Intel Centrino Duo: next generation mobility. Intel Pentium D945 Specs: Greetings from the Past! Intel 945 chipset

It is probably no secret to anyone that the silicon giant Intel occupies a leading position in sales of chipsets with integrated graphics. The fact is that such solutions are most in demand in office machines, where the performance of the video subsystem in 3D applications is of no practical importance. Intel processors, which conquered this market in due time, are still unconditionally chosen by system administrators as the heart for these "workhorses". Not so long ago, Intel began to develop a new direction of application of its products, promoting the concept of the so-called "digital home". One of the key points of the idea is the presence of a second or Nth computer at home, which is the basis of a home theater, a music center, a DVD player-recorder, etc., in which there is also a place for integrated solutions. Indeed, who needs a DVD player with a GeForce 7800 GTX as their display device? Therefore, Intel's practice - to release a modification of the base chipset with integrated graphics within the next line of chipsets - has already become a tradition. One of the newest integrated solutions of the company is the i945G logic. This particular chipset and two boards based on it will be reviewed today.

ChipsetIntel 945 G

The i945G chipset is a modification of the basic i945P solution.

Structurally, this is the same i945P, to which the GMA 950 graphics core was "glued". Therefore, if we do not take into account the integrated video, all the characteristics of the named chipsets are absolutely identical. Along with the previously existing ATI Radeon Xpress 200G, the i945G recently acquired another rather strong competitor from another leading manufacturer of video accelerators - an integrated solution NVIDIA GeForce 6100. The confrontation is intensified by the fact that the GeForce 6100 and ATI Radeon Xpress 200G are processors from AMD, the eternal competitor to Intel. Well, despite the significant difference in the architecture of the chipsets, let's try to compare their characteristics.

Characteristic	Intel 945P Express	Intel 945G Express	NVIDIA GeForce 6100 + nForce 410/430	ATI Radeon Xpress 200G
North bridge
Supportedprocessors		Intel Celeron D, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition		AMD Opteron, Athlon 64 (FX / X2), Sempron
Supported connectors			Socket 754, 939, 940	Socket 754, 939, 940
System bus frequency, MHz
RAM controller		dual-channel DDR2-400 / 533/667 controller supporting up to 4 DIMMs with a total capacity of up to 4 GB
Graphical interface
Integrated GPU frequency , MHz
Number of pixel pipelines
Number of vertex processors
Supported DirectX Version
South bridge
PCI Express,lines	20/22 * PCI Express x1	20/22 * PCI Express x1	17 * PCI Express x1	22 ** PCI Express x1
PCI,lines
Parallel ATA,channels
SerialATA,ports	4 х 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	4 х 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	2/4 x 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	2/4 x 1.5 Gbit / s
SupportRAID		0, 1, 0 + 1 (10) and 5 from SATA drives	0, 1/ 0, 1, 0+1 (10), 5	0, 1 from SATA drives
USB 2.0, ports
Sound		Intel	High Definition Audio (7.1) or AC "97 (7.1)	High Definition Audio (7.1) or AC "97 (7.1)

* 16 lines are used by the portPCI Express x16

** 16 lines are used by the portPCI Express x16 and 2 are used as a bus for connecting the north and south bridges.

As you can see, the functionality of the chipsets in question has some differences. Of course, the main one is support for microprocessors from different manufacturers. North bridges Xpress 200G and GeForce 6100 lack memory controllers, since AMD processors for Socket 754, 939, 940 have their own.

There is a noticeable difference in the number of PCI Express lanes, of which Intel and ATI have significantly more than NVIDIA. Radeon Xpress 200G loses to its competitors in terms of support for Serial ATA drives, having only a 1.5 Gbit / s controller at its disposal, "not knowing" about NCQ technology and unable to work with RAID 10 and 5 arrays.

The GMA 950 graphics processor integrated into the i945G is a modification of the previous GMA 900 core used in conjunction with the i915 and has undergone only minor changes. Looking at the table, it is rather difficult to determine which IGP is stronger - GMA 950, Radeon Xpress 200G or GeForce 6100.On the one hand, the first two have a larger number of pixel pipelines: 4 versus 2, but, at the same time, not a single vertex one, entrusting the task of calculating shaders per central processor, while NVIDIA's brainchild has one vertex unit. The Radeon Xpress 200G runs at a significantly lower frequency than the competition. On the other hand, the number of rendering lines, as well as the core frequency, are rather controversial criteria for evaluating the performance of an accelerator in 3D applications. Especially when comparing solutions from different developers. The GMA 950 and Radeon Xpress 200G support Shader Model 2.0 in hardware, while the GeForce 6100 also handles version 3.0. Although, speaking of integrated graphics today, the ability to work with Shader Model 3.0 should not be considered a serious advantage.

Thus, only testing can show the real balance of power. But before moving on to this part of the review, let's go back to the i945G chipset and consider two modifications of Intel motherboards based on it - D945GNT and D945GTP.

SpecificationsIntel D945GNT and D945GTP

The first motherboard under consideration, D945GTP, is made in MicroATX format in the best traditions of solutions with integrated video. The other, the D945GNT, is on the contrary a full-sized ATX. Meanwhile, despite the fact that the products have a different form factor, their functionality is almost identical.

Supported processors	Intel Celeron D, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D, Pentium Extreme Edition with 1066/800/533 MHz FSB and Hyper-Threading Technology in LGA775 package
North bridge
South bridge
Memory slots	4 slots DDR2-667 / 533/400 (two channels), the maximum total amount of modules - 4 GB
Expansion slots	D945GNT: 1 x PCI Express x16, 2 x PCI Express x1, 4 x PCI D945GTP: 1 x PCI Express x16, 1 x PCI Express x1, 2 x PCI
	1 channel Ultra DMA 33/66/100 implemented on the controller integrated into ICH7
SerialATA	4 3 Gbit / s ports implemented by the controller integrated into ICH7
	RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 + 1 and RAID 5 (from SATA drives only), Intel Matrix Storage
Graphics core
Ethernet	1 port 10/100 Mbit / s on Intel 92562GZ
Integrated sound	Intel High Definition Audio (7.1) on SigmaTel STAC9223DS codec
	8 ports, (4 brought to the rear panel)
IEEE-1394	3 ports IEEE 1394a (1 brought out to the rear panel) implemented on the TSB43AB23 controller
System monitoring	Tracking component voltages, fan speed, and processor temperature (by built-in thermal diode).
Additional features	Intel Rapid BIOS Boot
	Intel Platform Innovation Framework for Extensible firmware interface
Form factor	D945 GNT: ATX, 245mm x 305mm (12 "x 9.6") D945GTP: MicroATX, 245mm x 245mm (9.6 "x 9.6")

Generally speaking, the products differ only in size and in the presence of additional slots in D945GNT: one PCI Express x1 and two PCI. The boards are based on a bundle of the north bridge i945G and the south bridge - ICH7R. The rather high functionality of the ICH7R is extended with additional controllers.

To support the IEEE 1394 interface, a three-port TSB43AB23 controller manufactured by Texas Instruments is soldered on the boards.

The embedded audio, based on the Sigmatel STAC9223D5 eight-channel (7.1) codec, complies with the Intel High Definition Audio standard.

The networking capabilities of the products are based on the Intel 82562GZ chip. The maximum data transfer rate supported by the chip is 100 Mbit / s. Today, when space on the PCB is increasingly given to gigabit controllers, this speed already seems insufficient. But, nevertheless, for average home and office tasks 100 Mbit / s is quite enough.

Only one Parallel ATA connector is installed on the boards, which is caused by the limited capabilities of the south bridge to support devices with this interface. Meanwhile, PATA drives are less and less common on the market, and their price is only slightly lower than that of SATA. Therefore, today Parallel ATA channels are usually occupied by optical drives. Well, four Serial ATA lines are quite enough for building mid-range systems.

