Runs DDR2-800 SO-DIMMs at 667 MHz even though an 800 MT/s front side bus is supported.
    • EFI-compliant firmware, a successor to BIOS.
    • optional NAND flash-memory caching branded as Intel Turbo Memory.
    • Ethernet LAN controller 82562V or Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82566MM and 82566MC.
    Mobile processorProcessors - Socket P / Socket M / Micro-FCBGA
  • an Intel Core 2 Duo second generation processor with 800 MT/s FSB, or
  • an Intel Core 2 Duo 45 nm processor with 800 MT/s FSB and SSE4.1, which will add 47 new instructions to SSSE3. It was scheduled for release in January 2008 for Santa Rosa Refresh platform.
    • Wireless networkan Intel WiFi Link 4965AGN mini-PCIe Wi-Fi adapter.
  • Wireless-N technology boasts a 5X speed increase, along with a 2X greater coverage area, and supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signal bands, with enough bandwidth for high definition audio and video streams.
    • The Santa Rosa platform comes with dynamic acceleration technology, allowing single threaded applications to execute faster. When a single threaded application is running, the CPU can turn off one of its cores and overclock the active core. In this way the CPU maintains the same Thermal Profile as it would when both cores are active. Santa Rosa performs well as a mobile gaming platform due to its ability to switch between single threaded and multithreaded tasks. Other power savings come from an Enhanced Sleep state where both the CPU cores and the chipset will power down.
    The wireless chipset update was originally intended to include WWAN Internet access via HSDPA, co-developed with Nokia. After announcing a working partnership, both later retracted the deal citing the lack of a clear business case for the technology. Support for WiMAX was originally scheduled for inclusion in Santa Rosa but was later delayed until Montevina in 2008.
    It is branded as "Centrino Pro" when combined with the enhanced security technologies Intel introduced with vPro and "Centrino Duo" when they are not used.

    Montevina platform (2008)

    The codename Montevina refers to the fifth-generation Centrino platform, now formally named Centrino 2 to avoid confusion with previous Centrino platforms. It was scheduled for release at Computex Taipei 2008, which took place on June 3–7, 2008, but was delayed until July 15, due to problems with integrated graphics and wireless certification.
    CentrinoMontevina platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile Express series 4 chipset with Intel GMA X4500 graphics technology and ICH9M southbridge, 1066 MT/s FSB. The GM45/GS45 graphics core is clocked at 533 MHz and 400 MHz for GL40, which contains ten unified shaders, up from the eight provided by GMA X3100.
    • RAM support for PC2-5300, PC2-6400, PC3-6400, PC3-8500 SO-DIMM.
    • NAND flash-memory caching branded as Intel Turbo Memory.
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82567LM and 82567LF.
    • Main support for DisplayPort with an external connector attached to the motherboard along with full supplemental support of HDMI, DVI, and VGA standards.
    Mobile processorProcessors - Socket P / Socket M / Micro-FCBGA
  • a second-generation Intel Core 2 Duo 45nm processor with 800-1066 MT/s FSB with clock speeds ranging from 2 GHz to 3.06 GHz, also featuring SSE4.1 support, which adds 47 new instructions to SSSE3. It was planned to consume no more than 29W, compared to Merom's and first-generation Penryn's 34W TDP. But after release only a few models have 25W TDP and the rest still have 35W TDP, besides the Q series TDP is 45W.
    • Wireless networkWireless Modules
  • Intel WiMAX/WiFi Link 5350 mini-PCIe supporting both WiMAX and up to 450Mbit/s Wi-Fi, or
  • Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300 mini-PCIe adapter supporting up to 450Mbit/s, or
  • Intel WiMAX/WiFi Link 5150 mini-PCIe adapter supporting both WiMAX and up to 300Mbit/s Rx / 150Mbit/s Tx Wi-Fi, or
  • Intel WiFi Link 5100 mini-PCIe adapter supporting up to 300Mbit/s Rx / 150Mbit/s Tx
    • It is branded as Centrino 2 vPro when combined with built-in security and manageability features technologies.

