The ultraportable market is going to get a processor update thanks to Intel, as it appears that some new 32nm Arrandale CPUs will be coming on the market in the first half of 2010. These new CPUs will go under the Core i7 name and are made using the 32nm process. The three expected processors range from 1.06GHz (the Core i7-620UM and Core i7-520UM) to 1.2GHz (Core i7-640UM).
While the core speeds of the processors aren’t amazing, there are actually a few more features than you might think in these CPUs. The main processor packs two cores, and Intel have also managed to squeeze a graphics engine and memory controller onto the 32nm die. This should result in less power consumption overall and a cheaper laptop.
Intel hopes that because the processors are an all-in-one package, and that the price is cheaper – between US$305 and US$241 in thousand-unit trays – the overall price of an ultraportable should go down to around the US$600-800 mark. They also hope that the new Pine Trail platform, slated also for a first-half 2010 release, will keep the netbook price at around US$500.
Also, it looks like Intel will release some new 32nm processors (codenamed Clarkdale) into their Core i5 range, including the Core i5-670 and Core i5-661 which are set to cost between US$176-284 when bought in quantities of 1000 or more. Hopefully we’ll see some more info on these new processors closer to their release dates.
