In addition to these changes, memory bandwidth has improved considerably over time thanks to newer chipsets. Finally, like the Turion 64, the newer Pentium M chips add support for the NX bit. While the first Pentium M processors had 1MB of L2 cache and ran on a 400MHz bus, newer examples such as the 760 have a giant 2MB of L2 and a 533MHz front-side bus. The Pentium M 760 is at the upper end of Intel’s mobile line, and is an example of how the Pentium M has evolved over time. This microATX motherboard is based on ATI’s Radeon Xpress 200M mobile chipset, and its integrated graphics should be similar to those on a Turion 64 laptop with the same chipset. The motherboard we’re using for Turion 64 testing is MSI’s RS482M-IL. The voltage scales from 1.0V at 800MHz to 1.35V at 2.4GHz. With PowerNow! enabled, the system will scale the processor’s operating frequency from 2.4GHz all the way down to 800MHz depending on CPU load. The ML-44 we’re testing today is AMD’s fastest model, featuring 1MB of L2 cache and a maximum operating frequency of 2.4GHz.
This product segmentation shows itself in the TDP-or thermal dissipation rating-of the two lines: The ML line of Turions has a TDP of 35W, while the MT line has a TDP of 25W. Additionally, although Turion 64s bear more than a passing resemblance to the Socket 754 Athlon 64, the Turion can operate at significantly lower voltages relative to desktop chips, which cuts down significantly on power consumption.įinally, AMD has segmented the Turion 64 into two model lines, one focusing on performance, the other on battery life. All Turions support AMD’s PowerNow! technology, which dynamically scales clock speed and voltage over a wide range in response to CPU loads. Turions also feature support for the NX bit, which can help prevent malicious exploits based on buffer overflows.īeing a mobile line, low power consumption is a key feature of the Turion 64. Depending on model, the Turion features either 512KB or 1MB of L2 cache. It has an on-die memory controller capable of addressing a single channel of DDR400 memory, as well as the ability to run 64-bit code-not even the new Core Duo can do that. On the surface, the Turion has much in common with Socket 754 Athlon 64 chips. The ML-44 is the latest addition to AMD’s Turion line of mobile processors. Instead these processors look more like an Athlon XP or an old-school Pentium III. The Turion 64 ML-44 (left) and Pentium M 760 (right)īeing mobile chips, neither the Pentium M 760 nor the Turion ML-44 has the protective “heatspreader” cap that’s become standard on desktop processors. We’ll start off with an up-close and personal view of the two contenders: With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at the two most widely available mobile processors today: the Pentium M versus the Turion 64.
Core Duo laptops are just starting to arrive on the market, although volumes are still somewhat limited. Intel’s recently announced Core Duo marks the beginning of a transition to multicore processors in the mobile space, and AMD has stated its intention to make a dual-core version of the Turion, as well. Well, we wanted to find out before the game changes again. AMD has done well with Opteron in servers and the Athlon 64 in desktops, but surely AMD’s K8-derived mobile competitor doesn’t match up with the likes of the Pentium M. The Pentium M’s power-saving features and performance per watt are the stuff of modern legend. We have been watching the mobile processor space for a while now with some interest, wondering whether the Turion 64 really matches up well against the Pentium M. The model we’ll be looking at today is the ML-44, a new chip with a 2.4GHz operating frequency and 1MB of L2 cache. The Turion 64’s attributes include an on-die memory controller, a 1GHz HyperTransport link, and of course the ability to run 64-bit code.
Near the top of the heap is the Pentium M 760, which features a 533MHz front-side bus, an operating frequency of 2.0GHz and a whopping 2MB of L2 cache.ĪMD’s answer to the Pentium M is the Turion 64, an Athlon 64-based design which rides in a 754-pin socket. In fact, the Pentium M has been doing so well that Intel’s desktop line will eventually be migrating to a processor based on a similar architecture. A LTHOUGH INTEL HAS BEEN STRUGGLING on the desktop front of late, things on the mobile side have been going just fine, thank you.
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