    Calpella platform (2009)

    The codename Calpella refers to the sixth-generation Centrino platform. Though originally scheduled to premiere in Q3 2009 with the second iteration of Nehalem processors, Intel had stated that due to pressure from computer manufacturers, they would delay the release of the platform until at least October 2009 to allow OEM partners to clear excess inventory of existing chips. This was believed to be spurred by the lowered demand due to unfavorable economic conditions throughout 2009.
    CentrinoCalpella platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile Express Series 5 chipset with Intel HD Graphics technology that will allow for optimized decoding/encoding and editing/playback of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video used in Blu-ray Discs and HD 1080p video, optimized for MPEG-2 video playback and editing.
    • Integrated memory controller and integrated PCI express controller remove the need for a northbridge and the older FSB technology.
    • Direct connect to DisplayPort with DPCP as with its predecessor along with legacy support for HDMI, DVI, and VGA.
    • RAM supported for PC3-6400, PC3-8500, PC3-10600 and PC3-12800 SO-DIMM.
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82577LM and 82577LF.
    • Solid-state drive or Hybrid hard drives support.
    Mobile processorProcessors, based on Intel Nehalem microarchitecture
  • an Intel Core i7 Extreme processor 45nm for Quad Core version, 55W TDP.
  • an Intel Core i7 processor 45nm for Quad Core version, 45W TDP.
  • an Intel Core i3/Core i5/Core i7 processor for Dual Core version, 35W TDP.
  • an Intel Core i7 processor for Dual Core version, 25W TDP.
  • an Intel Core i5/Core i7 processor for Dual Core version, 18W TDP.
    • Wireless networkWireless Modules
  • Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN mini-PCIe adapter, or
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 AGN mini-PCIe adapter, or
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN mini-PCIe adapter, or
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 BGN mini-PCIe adapter

    • Huron River platform (2011)

    The codename "Huron River" refers to the seventh-generation Centrino platform.
    CentrinoHuron River platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile Express Series 6 chipset.
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82579LM and 82579LF.
    Mobile processorProcessors, based on Intel Sandy Bridge microarchitecture
    Wireless networkWireless Modules
  • Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN mini-PCIe adapter , or
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 AGN mini-PCIe adapter , or
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 AGN mini-PCIe adapter , or
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 AGN mini-PCIe adapter with Bluetooth , or
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N + WiMAX 6150 BGN mini-PCIe adapter , or
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030 BGN mini-PCIe adapter with Bluetooth, or
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 BGN mini-PCIe adapter

    • Chief River platform (2012)

    The codename Chief River refers to the eighth-generation Centrino platform.
    CentrinoChief River platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile Express Series 7 chipset
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82579LM and 82579LF.
    Mobile processorProcessors, based on Intel Ivy Bridge microarchitecture
    Wireless networkWireless Modules
  • Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235
  • Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2200
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 135
  • Intel Centrino Wireless-N 105

    • Shark Bay platform (2013)

    The codename Shark Bay refers to the ninth-generation Centrino platform.
    CentrinoShark Bay platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel Mobile Express Series 8 chipset
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers I217LM and I217V.
    Mobile processorProcessors, based on Intel Haswell microarchitecture
    Wireless networkWireless Modules Wilkins Peak
    Jon Worrel predicted in 2012 that Shark Bay would comprise a single Multi-Chip Module package.

    Mobile Internet Device

    Menlow platform (2008)

    On March 2, 2008, Intel introduced the Intel Atom processor brand for a new family of low-power processor platforms. The components have thin, small designs and work together to "enable the best mobile computing and Internet experience" on mobile and low-power devices.
    Intel's second generation MID platform contains a 45 nm Intel Atom processor which can run up to 2.0 GHz and a System Controller Hub which includes Intel HD Audio.
    CentrinoMenlow platform
    Mobile chipsetan Intel SCH with integrated GMA 500 graphics
    Mobile processora 45 nm Intel Atom CPU
    Wireless networka wireless radio

    This platform was initially branded as Centrino Atom but the logo was dropped in August 2008; the logo had caused confusion between laptop and MID with previous marketing of Centrino stating only Intel chipsets are being used. Hence MIDs will be branded as Atom to allow integration with other OEM chipsets for the low-end market.

    Intel Centrino Wireless

    Intel Centrino Wireless is the brand for Intel Wi-Fi and WiMAX adapters. The product line includes:
    Laptops with Intel vPro technology have hardware features that allow a system administrator to remotely access wired and wireless laptops for maintenance and servicing if the operating system is unresponsive or crashed and, when a laptop is connected to AC power, allow a sys-admin to remotely access the laptop when the system is asleep or laptop power is off. It is targeted more for businesses than consumers.
    Laptops with vPro have the typical dual-core or quad-core processor and wireless features of the Centrino family.