Socket Adapter Brings Pentium M to Desktop

EconolineCrush writes "Intel's Pentium M processor is widely regarded as the company's most compelling chip, and although desktop versions of it won't be available until next year, a new adapter from Asus allows users to run a Pentium M on existing Socket 478 motherboards. When coupled with a compatible motherboard, the CT-479 adapter is much cheaper than existing Pentium M desktop platforms, and also offers better performance by allowing the processor access to dual-channel memory configurations. Considering the Pentium M's frugal power consumption and great clock-for-clock performance, this could be an interesting upgrade for those looking for a low-noise system."

Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[Sv-Manowar]

I've always wondered about the potential of today's mobile cpu's as quiet/silent & power efficient replacements for the current crop of desktop processors. It'll be interesting to see how Intel react to this, and if enough people make use of these adapters to noticably affect P-M sales. After reading articles about silent PC's, and the various steps/careful hardware choice required to create them, its only logical to move to components where the cooling & noise issues have already been considered in the component design.

Re:Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not just get a laptop?

If you need additional storage, TV tuners, etc. you can attach them via USB or firewire.

Re:Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[Sv-Manowar]

I use a Powerbook, and I'd pretty much suggest the same thing myself.. that most people looking for a quiet pc would be far better served with a laptop of some kind instead (not to mention the numerous benefits of laptops combined with wifi etc). However moving well-thought out, power conserving chips from the laptop to the desktop can only be a step forward for desktops in general, and a crucial change of direction from the bigger-is-better P4 Extreme Edition style upgrades that have been delivered in the last few years.

Review, Pentium M on desktop hardware

[MooseMuffin]

Over at Tom's from a few weeks ago. http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050525/index.htm l [tomshardware.com] Redundant yet?

Re:Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[syukton]

Laptop screens are not friendly to gaming.
Laptop RAM capabilities are usually limited at 1GB or 2GB.
Laptop CPUs cannot generally be upgraded.

Those are probably the big reasons.

How about a more scalable solution?

[NRAdude]

Does anyone know about those neat 386-based computer systems that install into your motherboard's unused DIMM sockets? Has anyone seen the Sun or Apple alternative x86 solution whereas a complete computer is assembled into a PCI adaptor form-factor and installed into a PCI slot to give access to a x86 nativity?

We need more of these solutions. Just for the utility of it, I want a computer for general purpose use; consider a Transmeta solution, and then have a Pentium M co-processor that I can enable or disable when I need it to boost an application, or even better a Hitachi SuperH 128bit solution for quicker and greater math precision. I'm waiting for the days to return when computers were modular, separate FPUs from the die core for example, like back in the late 80's when the manufacturer gave you the manual that has all the BIOS function calls and circuit schematic in such an open manner.

All I see today is a bunch of unnecessary IC bloat, taking advantage of increasing transistor efficieny to use more transistors and obtusely dissipate more heat with a design that is bigger than the previous. Is progress to obsolete computers or give what is needed? I would settle for a fab-shrunk 8-way computer based on the earlier technology because it worked. Where are all those great designs going to, or is it just a fighting statistic? How about a 386 PDA? Anyone seen one yet?

Fantastic! Power consumption saves the day

[lightyear4]

This is great..glad that Asus is keeping ahead of the game as always. I think I'll grab this simply for the great reduction in power consumption.

On a similar note, who remembers the OverDrive for your old 486?

Confused by story blurb...

[KenBot_314]

"although desktop versions of it won't be available until next year"

"the CT-479 adapter is much cheaper than existing Pentium M desktop platforms"

WTF?
Which is it?

Re:Northbridges...

[Quattro Vezina]

It seems nobody ever talks about the Northbridge, which, IMHO, will over-take the CPU, within a year, as the hottest component in a computer.

More like the northbridge will disappear in a year or two, at least on AMD platforms. AMD has already integrated the memory controller on-die, and there are rumours of Socket F including an one-die PCI-E controller.

What's left for a northbridge to do?

Re:Pentium M versus Athlon 64, poor comparison

[ciroknight]

Well I can assure you that the Pentium M wins. Need proof? Go read a laptop review, Turion 64 vs Pentium M. The Pentium M kills the Turion in heat production and battery life, but the Turion's better performance-wise, which is all that matters to a lot of people.

Why I'm answering this is that you're being very ignorant of the fact that the Pentium M, relatively unchanged, is the next Intel desktop CPU, therefore completely invalidating your statement that a Laptop CPU vs a Desktop CPU isn't fair, or irrelevant in any way. Simply put, the Pentium M is about to destroy the competition when it comes to IPC, the entire system around.

A Pentium M northbridge will use more power, this is obvious; it's got to deal with DDR2 memory, it's got to deal with PCI Express and all of these other controllers on the bus. AMD trying to stick all of these controllers on to the CPU is only relocating the heat, and at the cost to the consumer; now every time a bump in CPU speed comes about, I'm going to have to throw out my whole system.

AMD64's do a great job throttling, but I'm sorry to burst your bubble; Enhanced SpeedStep is far superior when paired up with software that can use it right. Fine-grained CPU speed speeds can drop the Pentium M to virtually no output, and it can still run a screensaver or two ;) (to me, this is amazing; my desktop computer's a dual proc Pentium 3 workstation from last century and it can barely run the screensavers that came with my linux distro).

Stop being ignorant. The competition's about to get red-hot again, and we're the ones who will benefit. Choosing sides too early's only going to cost you more money in the long run. And as I'm due for a new desktop very soon, I'm watching the playing field very, very closely.