ZDNet UK / News and Analysis / Workspace IT / Processors

Hybrid Pentium 4 finds home in laptops

By Michael Kanellos, CNet, 1 October, 2002 08:50

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

Topics

Chip, Laptop, Intel, Pentium, Processor, 4c, Notebook

NEWS
It's not quite a notebook chip and not quite a desktop chip, but Intel's Pentium 4C processor is managing to establish an identity for itself in a small niche of the consumer notebook market. The 4C -- which is not listed on Intel's public price sheets but currently comes in notebooks from Hewlett-Packard -- appears to be geared toward weaning notebook manufacturers away from the money-saving strategy of putting desktop Pentium 4 chips into portables, analysts said. The chip consumes less power than a standard desktop processor, making it more notebooklike, but it doesn't come with all the features found in the Pentium 4M line, Intel's family of mobile chips. "It creates a middle price point in there (for manufacturers and consumers)," said Stephen Baker, an analyst at NPD Techworld. Since the beginning of the year, major PC makers such as Toshiba and Gateway have come out with notebooks featuring Intel's desktop Pentium 4. While, at 3kg to 3.6kg, these notebooks often tip the portability scale, and while they also drain a battery fairly rapidly, they can sell for hundreds of dollars less than notebooks equipped with a standard mobile chip. Consumers have overlooked their shortcomings and embraced the so-called "desknotes." In a year when desktop sales are declining, notebook shipments continue to grow. Part of the cost difference comes in the chip price. A 2.2GHz Pentium 4M costs $562 (about £350), $369 more than the 2.2GHz Pentium 4 for desktops. The Pentium 4C does not come with SpeedStep, an energy-saving technology found on the Pentium 4M, and other features, an Intel representative said. SpeedStep enables the 4M to cut down on energy consumption by reducing its clock speed when running on battery power. The Pentium 4C, however, does come in the same type of metal and plastic packaging used by the mobile chip -- and different from that of the regular desktop Pentium 4. That means the 4C can be used with the same kind of motherboard that's used with the mobile processor. The 4C also uses less energy than its desktop brethren. The chip is offered at speeds of 1.4GHz, 1.5GHz and 1.6GHz, the representative said, adding that it's only available by special order and has largely been discontinued. Still, a number of HP Pavilion notebooks on the market today contain a "C" class chip, such as the company's ZT1270 and the XZ355 models. Technically, the 4C is actually a desktop part, according to a source in the PC industry. Unlike their notebook counterparts, which can run on 30 watts of power, Pentium 4 chips typically require 55 to 60 watts. That saps battery life if the chips are used in laptops. Pentium 4s also generate a substantial amount of heat, which forces engineers to surround them with fans and other insulating components, adding bulk to notebooks. A small percentage of desktop chips, however, can run on 45 watts, closer to the 30 to 35 watts required by the mobile Pentium 4. Intel packages these more energy-efficient desktop chips under the "C" designation. Although often used in notebooks, the chip has also found its way into some small desktops, the source said. The proliferation of different types of chips can complicate the shopping process. In total, HP sells notebooks with five different types of chips -- Pentium 4 desktop, Pentium 4M, Pentium 4C, Celeron, and AMD Athlon -- through its Compaq and HP lines.
See Chips Central for the latest headlines on processors and semiconductors. To find out more about the computers and hardware that these chips are being used in, see ZDNet UK's Hardware News Section. Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the Chips Central Forum. Let the Chips Central editor know what you think by email. And sign up for the weekly Chips Central newsletter.

Related stories

Intel chip boosts notebooks over 2GHz

Intel unveils Pentium 4 chips, trims prices

Compaq notebook packs desktop power

AMD looks to ARM itself for low-power tablets

Apple tops list of semiconductor buyers

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

6 minutes ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

53 minutes ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
bdantas

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

2 hours ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

2 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

2 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

3 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

3 hours ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?
BugStalker

"Interesting thought ... If you installed Win7 as a dual boot on a machine that previously only had Linux, and it wrecked your Linux installation,...

3 hours ago by BugStalker on Windows 7 Declares War on GRUB
whs001

This is an excellent summary of Ubuntu and Mint and the interface differences between them. Most such articles take a very partisan position for...

4 hours ago by whs001 on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Moley

@ewallace. Not so clear. Anyone can obtain the text, for example from here http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2379. I support ACTA so long as it and...

4 hours ago by Moley on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
45283

I think WinRT is fantastic. I just wish it was an option for people that didn't want to go through Microsoft's App Store with its attendant...

7 hours ago by 45283 on Why Windows 8 needs architectural hygiene for WOA
Burn-IT

Nine people? £30m? Who's back pocket is that lot going in? And IF they say it is for new buildings, what about all the ones the government has...

8 hours ago by Burn-IT on Police set to launch three £30m e-crime hubs
ewallace

Just to be clear, nobody knows what is in the text of ACTA, here is a photograph of the text of ACTA http://twitpic.com/8h9iju as submitted to the...

8 hours ago by ewallace on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
fgvrg56

Unfortunately main issue is that ASUS is refusing to accept that they make some mistake on this version of asus Transformer prime. 1 - GPS sensor...

9 hours ago by fgvrg56 on Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Wi-Fi & GPS problems?
Ben Woods

@Marcus A fair question. Just talked with Archos which said it was working on an announcement for next week....

10 hours ago by Ben Woods on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
Marcus Karlsson

Any update on this, considering the claimed "first week of February"?

12 hours ago by Marcus Karlsson via Facebook on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
apexwm

Bill Goodrich : Just as al_langevin pointed out, with Windows Server 2008 there is no Services for Macintosh anymore. It's gone, not available....

20 hours ago by apexwm on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility
txtrainguy

Replying to an old topic that I'm currently facing with my CEO (who is on a Mac). Our servers are primarily Windows Servers, office is about...

1 day ago by txtrainguy on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility
k0tcs3

Sure, that makes perfect sense. Pay wrong-doers money and thank them for breaching your security and pointing out your flaws, that would surely...

1 day ago by k0tcs3 on US indicts Romanian over NASA climate change hack
Random_Error

I think he's referring specifically to Android apps, as Apple do regulate their App Store, but Google seem to let any old crap onto the Android store!

1 day ago by Random_Error on RIM: BlackBerry will keep 'garbage' apps out of store

Latest in Processors

AMD looks to ARM itself for low-power tablets

Apple tops list of semiconductor buyers

Featured white papers

Tech breakthroughs to watch in 2012

ZDNet UK

Tech breakthroughs to watch in 2012

From invisibility cloaks to virtual atom smashing, from Cern to Nasa, this ZDNet UK guide presents the discoveries to watch in... Read more

10 must-read silicon.com Cheat Sheets

silicon.com

10 must-read silicon.com Cheat Sheets

This exclusive e-book covers 10 of the most important issues facing business and technology professionals today, from cloud computing to... Read more

The virtual presenter's handbook

Citrix Online

The virtual presenter's handbook

Web seminars or webinars can be interactive and engaging, just like having every person in the same room, and this white paper outlines how they can benefit your... Read more

Inside ZDNet UK

A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

2012 Predictions: VCE FastPath, VI SAN Probe & Hadoop

2012 Predictions: VCE FastPath, VI SAN Probe & Hadoop

BlackBerry Bold 9790

BlackBerry Bold 9790

Case study: How cloud enables growth

Case study: How cloud enables growth

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

Toshiba Portégé Z830-10P Review

Toshiba Portégé Z830-10P Review

BT's archive: Pictures from the vault

BT's archive: Pictures from the vault