In general, the boards provide a fairly good set of functions, somewhat redundant for an office and quite sufficient for building a multimedia system.

Packaging and equipment

D945GNT and D945GTP motherboards are delivered in original boxes of usual sizes. The following set of items can be found in the boxes:

• one 80-wire IDE cable and one FDD;
• two SATA cables;
• a cover on the back of the case for the I / O panel;
• floppy disk for the RAID controller built into the ICH7R;
• two disks with drivers and proprietary utilities;
• operation manual and assembly poster.

Of course, the package bundle looks a bit scanty. But do not forget that the boards are positioned as the basis for relatively inexpensive PCs. In this sector of the market, price is quite significant and healthy savings are always welcome. This number of items is sufficient to assemble an average statistical system. If needed, the missing brackets and cables required to use all SATA, IEEE 1394a and USB ports can be purchased separately. At the same time, I would like to note that the amount of software supplied with the products significantly exceeds the unspoken standard. But more on that below. In the meantime, let's "feel" the boards themselves.

Design and layout

The minimal differences in functionality of the products under consideration are not accidental. D945GTP, made in MicroATX format, is the basic model, and its ATX modification, D945GNT, was obtained by increasing the size of the textolite base. Figuratively speaking, a piece of PCB was "glued" to the D945GTP, resulting in the D945GNT.

Intel D945GTP

The additional area houses two PCI and one PCI Express x1 slots, as well as a three-pin header for connecting a fan. The main part of the additional space remained completely "bare" and not used for any controllers. As far as I know, this "trick" is only practiced by Intel.

The socket for Intel processors in the LGA775 package has four power channels.

A similar scheme was implemented by the overwhelming majority of manufacturers when building motherboards based on 9xx series chipsets, and we have seen it more than once. Is that high-frequency filter elements (chokes) are more often found in packaging, and not "naked". While we are not distracted from the game "find the XX differences", let's pay attention to one more thing - 4 power regulators are not wired to the D945GTP: one per phase. Perhaps this is only due to the fact that the board sent for tests is an engineering sample. However, even in this case, during testing, no instabilities were revealed. By and large, this is where the differences between the boards end, therefore, below we will consider the D945GNT, and all that has been said will be true for the D945GTP as well.

The processor is powered via the +12 V line connected to a four-pin ATX 12V connector. Compatibility with eight-pin EATX 12V plugs found in new power supplies has been retained.

The main 24-pin connector is located in the most suitable place for it - the upper right corner of the board. Next to it we see Parallel ATA and FDD pads. There are four Serial ATA ports located a bit lower.

To install DDR2 RAM modules, there are four 240-pin 1.8 V slots connected to two channels of the controller. The maximum amount of memory supported by the logic is 4 GB.

The cooling system of the north bridge of the chipset is passive, which makes the product absolutely noiseless. A large needle-shaped aluminum radiator is used. It is attached to the PCB at four points, with the help of latches of the original design, and to increase the pressing force against the crystal, a rather powerful wire spring is used. The ubiquitous thermo-gum is used as a heat-conducting interface.

Due to the limited free space on the PCB, in the basic modification (D945GTP), the heatsink is located quite close to the PCI Express x16 slot, and can become a hindrance to installing video adapters with bulky two-sided cooling systems. However, for a motherboard based on a chipset with an integrated graphics core, this is not a significant omission.

The south bridge has no forced cooling.

During testing, it turned out that in this case, even after many hours of load, its temperature regime does not cause concern.

The I / O panel contains the following ports and connectors:

• two PS / 2 connectors for mouse and keyboard;
• four USB 2.0;
• network RJ-45;
• one VGA;
• one IEEE 1394a;
• one parallel (LPT);
• one serial (COM);
• five sound card inputs-outputs (mini-jack);
• optical S / PDIF output.

At the bottom of the board, pads are located in a row for connecting two IEEE 1394a and four USB 2.0 ports, as well as the case LEDs and buttons. The plastic backing of the Front Panel connector pins is divided into groups and painted in different colors, which makes it easier to connect the system unit elements.

In general, there are no complaints about the design of the boards. Everything is well thought out, and there were no problems when assembling the system.

BIOSand software

The motherboards in question use the original microcode from the manufacturer, called the Intel Platform Innovation Framework for Extensible firmware interface. It is noteworthy that the graphical interface for configuring the firmware is displayed at 800x600 instead of the usual 640x480, which allows more useful information to fit on the screen.

The user will not suffer from a lack of settings: all BIOS Setup items have been worked out very thoroughly. All the necessary information about the components used is also displayed in full.

The system monitoring section displays the readings of thermal sensors built into the processor and the motherboard, real voltage values \u200b\u200bon the processor and on the +12, +5 and +3.3 V lines, as well as the rotational speed of the fans connected to three connectors soldered to the PCB.

The RAM configuration menu offers a choice of three values \u200b\u200bof the operating frequency of the modules: 400, 533, 667 MHz (DDR). A set of basic timings is also available here:

• CAS # Latency (Tcl): 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0;
• RAS # to CAS # delay (Trcd): 2-5;
• Row Precharge Time (Trp): 2-5;
• Min RAS # active Time (Tras): 10-15.

Traditionally, on Intel motherboards, the options required to change the voltage values \u200b\u200bon the components and overclock the processor are missing. The boards in question were no exception.

A rather "weighty" set of OEM versions of commercial software is supplied with the products, consisting of:

• InterVideo Home Theater Silver;
• InterVideo MediaOne Silver;
• Musicmatch Jukebox;
• Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 5.0;
• NTI: CD-Maker;
• Norton Internet Security 2005;
• Norton AntiVirus
• Farstone RestoreIT Golld;
• Farstone Gamedrive;
• Kaspersky AntiVirus Business Optimal;
• ABBYY Lingvo 9.0.

In addition, the disk contains two proprietary utilities. The first of them - Intel Desktop Utilities - is a set of tools for displaying information about the system, monitoring fan speeds, temperature readings and real voltage values \u200b\u200bon components. The other, Intel Audio Studio, is a set of effects achieved by applying audio filters to the audio stream.

Testing

The D945GNT and D945GTP motherboards were tested with the following set of components:

• processor: Intel Pentium 4 531 (Prescott E0), 3000 MHz (15 x 200);
• rAM: 2 x 512 MB DDR2, Corsair XMS2-5400 (SPD 4.0-5-5-15 667 MHz);
• hard drives: Seagate ST3200822AS 200 GB SATA 7200 rpm and Seagate ST3120827AS 120 GB SATA 7200 rpm;
• power supply unit: FSP 550 W (FSP550-60PLN);
• cooler: Thermaltake Big Typhoon 1300 rpm;
• operating system: Windows XP Professional SP2 (ENG).

It is noteworthy that the boards are equipped with almost perfect crystal oscillators: the system bus frequency is clocked extremely accurately.

To study the performance of products when working with an external accelerator, we used an ATI Radeon X800XT video card.

The chipsets competing with the i945G - ATI Xpress 200G and NVIDIA GeForce 6100 - are represented in our testing by MSI RS480M2 and ASRock K8NF2G-SATA2 boards. The first board from the above pair was used in conjunction with the AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (200x11) processor, the second - with the AMD Sempron 2500+ 64 bit (200x7).

In the oldest semi-synthetic gaming test of our suite - 3D Mark 2001SE - the i945G chipset is the undisputed leader.

After passing real gaming tests, it becomes clear that the integrated Intel GMA 950 core is slightly weaker than its competitors from ATI and NVIDIA. But considering the overall performance level of integrated graphics of all three manufacturers, the lag of Intel's solution does not seem to be significant. At the same time, considering the performance of ATI's logic, one should not forget that during the tests it worked together with the AMD Athlon64 3500 processor, which is a much more expensive and productive solution than the Intel Pentium 4 531.

Further tests of the D945GNT and D945GTP boards were carried out with an external video card.

