Pentium 4 laptops get multi-threading

Multi-threading boosts performance of Intel's new mobile chips

Daniel Robinson, IT Week 29 Sep 2003

Intel last week introduced the first laptop chips to support its HyperThreading technology, which is designed to boost performance by making the processor chip appear to software as two virtual processors.

The move will lead to a new generation of higher-performance desktop-replacement laptops, offering all the capabilities of a desktop PC in a portable format. However, the low number of applications that are written to support multi-threading are likely to limit the performance benefits for many core business processes. IT Week tests show that most desktop software works more slowly with HyperThreading enabled.

The Mobile Pentium 4 with HyperThreading technology is available immediately at speeds of 3.2GHz, 3.06GHz, 2.8- GHz and 2.66GHz. It follows the first Mobile Pentium 4 processors announced in June, which lack HyperThreading capability, a feature supported in full-blown desktop chips since last year.

The Mobile Pentium 4 chips are essentially desktop processors with additional power-management capabilities such as Intel's SpeedStep technology, Deep Sleep and Deeper Sleep modes. While this helps to reduce power consumption, the Mobile Pentium 4 chips will still run hotter and consume more power than processors designed from scratch to be used in laptop computers.

However, many buyers seem to prefer the desktop-replacement format. According to figures from research company MobileTrax, 44 percent of laptops purchased by large firms last year fell into the desktop replacement category.

Another 33 percent were so-called thin and light models, the more portable format targeted by Intel's Pentium M processor and its Centrino mobile platform.

The Mobile Pentium 4 chips replace the Mobile Pentium 4-M, a mobile processor that was seen as suffering from poor performance. The Mobile Pentium 4 with HyperThreading at 3.2GHz costs $653 (£390), the 3.06GHz chip costs $433 (£260); the 2.8GHz chip costs $294 (£180) and the 2.66GHz chip costs $234 (£140).

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