ED#65 : Intel Penryn Will Not Run On The Santa Rosa Platform

Here's an odd piece of information we obtained on the upcoming 45nm Intel Penryn mobile processors. According to our source, the Intel Penryn processors (Core 2 Duo T9000 and T8000 series) will NOT be able to run on the current Santa Rosa platform, which uses the Mobile Intel GM/PM965 chipset.

Intel's original roadmap showed that the 45nm Intel Penryn processors will be used in what is known internally as the Santa Rosa refresh - essentially plugging the new 45nm Core 2 processors onto an Intel Mobile GM/PM965 motherboard. However, our sources says that is not likely to happen for two reasons.

First of all, it is rumoured that the Intel GM/PM965 chipset does not conform to the new VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) specifications. Intel has apparently decided as well that it does not make marketing sense to introduce a Santa Rosa refresh in Q1'08 when the next-generation Cantiga chipset will be released just 3 months later.

However, our source says that ODMs like Dell and HP can still deliver new notebooks based on the 45nm Intel Penryn mobile processors using the current Intel GM/PM965 chipsets. They just need to make modify the VRM to meet the new specifications.

Intel, on the other hand, will be focusing on the Cantiga chipset which is slated for a Q2'08 launch. The Cantiga will be the replacement for the current GM/PM965 chipset. Paired with the 45nm Intel Penryn processors, it will allow notebook manufacturers to deliver a new Intel Centrino platform (codenamed Montevina).

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