The results are quite eloquent evidence that the i945G works great with discrete accelerators. In this case, the performance of the chipset completely coincides with that of the i945P.

conclusions

The Intel 945G chipset is quite an interesting solution. Positioned as the basis for low-cost office and multimedia computers, the logic supports all modern Intel processors, has good functionality and high performance. The speed characteristics of the integrated core of the GMA 950 are only slightly lower than those of the competitors' IGPs. At the same time, we have already noted that performance in 3D applications is far from the most important characteristic of integrated video.

D945GNT and D945GTP motherboards are quite standard solutions from Intel. The products are based on a well-thought-out PCB design, are equipped with an excellent set of software, are distinguished by good functionality and traditionally high quality. Do not forget that by buying a motherboard made by Intel, the user takes a step towards the technical integrity of his computer. Indeed, in this case, the three most important parts of the machine - the motherboard, the chipset and the processor - will be developed and produced by one manufacturer - Intel.

motherboards Intel D945GNT and D945GTP submitted for testing by the Moscow office of the companyIntel

The exciting advent of dual-core processors in laptops

It's been four months since Intel announced the first dual-core laptop platform, codenamed Napa. Many thought that the new, fast, energy-efficient platform would immediately throw the Pentium M off its throne, but this forecast turned out to be overly optimistic. And in March, very sad news emerged: major laptop manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, and HP reduced their orders for the Napa platform (chipset and processor) by 30-50%. Among the reasons for this move was the excessive filling of warehouses of companies due to an unexpected drop in demand in the first quarter of 2006.

The drop in demand could be due to the fact that many users decided to wait for future systems and did not buy current models. Others may not have been willing to pay more for a new laptop compared to what they paid before. And they began to wait until prices for dual-core models were reduced. Some users were in doubt: is it worth buying the current platform that does not support 64-bit computing? And given the postponement of the release of Windows Vista to 2007, the requirements for new systems are not increasing yet.

In addition, many systems are waiting for Microsoft to release a hotfix to fix the problem with excessive power consumption of the USB controller if any devices are connected to it.

And there is no patch yet. We recently released a review of a new gaming laptop Dell XPS on Core Duo , but with it, again, connecting USB devices leads to a noticeable increase in power consumption.

This error, of course, does not speak in favor of the new platform. The laptop manufacturers don't like the situation either, as they cannot solve the problem on their own and are waiting for a solution from Microsoft and, possibly, from Intel.

However, the power consumption issue of the USB controller shouldn't overshadow the excellent work that Intel engineers have done. As you will see in the review, the new dual-core platform has a lot to offer. In the meantime, let's hope that Microsoft together with Intel will solve the described problem.

Is Napa better than Sonoma?

To compare the new Centrino platform (945GM chipset) with its predecessor (915GM), we selected two ultra-portable notebooks with 12.1 "displays from Asus. Apart from the platforms used, the W5F and W5A notebooks are identical. Therefore, they are perfect for comparing the chipset / processor We also ran separate benchmarks with different Pentium M processors (Pentium M 730, 750 and 760).

945GM vs 915GM

The 945GM chipset is part of Intel's new 945 Express line of chipsets, codenamed Calistoga.

In addition to the Core Duo processor, which uses a faster FSB and has two cores, Calistoga also supports faster DDR2-667 memory in notebooks with improved power efficiency. The slowest and least power efficient memory modules will not work with this chipset. Calistoga / 945GM chipset includes SATA, Intel High Definition Audio and I / O Express Card , but they were all already in the platform Sonoma / 915GM .

The 945GM graphics core is based on the 950 Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA), and it is also used in the desktop 945G and 945GZ chipsets. The graphics core is compatible with DirectX 9, but as before, not all DirectX 9 features are implemented in hardware.

Like the GMA900, the GMA950 chipset uses four pixel pipelines. Other graphics functions like vertex shaders must be emulated by the CPU. Other GPUs, like the ATi Mobility Radeon X300 or the nVidia GeForce Go 6200, implement DirectX 9 entirely in hardware. Therefore, the performance of the GMA950 vertex shaders (hence the overall 3D graphics performance) is highly dependent on the CPU power. So the 3D performance of the GMA950 scales well with the processor clock speeds.

In the Asus W5A laptop, the north bridge is cooled by a heat pipe (not shown).

Like its predecessor, the 945GM uses part of the system memory as video memory. The graphics core can be dynamically allocated up to 224 MB of system memory, depending on application requirements. Intel calls this technology Digital Video Memory Technology (DVMT).

The GMA950 driver works closely with the operating system to ensure that sufficient RAM is allocated to 3D applications. As soon as the driver no longer needs memory, it is freed.

North bridges (915GM above, 945GM below).

Because the CPU and the graphics subsystem share memory, the 945GM is slower compared to GPUs with dedicated video memory.

The advantage of integrated solutions lies, of course, in the lower cost. At the expense of performance. Even faster DDR2-667 memory does not help here 945GM.

Platform	FSB Bandwidth	Memory bandwidth	Memory configuration
Napa	5.33 GB / s	10.67 GB / s	DDR2-667	(two channels)
		8.53 GB / s	DDR2-533	(two channels)
		5.33 GB / s	DDR2-667	(one channel)
		4.26 GB / s	DDR2-533	(one channel)
Sonoma	4.25 GB / s	8.53 GB / s	DDR2-533	(two channels)
		6.40 GB / s	DDR2-400	(two channels)
		4.26 GB / s	DDR2-533	(one channel)
		3.20 GB / s	DDR2-400	(one channel)
		2.66 GB / s	DDR-333	(one channel)

If the notebook is built with fast DDR-667 memory, it will provide higher memory bandwidth, which will have a positive impact on performance. Although the increase in the CPU bus is modest, it still has a positive effect on the graphics performance.

Chipset	Mobile Intel 945GM Express	Mobile Intel 915GM Express
Supported processors	Intel Core Duo, Intel Core Solo, Intel Celeron M	Intel Pentium M, Intel Celeron M
FSB frequency	667 MHz, 533 MHz	533 MHz, 400 MHz
SO-DIMM count / max. memory size	2 SO-DIMMs / up to 4 GB RAM	2 SO-DIMM / up to 2 GB RAM
Memory type	DDR2-533 / 677 MHz	DDR2-400 / 533 MHz, DDR 333 MHz single channel
Memory channels	Two / one	Two / one
Integrated graphics, frequency and voltage	133, 166, 222, 250 MHz at 1.05 V, 400 MHz at 1.5 V	133, 160/166, 200 MHz at 1.05 V, 320 MHz at 1.5 V
Split graphics interface	PCI Express x16	PCI Express x16
Number of pixel pipelines	4	4
VLD / iDCT	Programmatically	Hardware
Intermediate Z	N / A	Hardware
Max. panel resolution	LVDS: up to UXGA (1600x1200)	LVDS: up to UXGA (1600x1200), CRT DAC: QXGA (2048x1536)
OpenGL * support	1.4 + extensions	1.4
Intel Graphics Power Saving Technology	Yes	Yes
Sound		Intel High Definition Audio, 24 bit, 192 kHz, AC "97 2.3
North Bridge: packaging, dimensions	1466 FCBGA, 37.5 x 37.5 mm	1257 FCBGA, 37.5 x 40 mm
South bridge: packaging, dimensions	652 FCBGA, 31 x 31 mm	609 FCBGA, 31 x 31 mm
Supported ICH	ICH7-M (GBM / GHM)	ICH6-M
PCI master	7	7
IDE / ATA		ATA 100 (1 channel), SATA 150 (2 ports)
USB	8 USB 2.0 ports	8 USB 2.0 ports
Integrated LAN MAC (10/100 Ethernet)	Yes	Yes
PCI Express ports	4x PCI Express (GBM), 6x PCI Express (GHM)	4x PCI Express

All of the factors listed in the table should lead to a noticeable increase in 3D performance if the laptop supports all the features of the 945GM chipset. Below we will compare the performance of the graphics subsystem with other inexpensive chips. For example, with the ATi Mobility Radeon X300.

