Intel unveils Banias secrets
ZDNet | at | by Mike
One of the major announcements at this autumn's Intel Developer Forum has been Banias, the code name for the company's next generation portable IA-32 processor. Running the same software as existing Pentiums, Banias is Intel's first totally new mainstream mobile processor since the 80386SL in 1990. Although the company hasn't revealed the final configuration of the new chip, it has outlined the major architectural changes that reduce power consumption--from 7 watts at full power to under 1 watt on average--while in some cases, it claims, actually increasing performance.
Most power management systems in microprocessors adjust the frequency and voltages supplied to various areas of the chip, and Banias is no exception. However, the processor has the next generation of Intel's SpeedStep technology, with much finer control over more aspects of the chip's functioning. There is full support for power control across the pipeline, and subunits of the chip can be turned on and off in a single clock cycle. Most of the hardware is off most of the time, says Intel.