Intel launches 8 mobile CPUs

In the past two months we published several stories, detailing Core i5-2450M, Core i3-2370M and B970 Sandy Bridge CPUs, spotted ahead of launch in specifications of Dell and Hewlett Packard notebooks. We also reported on a few mobile Celerons, that were going to replace older models, released in the middle of last year. Based on information at hand, we presumed that the launch of these processors would happen in December, but that turned out to be incorrect. The processors were introduced only this week. Yesterday Intel added specifications of new processors to the ARK product database, and all CPUs now have status as launched in the first quarter 2012. The company also posted details on previously unheard-of Pentium 977.

Seven out of 8 new CPUs are incremental upgrades of existing models. They come with increased by 100 MHz clock speeds, and, in the case of Core i5-2450M, with 100 MHz higher maximum Turbo Boost frequency. Eighth new processor, Mobile Celeron B815, operates at the same frequency as its predecessor Celeron B810, albeit it has higher maximum GPU frequency in turbo mode.

Single-core B720 and dual-core B815 operate at 1.7 GHz and 1.6 GHz respectively, and they are priced at $70 and $86. Both Celerons have 2 MB of last level cache, 35 Watt Thermal Design Power, and very basic set of features, including Virtualization.

Celeron 797 and 867 are ultra-low power chips that replace 787 and 857 SKUs. Intel 787 is a single-core processor with 1.4 GHz core frequency and 1.5 GB L3 cache, while the 867 is a dual-core CPU, running at 1.3 GHz and boasting 2 MB cache. The processors are expected to be 50% more expensive than mainstream B720 and B815 products.

Pentium 977 and B970 are dual-core parts with 2 MB L3 cache. The 977 is a 1.4 GHz ULV microprocessor with 17 Watt TDP, whereas B970 has faster 2.3 GHz operating frequency, and consequentially higher 35 Watt power envelope. These microprocessors superseded Pentium 967 and B960.

Successor to Intel i3-2350M, Core i3-2370M is clocked at 2.4 GHz. A few advantages of this part over mobile Pentiums are addition of HyperThreading technology, support for 256-bit AVX instructions, and increased to 3 MB size of L3 cache. The i3-2370M is a mainstream CPU with 35 Watt average maximum power dissipation.

Most powerful from newly released mobile products is Core i5-2450M. This dual-core model is a replacement for i5-2430M, that was introduced last October. The 2450M comes with 2.5 GHz core, and 3.1 GHz maximum Turbo Boost frequencies. Interesting enough, Intel product database states that this processor has $225 recommended price, which is identical to Core i3-2370M.

Specifications and prices of 8 new microprocessors are listed below:

Model	Cores	Threads	Frequency	Turbo Frequency	L3 cache	TDP	Price
Core i3-2370M	2	4	2.4 GHz	N/A	3 MB	35 Watt	$225
Core i5-2450M	2	4	2.5 GHz	3.1 GHz	3 MB	35 Watt	$225
Mobile Celeron 797	1	1	1.4 GHz	N/A	1.5 MB	17 Watt	$107
Mobile Celeron 867	2	2	1.3 GHz	N/A	2 MB	17 Watt	$134
Mobile Celeron B720	1	1	1.7 GHz	N/A	2 MB	35 Watt	$70
Mobile Celeron B815	2	2	1.6 GHz	N/A	2 MB	35 Watt	$86
Pentium 977	2	2	1.4 GHz	N/A	2 MB	17 Watt
Pentium B970	2	2	2.3 GHz	N/A	2 MB	35 Watt	$125