Two cores in an ultra-portable laptop: Asus W5F

The Asus W5F uses a 945GM chipset and a Core Duo processor.

Asus sent our W5F laptop to our lab: an ultra-portable model with a 12.1 "widescreen display based on the 945GM Express chipset. In addition, we also received an old W5A model based on the Sonoma platform (915GM Express chipset).

Laptops are similar to each other, like twin brothers. This applies to the quality and appearance of the cases, which are very good, as well as the supply of a standard 26 Wh battery that can be replaced with a larger 53 Wh version. If you need an even higher capacity, you can buy a 9-cell 78 Wh battery. However, such a capacious battery is bulky and weighs almost 500 g.

When closed, the W5F looks pretty good too.

The only visible difference from the outside is on the right side of the case. The W5A has a PCMCIA slot there, and the W5F has an Express Card slot. The W5F also has an optical audio output (SPDIF), while the W5A does not.

Both laptops have a built-in Bluetooth receiver for communication with a mouse. So the mouse may not occupy one of the three USB ports.

The W5F has an optical audio output and an Express Card slot.

In all other respects, the W5A and W5F are no different. This also applies to the built-in 1.3 megapixel web camera, which is installed on a rotating axis. The camera can also be used to monitor the room where the laptop is located. The pre-installed camera control software has a motion detection function.

A web camera is built into the display lid.

There are three control keys on the right side of the display frame to speed up access to the microphone and camera during video conferencing.

The display bezel contains three camera and microphone control keys.

The display lid attaches to the bottom half with a magnetic catch, and there is no need to look for a lever to open the laptop. Since the battery is inserted in the back, there is only room for one USB port, S-Video output and power jack.

There are no connectors or ports on the front panel.

On the right panel there is an Express Card slot, a volume control wheel, audio inputs and outputs, a USB port and VGA-out for connecting an external monitor.

Right panel of the W5F case.

On the left are ports for a modem, Ethernet, FireWire and another USB port, as well as a slot for a built-in flash card reader. The laptop has an integrated 4x Ultra-Slim DVD drive.

Left panel of the W5F case.

In terms of wireless connectivity, this business laptop includes built-in Bluetooth as well as Intel Pro / Wireless 3945ABG WLAN. The WLAN module can be turned off using the toggle switch above the keyboard.

A third USB port is located on the rear panel, next to the power jack and S-Video output.

The keyboard gives no reason for complaints. The keys are well pressed, pleasant to the touch. Whether you like the size of the keys depends on how large your fingers are and which keyboard you're used to. However, the keyboard is quite standard for ultra-portable models.

The 83-key keyboard is almost perfect.

The touchpad without tangible boundaries allows you to control the cursor. The mouse buttons are not very attractive, but they are pressed clearly.

In Europe, Asus includes two batteries, three and six cells. The capacious model allows you to extend the battery life up to six hours. Unfortunately, the six-cell battery is optional for North America. There it is sold separately.

Limitations of memory upgrades

When it comes to memory upgrades, the W5F has the same limitations as most ultra-portable laptops. A 512MB RAM module is soldered to the motherboard, and only one SO-DIMM socket is available for expansion. If you want to install more than 1 GB of memory in a laptop, then you will have to install one 1 GB module in an available socket. After that, the original 512MB DDR2 module will collect dust somewhere in the cabinet.

The PSU is quite small, but the power cable is a bit thick for such a compact laptop.

The toggle switch allows you to disable the WLAN module to extend battery life.

Display

Our laptop displays support WXGA resolution of 1280x768 pixels. The maximum brightness is 157 cd / m². As with most high-contrast displays, light sources are easily reflected on the surface. At the same time, you get a juicy and detailed picture.

When working with a laptop, keep the screen away from your eyes, as high resolution results in small letters. The brightness of the display is higher near the top edge, and decreases along the sides and bottom. But overall, the backlighting is quite uniform.

Each chart shows 64 areas in which we measured brightness and contrast. The difference in results is shown in different colors.

The far right side of the diagram corresponds to the bottom edge of the display, and the near left side corresponds to the top edge.

Comparison table of test systems

As we mentioned above, in our review we compared the new Core Duo T2400 processor with Napa platform in the Asus W5F laptop with the previous Sonoma platform (Asus W5A laptop). The following table summarizes the characteristics of both systems.

Manufacturer	Asus	Asus
Model	W5F	W5A
Website	www.asus.com	www.asus.com
A type	2-spindles / modular	2-spindles / modular
Dimensions and weight
Width x height x depth		30.5 x 3.1-3.5 x 22.6-24.3 cm
Weight with battery	1643/1798 g	1715/1870 g
Battery weight	173/326 g	173/326 g
Power supply weight with cable	412 g	412 g
Total weight (laptop with power supply)	2055/2210 g	2127/2282 g
Power supply and battery
Battery capacity I		Li-Ion 6 cells (11.1 V, 4800 mAh, 53 Wh)
Battery capacity II		Li-Ion 3 cells (11.1 V, 2400 mAh, 26 Wh)
Power Supply	65 Watt	65 Watt
Cursor devices	Touch pad	Touch pad
Display and graphics card
Diagonal	12.1 "(30.5 cm)	12.1 "(30.5 cm)
Display resolution	1280 x 768	1280 x 768
Graphics controller	Intel 945GM	Intel 915GM
Core frequency	N / A	N / A
Memory	8 to 128 MB	16 to 128 MB
Memory frequency	N / A	N / A
System
BIOS	202 (01/10/2006)	0209 (11/17/2005)
CPU	Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, FSB667)	Intel Pentium M 760 (2.00 GHz, 2MB L2 cache, FSB533)
North bridge	Intel 945 GM (Rev. 03)	Intel 915 GM (Rev. 03)
South bridge	ICH7-M (82801GHM)	ICH6-M (82810FBM)
Memory	1x 512 MB DDR2-667 (on board) 1x 512 MB DDR2-667 (two channels)	1x 256 MB DDR2-400 (on board) 1x 256 MB DDR2-400 (two channels)
HDD
Manufacturer and model	Fujitsu MHV2100AH	Hitachi IC25N080ATMR04-0
Volume	100 GB	80 GB
Performance	(P-ATA / 5400 rpm / 8 MB / 12 ms)	(P-ATA / 4200 rpm / 8 MB / 12 ms)
Optical drives
Manufacturer and model	Matsushita UJ-8325	Matsushita UJ-822D
DVD / + R / + RW / RAM / + DL Speed	8x / 8x / 4x / 4x / 4x	8x / 2x / 2x / 2x / -
CD / R / RW speed	24x / 24x / 10x	24x / 8x / 8x
Drive	No	No
Hard drive bay	2x 2.5 ", 9.5 mm high	2x 2.5 ", 9.5 mm high
Connectors (B \u003d back, F \u003d front, L \u003d left, R \u003d right)
PS2 Mouse / Keyboard	No no	No no
USB 2.0	1x (B), 1x (L), 1x (R)	1x (B), 1x (L), 1x (R)
IEEE1394 / FireWire	1x (L)	1x (L)
Serial COM port	No	No
Parallel LPT port	No	No
Microphone	Yes	Yes
Infrared port	No	No
Bluetooth	Yes (v2.0)	No
VGA / DVI output	1x (R) / no	1x (R) / no
TV out	S-Video (B)	S-Video (B)
Power socket	Yes (B)	Yes (B)
PC Card / PCIe Card Slots	No / 1x (R)	1x (R) / no
LAN	Realtek RTL8139 (100 Mbps)	Realtek RTL8139 (100 Mbps)
WLAN	Intel Wireless Pro 3945ABG	Intel Wireless Pro 2200BG
Audio connectors	Mic (R), headphones (R), SPDIF (R)	Mic (R), headphones (R)
Sound Chip		Realtek (High Definition Audio)
Modem / Model	Motorola SM56 Data Fax Modem	HDAudio SoftV92 with SmartCP
Flash card reader	SD, MMC, MS / Pro	SD, MMC, MS / Pro
Software
OS	Windows XP Professional	Windows XP Professional

Testing Notes

We used the BAPCo MobileMark 2005 and Sysmark 2004 SE benchmarks and FutureMark 3DMark05 and PCMark05 benchmarks to assess battery life and performance. 3DMark 2005 and PCMark05 graphics benchmarks measure the performance of notebook integrated graphics cores. We decided not to run gaming tests as laptops are still aimed at business users, not gamers. In addition, we weren't even able to run some games, as the following screenshot from Call of Duty 2 proves. Although Quake 3 is faster on the new platform, hardly anyone would buy a laptop like this for gaming.

Test results

Battery Life: MobileMark 2005

MobileMark 2005 tests show how long a laptop can run on battery power and how much performance it delivers. In total, four scenarios are available in the package: office productivity, study and reading, DVD playback and wireless Internet access. We ran the DVD playback test only if the laptop uses the built-in DVD drive or an external one powered by the laptop's battery.

Each scenario uses real-world applications and runs from the moment the battery is fully charged and the power plug is removed from the laptop until the battery is completely discharged. Test results are reported in minutes. In addition, MobileMark 2005 provides two benchmarks for office benchmarks: the overall benchmark score and the average time to complete all tasks in the benchmark benchmark. The overall performance result depends on the average completion time, and it scales with respect to the weak reference system, which has a score of 100.

The results also show that a dual-core processor does not offer any advantage in normal office work. MobileMark scenarios involve launching separate applications, so the lack of multithreading support means that the second CPU core does not provide significant advantages. The response time indicates how quickly an individual task completes or how quickly a script is executed. It does not estimate how quickly you can switch between individual applications or the performance gains when running an antivirus scanner in the background at the same time.

By the way, the new WLAN 3945ABG module is no more economical than the previous 2200BG, as evidenced by wireless Internet tests.

Office Performance Testing: SYSmark 2004 SE

SYSmark 2004 SE focuses entirely on performance. The battery life does not play any role here, since all tests are performed on mains power. Like MobileMark 2005, SYSmark 2004 SE uses real-world applications for testing.

SYSmark 2004 SE benchmarks are divided into two scenarios: Internet content creation and office productivity. The Internet Content Test can be divided into three test groups: 3D Content, 2D Content, and Web Publishing. The office productivity scenario is also divided into three test groups: communications (email, calendar, and web browsing), document creation, and data analysis.

As with the MobileMark 2005 final score, all SYSmark 2004 SE scores are based on average run time and are scaled to a relatively weak system that scores 100 on each SYSmark 2004 SE benchmark. Note that the office performance results of MobileMark 2005 and SYSmark 2004 SE cannot be compared with each other.

For these tests, we measured the Sonoma system on a 915GM chipset with three different Pentium M processors. We also added the result of the Napa platform on a 945GM chipset with a Core Duo T2400 CPU.

If you work with office applications, then you don't need a dual-core system.

In general, office workers whose applications are only occasionally interrupted by background anti-virus scans will benefit little from the transition from single-core to dual-core.

PCMark05

Like SYSmark 2004 SE, PCMark05 measures performance. PCMark05 includes a suite of system-wide benchmarks as well as benchmarks focusing on CPU, memory, graphics, and hard drive subsystem. If one of the tests fails, then PCMark05 will fail for the corresponding specialization. This most often happens when the graphics controller is unable to execute the appropriate portion of the test. Computers with very low PCMark05 graphics score (200-600 at the moment) are not included in the corresponding graph. As with the SYSmark 2004 SE, the computer is plugged into an electrical outlet and the processor is running at maximum clock speed.

PCMark scores are split between 1200 and 5500. Slow (1200) and powerful (5500) reference systems are used to calculate the final score. But the possible results are both less than 1200 and more than 5500.

Below are PCMark05 results for two Asus notebooks, including three Pentium M processors in the W5A model.

PCMark05: conclusion

Our PCMark05 results were quite intriguing. The new platform on the 945GM chipset with a fast graphics core and high-speed memory outperformed the old platform, despite the same clock speeds.

As our tests with three Pentium M processors on a W5A (Sonoma) laptop show, even on an old single-core platform, the graphics performance scales very well with the CPU frequency. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that vertex shaders are processed not by the GPU, but by the computer's central processor. And on the new platform too. Therefore, the graphics performance depends on the frequency of the CPU.

In any case, we get a significant 30% performance boost on the new platform, which can be attributed to the 945GM chipset and dual-core processor.

This is a classic 3D performance test that measures the speed of Intel graphics subsystems. For comparison, we have added the results of the recently reviewed Lenovo Z60m laptop with the Mobility Radeon X300 graphics card, as well as the LG LW60 laptop with the more powerful Mobility Radeon X600 chipset.

While the PCMark05 graphics performance results could give hope that the 945GM could be suitable for graphics intensive 3D games, the 3DMark05 results do not allow us to hope so. The Mobility Radeon X300 and X600 chips have four pixel pipelines and two vertex units. The chips run at a higher clock speed and use a 128-bit (64-bit for the X300) memory interface. The integrated Intel GMA950 core, which lacks hardware support for vertex shaders and has a slower memory interface, simply does not meet the graphics requirements of modern 3D games.

HD video playback

It is very interesting to see how much CPU load will be when playing high definition (HD) video. We used a test video with a resolution of 1440x1080 pixels and Windows Media Player 10.

On the old platform, the video sometimes stuttered, although this may not be directly related to the 915GM. But the 945GM system with a dual-core processor showed less load on each processor core. In other words, a dual-core system has enough processing power to support even background applications without interfering with time-sensitive video output. The dual-core system is capable of handling even higher definition video streams.

CPU load during HDTV WMV file playback on Core Duo.

On a Pentium M platform at the same clock speed, the processor load is doubled because only one core is available.

Conclusion

Asus' W5F \u200b\u200bbenchmarks show, Intel's dual-core platform based on the 945GM chipset offers significantly better performance than its predecessor Sonoma. The integrated graphics core of the 945GM (950GMA) chipset provides in some cases twice the 3D performance compared to the 915GM chipset (GMA900 core). But if you take the low-cost separate graphics chips from ATi or nVidia, then Intel's offer is clearly inferior in 3D performance. This is probably why Intel is positioning the 945GM chipset in combination with dual-core Core Duo processors in the business notebook sector. It is also important to understand that the new platform will cost about 10% more than the old systems based on single-core Pentium M processors with the 915GM chipset. For applications like MS Word, Excel or Outlook, buying a dual-core system is hard to justify. But if you constantly use background virus scanning, run several services / tasks or resource-intensive applications (video encoding, 3D rendering), then two kernels will help well. In other words, ordinary office users do not need two cores, but they can be recommended to professionals.

In terms of battery life, the new Intel Core Duo platform is a definite step up from the previous one. Unless you're going to overload the wireless network. An Asus laptop with Napa platform provides approximately 20 minutes more battery life when surfing the Internet wirelessly. Compare that to almost an hour's gain in DVD playback.

Do we recommend taking a Core Duo laptop with 945GM chipset? Until Microsoft resolves power consumption issues with USB 2.0 devices, it's hard to say for sure. This is why we have such a fondness for the "old" Centrino Pentium M systems that do a great job of everyday business tasks. And the background anti-virus scan on a dual-core machine will not work faster, since the bottleneck here is the performance of the hard disk, not the processor. We are also not particularly enamored with the possibility of revolutionary new multitasking environments that can take full advantage of a dual-core CPU. However, if you are working with several tasks at the same time, you can switch between them without noticeable delays.

If you consider yourself a professional, then the situation is different. If you work with photos, 3D models, encode or decode video, run science and math applications, then a Core Duo laptop with a 945 chipset will suit you better than the old single-core solutions. The combination of better performance and longer battery life is a good advantage.

All other business users can only recommend a dual-core system based on the 945GM chipset if there are plenty of funds. Perhaps new laptops with AMD Turion 64 X2 processors will be the perfect solution.

New generation of "mobile" system logic Mobile Intel 945 Expressto work in conjunction with Intel Core Duo / Solo processors, replaced the Mobile Intel 915 Express series and was known during the development of the Napa platform under the working name Calistoga.

Currently, the family of new chipsets includes two versions of the northbridge - discrete Mobile Intel 945PM Expressand integrated Mobile Intel 945GM Express... Chipsets are equipped with a mobile version of the south bridge - ICH7-M, and are improved, modified cost-effective versions of the Intel 945G / P desktop chipsets introduced last May.

The new generation of mobile system logic features a power-optimized system bus operating at 667 MHz, PCI Express x16 bus support and up to 4GB of 2-channel DDR2 400/533/667 memory. Chipsets have power controls Intel Rapid Memory Power Managementto save power consumption of the chipset and DDR2 DIMMs by placing the memory in a low power state while keeping the display active.

Also worth mentioning is the technology support Intel Display Power Saving 2.0which reduces the power consumption of the display backlight with a minimum visual effect for the user, which allows to increase the battery life; technology Intel Automatic Display Brightness, automatically adjusting the display backlight intensity according to the ambient light level, technology Intel Matrix Storage with function Link Power Managementto improve performance, manage energy consumption, and protect information in storage subsystems.

Integrated into the Intel 945GM chipset, the graphics 4-pipe core Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 ( GMA 950) represents the Gen 3.5 generation of Intel graphics and supports DirectX 9. The clock speed of the GMA 950 chip has increased from 200 MHz in the Intel 915GM to 250 MHz in the Intel 945GM, plus hardware support for VLD / iDCT has appeared.

Additionally, I note the support of the technology Intermediate Zthat removes non-displayed polygons in 3D applications; full hardware MPEG-2 decoding (SD & HD); support for D-connectors of all types (D1-D5) and any TVs, including HDTV; adaptive line scan control, which eliminates some visual artifacts when watching terrestrial TV on progressive scan displays, as well as COPP / HDCP / CGMS-A technology, which allows you to view protected video of excellent quality while protecting the viewed content.

Along with the above, the Mobile Intel 945 Express chipset family supports 7.1-channel Intel High Definition Audio technology with 32-bit / 192 kHz resolution; up to eight USB 2.0 ports Available DMI (Direct Media Interface), LVDS interface, built-in TV-out, independent outputs for two displays (Dual Independent Display), support for drives with interface Serial ATA.

Budget versions of the Mobile Intel 945 Express series chipsets - Intel 945GMZ, Intel 945GMS and Intel 940GML - are expected to be introduced in the second quarter. Version Intel 945GMS interesting for its ultra-compact casing - only 27 x 27 mm, which determines its use in ultra-compact notebooks and mini-notebook class models. Chipset Intel 945GMZ is a stripped-down version of Intel 945GM, lacking support for an external PCI Express x16 bus. Finally, the chipset Intel 940GML with integrated graphics and FSB support of only 533 MHz, it is clearly designed to work with Celeron-class chips, but based on Yonah cores.

A few words about the future prospects for the development of mobile south bridges of the ICH7 series. All laptops, as mentioned above, will come with the standard ICH7-M series, while the Viiv desktop platform solutions will come with both the ICH7-M version and the ICH7-MDHwhich has additional support for six PCI Express x1 slots and RAID function. It is possible that RAID support will also be implemented in the Napa platform - say, in the second or third quarter of 2006.

Wi-Fi Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG

Next Generation Wireless LAN Adapter Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABGformerly under the working title Golan, supports advanced functionalities that improve the communication capabilities of application systems and reduce their response time. The adapter supports IEEE802.11a (5GHz / 54Mbps), IEEE802.11b (2.4GHz / 11Mbps) and IEEE802.11g (2.4GHz / 54Mbps) standards.

Key features of Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG include:

• Improved AP Selection function, which is an intelligent access point selection tool based on connection quality parameters such as signal strength, data rate, channel utilization and connection errors, and allows you to automatically select the access point that provides the best performance when using any of the supported protocols of the 802.11x family
• Flexible roaming - the ability to indicate the need to switch to using a particular access point For example, an access point with a higher connection speed can be selected if additional bandwidth is required when downloading large files, or with a higher signal level if a more stable connection is required (for example, during a game)
• Standard support 802.11e QoS - latest specification 802.11e, regulating the quality of service in wireless networks when transmitting content in real time, for example, when transmitting voice over IP networks ( VoIP) or watching streaming video over a wireless connection
• Software Intel PROSet / Wireless Software version 10provides a friendly graphical interface that simplifies the troubleshooting process
• Package Business Class Wireless Suiteenables new collaboration applications and enables the creation of high-performance wireless LANs
• Wake on Wireless Local Area Network ( WoWLAN) allows IT staff to wake up a client system from a low-power state when that system is connected to the same access point, and install a security-critical software update, and notify an incoming IP phone call even if the laptop is powered off
• Noise suppression filterdetects non-802.11 client signals (such as microwave ovens or cordless phones) and prevents the receiver from overloading to maintain high throughput in adverse conditions
• Support for specifications Cisco Compatible Extensions(LEAP, EAP-FAST and CKIP)
• Supported by operating systems Windows XP, Windows 2000, Linux

Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG Wi-Fi adapter is available in mini-card form factor for PCIe bus (PCI Express x1, 1/2 mPCI format), which allows you to create thin and light laptops. With the ability to use Intel PROSet / Wireless Software Release 10, enterprise customers can take advantage of the new IT administration tool and the 802.11e quality of service (QoS) API for IP telephony.

Intel Centrino Duo platform performance and economy

So, having examined in detail the components of the new Intel Centrino Duo platform, it's time to evaluate its capabilities. Unfortunately, at the moment our laboratory does not have the results of testing a real system based on the Napa platform, and we will have to limit ourselves to a few slides obtained as a result of testing systems by the Intel laboratory. It was on the basis of these charts that the official press release of the company announced "a performance increase of up to 68% due to the use of new 2-core processors, an extension of battery life up to 28%, and so on. Well, for now, only official data. but in the near future we will definitely please our readers with tests of real retail systems.

The finishing touch to Intel Centrino Duo Technology is a compilation of information about the power consumption of next-generation mobile components. According to preliminary information from Intel's OEM partners, the total power consumption of systems based on the Napa platform is lower than that of the previous generation Sonoma. Preliminary data on average (not peak, maximum, but average) power consumption of components of the Intel Core Duo platform is shown in the table below, where they can be compared with similar characteristics of the Sonoma platform.

Approximate energy consumption of elements Sonoma and Napa mobile platforms
		Sonoma	Napa
CPU		1.1 watts	1.1 watts
Chipset Northbridge	Integr. (GM)	1.5 watts	1 watt
	Discrete (PM)	1 watt	0.39W
South bridge		1.5 watts	0.6 watts
Wireless LAN		0.1W	0.055W
Total		4.2 watts	2.8 watts

Considering the similar average power consumption of the Core Duo and Dothan chips, notice how the power consumption of the Intel 945GM and Intel 945PM chipsets has decreased compared to the predecessors Intel 915GM and Intel 915M. As a result, with half the power consumption of the wireless adapter and southbridge, the average power consumption of the Napa platform components dropped to 2.8W versus 4.2W for Sonoma. Choosing a power-hungry display, storage, and other "power-hungry" laptop components will certainly allow developers to achieve new records in battery life for systems based on the Napa platform.

As a prime example of a model based on Intel Centrino Duo technology, I will cite the recently presented Dell Inspiron 9400 laptop, which will go on retail until the end of January. The new product is equipped with a Core Duo T2500 processor with a clock speed of 2 GHz, Intel 945PM Express, discrete graphics NVIDIA GeForce 7800 Go with 256 MB of graphics memory, 2 GB of RAM, 100 GB hard drive, and a luxurious 17-inch 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) screen ...

The package also includes a DVD ± R / RW writer, ExpressCard / 54 slot, SD, MMC, MS PRO, xD-Picture Card slots, six USB 2.0 ports, IEEE 1394 port, DVI out, and TV out, preinstalled with Windows XP Home Edition (SP2). The dimensions of the new items are 394 x 288 x 41.5 mm with a weight of 3.49 kg. For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that all the leading companies in the industry have noted the release of such products, so it will not be long to wait for new items on our counters.

Once again, I have to agree with the immortal Kozma Prutkov: "you cannot embrace the immensity." In addition to the most interesting details about the architecture of the Intel Centrino Duo technology components, such interesting details as, for example, the approximate specifications of the next generation of Intel's mobile platform - Santa Rosa based on Core Duo / Merom chips, Crestine chipsets and Gaston Wi-Fi modules - remain outside the scope of this material. With regret, we have to admit that an attempt to fit in this story the hardware and software details about a completely new direction for Intel platforms - MacBook Pro laptops and iMac desktops from Apple Computer based on Intel Core Duo processors, the material would grow to monstrous sizes.

Therefore - all the details and continuation - in the next series, where we will get acquainted with both new technical details of new platforms and the results of their practical tests.

Compared to the revolutionary changes in the capabilities of desktop platforms, which were provided by the release of Intel 915/925 Express chipsets, the emergence of a new line of i945 / 955 Express chipsets (as well as a slightly modified version of the latter - i975X) looks very modest. Small improvements affected, in fact, only support for b about higher interface speeds, while the main task of the new products is to provide the basis for the newly announced dual-core Intel processors and ATI CrossFire technology. This material contains only information about the functionality of the i945 / 955/975, and the performance tests, in which the i925X and i955X present their chipset generations, are in, since the testing was finished later.

Intel 955X / 945P / 945G Express

Like the first generation of the Intel Express series of chipsets, the new line is represented by three products: top-end (i955X - without integrated graphics, with reduced support for old solutions, with several features typical for high-performance systems), integrated (i945G) and basic (i945P) ... Let's start by seniority:

• Northbridge 955X:
  • support for Intel Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition processors with a system bus frequency of 800/1066 MHz;
• DMI bus (~ 2 GB / s bandwidth) to the ICH7 / R south bridge;
• ICH7 / R Southbridge:
  • up to 4 (for ICH7) / 6 (for ICH7R) PCIEx1 ports;
  • up to 6 PCI slots;
  • up to 2 devices (1 channel) ATA100;
  • up to 4 Serial ATA ports for 4 SATA300 devices (SATA II, second generation of the standard), with support for AHCI and functions like NCQ;
  • the possibility of organizing a RAID array of levels 0, 1, 0 + 1 (10) and 5 from SATA disks;
  • up to 8 USB 2.0 devices;
  • High Definition Audio (7.1) or AC "97-audio (7.1) and MC" 97-modem;
  • a special interface for connecting a proprietary 100-Mbps Intel 82562 series network controller;
  • strapping for low-speed and outdated peripherals, etc.

Since the south bridges are common for the entire family, we will restrict ourselves to the functionality of the i945G and i945P northbridge:

• Northbridge 945G:
  • graphical interface PCIEx16;
  • integrated graphics core GMA 950;
• Northbridge 945P:
  • supports Intel Celeron D, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition processors with 533/800/1066 MHz FSB *;
  • dual-channel DDR2-400 / 533/667 memory controller supporting up to 4 DIMMs without ECC for a total capacity of up to 4 GB;
  • graphical interface PCIEx16.

  * UPDATE: shortly after the release of processors on the Core 2 core, the information on the manufacturer's website (Intel) was updated, and the i945P / G chipsets retroactively received official support for Core 2 Duo processors (which de facto also means support for Core 2 Extreme / Quad and Celeron on the core Core 2).

Now, briefly on the characteristics, as well as the differences between the new chipsets from each other and competitors. i955X lacks support for "low-speed" processors (with 533 MHz bus) and memory (DDR2-400), while it supports more memory, ECC and proprietary memory acceleration technology (Memory Pipeline). i945G - the same i945P, only with integrated graphics. Compared to the previous Intel chipsets, support for DDR2-667 memory has been added (whether it is needed is a separate question) and 1066MHz bus frequency (though i925XE already has it).

None of this family of chipsets has the ability to "split" the graphic interface into 2 PCI Express ports, but the operation of two video cards in a pair (NVIDIA SLI / ATI CrossFire) is still possible. For this, the peripheral PCI Express ports of the south bridge are organizing a PCIEx4 port, to which the second PCIEx16 form factor slot on the motherboard is connected. However, NVIDIA does not allow organizing SLI on chipsets from other manufacturers, so, excluding the case of hacked drivers, Intel chipsets are limited to a couple of ATI video cards. But CrossFire is officially allowed only on i955X (of course, purely for marketing reasons), and mid-range chipsets for this technology are only "suitable" for ATI's own production.

The new line of south bridges is represented by only two models (last year's experiment with wireless support failed). ICH7 differs from ICH6 only b about higher speed of the Serial ATA interface - now 300 MB / s, as in the SATA-II standard, but without AHCI. The ICH7R version adds support for RAID for SATA hard drives, and this support is expanded compared to the ICH6R: now, in addition to RAID 0 and RAID 1, levels 0 + 1 (10) and 5 are available. In addition, the ICH7R version has been given 2 extra PCIEx1 ports. which can be useful considering the possibility of using 4 main ones for the PCIEx4 slot (which can be useful for combining two PCIE video cards in SLI).

Compared to solutions from competitors, the most interesting of which is NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition, i945 / 955 is inferior in the number of supported ATA devices (which is still important for many), USB ports, and has a not so successful SLI mode arrangement. The advantages are HDA support, integrated graphics in the i945G, more interesting RAID modes (with less flexibility in choosing devices for combining into a RAID array).

Intel 975X Express

At the end of 2005 Intel announced a new chipset, which can only be described as the i955X version. Indeed, absolutely all the characteristics of the i975X, except one, coincide with those of its predecessor:

• Northbridge 975X:
  • support for Intel Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D, Pentium Extreme Edition, Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors with a system bus frequency of 800/1066 MHz;
  • dual-channel DDR2-533 / 667 memory controller supporting up to 4 DIMM modules with a total capacity of up to 8 GB (modules with and without ECC can be used);
  • pCIEx16 graphic interface or 2 PCIEx8 graphic interfaces.

Moreover, the i975X does not cancel, but expands the capabilities of the i955X in the only non-coinciding point: the new chipset allows creating 2 graphics ports by "splitting" the original PCIEx16 graphics interface into two x8 ones. Of course, this is necessary, first and foremost, for faster CrossFire operation (well, there are still more free PCI Express ports in the south bridge). Otherwise, including the same supported south bridges - ICH7 / R, the chipsets are the same.

However, it should be noted that, due to the difference in terms of publication, i975X supports the new generation Intel Core 2 Duo / Extreme processors. From samog about Nothing depends on the chipset here, but official support for Core 2 was granted by marketers to only one top-end solution, just as the first quad-core processors should officially work only in motherboards based on i975X. Mainboards based on i955X are not compatible with processors of the new microarchitecture.

Specifications:

support for Core 2 Duo processors;

integrated graphics solution GMA 3000 (667 MHz);

800 and 533 MHz FSB,

support for dual channel DDR2-667 memory;

one PCI Express x16 and six PCI Express x1 ports;

Gigabit Ethernet networking solution;

high-quality audio solution Intel HD Audio;

six Serial ATA II ports (supports Intel Matrix Storage Technology).

The difference between i946GZ and G965 lies in the support of the latest DDR2-800 memory, the possibility of completing the new ICH8 (not ICH7) south bridge with a corresponding difference in the sets of integrated controllers and technologies, as well as the presence of a different graphics core - GMA X3000 (support for ClearVideo technology) and technology work with Intel Fast Memory Access memory.

i946PL

Difference from i946GZ: no integrated graphics core. Otherwise, all possibilities are the same.

Intel introduced budget modifications to the i945 chipset, which supports dual-core Pentium D processors.

Discrete 945PL features support for processors with FSB 800/533 MHz, has a dual-channel DDR2-533 / DDR-400 memory controller and a PCI-Express x16 graphics port.

Integrated 945GZ contains the Intel GMA 950 graphics core, supports processors with FSB 800/533 MHz, is equipped with a single channel DDR2-533 / DDR-400 memory controller, and does not have a PCI-Express x16 port.

Series 945/955 is built on a two-chip scheme: the chipset consists of two controllers - systemic (MCH) and peripheral (ICH) connected by a dedicated high-speed bus. This approach provides flexibility in motherboard design. 945 series chipsets use exactly the same bus (DMI - 2 Gb / s) as 915/925 chipsets, board manufacturers can create different combinations of MCH and ICH bridges.

The 945/955 chipsets support Intel dual-core processors. Previous chipsets are not compatible with them. The 945/955 chipsets officially support the 1066 MHz bus.

Northbridge MCH.

Memory controller practically unchanged compared to the 915/925 chipsets, but Intel completely abandons DDR support and adds a frequency of 667 MHz. As before, the memory controller supports two different modes of operation of the two memory channels - alternationwhen addresses are allocated in turn between both channels in 64-byte increments, and asymmetric modewhen the addressing of the second channel begins immediately after the first. The first mode provides speed and simultaneous access to both channels, the second provides complete flexibility. Now it is no longer necessary to fill both channels with the same modules - it is enough for the memory capacity in both channels to be the same (this rule must be observed only for the interleaving mode).

ICH South Bridge.

Received the serial number "7", supports the interface for hard drives Serial ATA with a bandwidth of 3 Gb / s (300 Mb / s).

Support RAID and all the features of Serial ATA (interface ACHI) is implemented only in ICH7R - a special version of the south bridge that will be installed only on expensive motherboards. Added to the list of RAID versions the modes Level 10 (combination of 0 and 1) and Level 5 (storage of information for checking and restoring integrity on a separate disk). Also ICH7R added two ports PCI Express x1 - now there are 6 of them.

Built in network Controller does not support gigabit networks, built-in wireless network or FireWire never appeared, compatibility with old codecs remains AC'97 along with HD Audio.

Integrated graphics

The integrated Intel GMA950 (945G) graphics are virtually unchanged from the previous generation GMA900 graphics. There is no hardware processing unit for vertex shaders and even T&L geometry, but there are 4 rendering pipelines and support for pixel shaders 2.0, plus the clock frequency has grown from 333 to 400 MHz, and the graphics core has been further optimized.

As before, when an external video card is inserted into the PCI Express slot, the integrated graphics are disabled. Their simultaneous work is impossible. However, with the help of a special ADD2 module, you can expand the capabilities of the built-in graphics - add outputs to TV and a digital output DVI. In this case, the operation of two independent screens is permissible, and now (a feature of the 945G) the “Dual Display Zoom” mode has been added - an increase in part of one screen on the other.

The 945 series features the 945P without integrated graphics and the 945G with integrated graphics.

The characteristics of the chipsets (in comparison with the 955 are as follows):

Characteristic
Memory channels	2, dual channel mode
Memory type	DDR2, 667/533/400
Slots / volume
ECC control
			No
Flex Memory
Graphics	No		Intel GMA 950	No
PCI-E x16	1
PCI-E x1
Storage devices	SATA II 4 ports, EIDE 1 port
Matrix storage	NCQ, RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
Scheme	82955X		82945G	82945P
I / O hub	ICH7 / ICH7R

Chipsets i945G / i945P

The integrated i945G chipset differs from the separate i945P only in the presence of the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 graphics core. Otherwise, both chipsets are identical. The new south bridge (IHC7R) received two additional PCIe 1x lanes (there are now 6 instead of 4); introduced support for SATA II instead of SATA (4 ports); the dual-channel memory bus has increased the bandwidth from 8.5 GB / s to 10 GB / s (support for FSB 1066 MHz); removed the ability to use DDR memory, only DDR2.

Intel 945G

Intel i945G chipset block diagram

Structurally, this is the same i945P, to which the GMA 950 graphics core was "glued". Therefore, if we do not take into account the integrated video, all the characteristics of the named chipsets are absolutely identical.

Comparative characteristics of chipsets with integrated graphics
Characteristic	Intel 945P Express	Intel 945G Express	NVIDIA GeForce 6100 + nForce 410/430	ATI Radeon Xpress 200G
North bridge
		Intel Celeron D, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition		AMD Opteron, Athlon 64 (FX / X2), Sempron
FSB, MHz
Memory controller		dual-channel DDR2-400 / 533/667 controller supporting up to 4 DIMMs with a total capacity of up to 4 GB
Graphical interface
GPU frequency
Pixel pipelines
Vertex processors
DirectX support
South bridge
PCI Express, lines	20/22 * PCI Express x1	20/22 * PCI Express x1	17 * PCI Express x1	22 ** PCI Express x1
PCI, lines
Parallel ATA, channels
SerialATA, ports	4 х 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	4 х 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	2/4 x 3 Gbit / s, NCQ	2/4 x 1.5 Gbit / s
RAID support		0, 1, 0 + 1 (10) and 5 from SATA drives	0, 1/ 0, 1, 0+1 (10), 5	0, 1 from SATA drives
USB 2.0 ports
Sound		Intel	High Definition Audio (7.1) or AC "97 (7.1)	High Definition Audio (7.1) or AC "97 (7.1)

* 16 lanes used by PCI Express x16 port

** 16 lanes are used by PCI Express x16 and 2 are used as a bus for connecting the north and south bridges.

The GMA 950 graphics core doubles the performance in 3DMark05 benchmarks of the previous Intel integrated solution - GMA 900 (i915G). It supports HDTV up to 1080i. Looking at the table, it is rather difficult to determine which IGP is stronger - GMA 950, Radeon Xpress 200G or GeForce 6100 On the one hand, the first two have a larger number of pixel pipelines: 4 versus 2, but, at the same time, no vertex pipelines, entrusting the task of calculating shaders to the central processor, while the brainchild of NVIDIA has one vertex unit. The Radeon Xpress 200G runs at a significantly lower frequency than the competition. On the other hand, the number of rendering lines, as well as the core frequency, are rather controversial criteria for evaluating the performance of an accelerator in 3D applications. Especially when comparing solutions from different developers. The GMA 950 and Radeon Xpress 200G support Shader Model 2.0 in hardware, while the GeForce 6100 also handles version 3.0.

GA-8I945GMH

GIGABYTE introduced the first motherboard for systems with Intel Viiv Technology. The model has been certified by Intel for compatibility with the Viiv platform.

Technical characteristics of GA-8I945GMH:

• Chipset: Intel 945G Express / ICH7-DH;
• Form Factor: Micro-ATX;
• Bus: PCI Express x16, PCI Express X1, two PCI;
• RAM: four slots for DDR2 667, up to 4 GB;
• Network: Intel Pro 1Gbps;
• Interfaces: four SATA II ports, one PATA, eight USB 2.0;
• Audio Codec: 8-channel Intel High Definition Audio.