Intel's Centrino and the Core 2 Duo processors work well in different ways. Developed exclusively for the mobile market, Centrino continues to stay ahead. Both of these CPUs have two cores on one physical package. However, there is confusion about Centrino's and Core 2 Duo's differences and common points.
Centrino
Centrino technology enables mobile processors to have the best efficiency and the best battery life. The Centrino technology is a collection of performance and power management technologies.
The Centrino processors follow a similar Intel naming convention. There is the Centrino processor, single core, optimized for the mobile market. Then there is the Centrino Duo that has two cores and still 32 bit. Finally, enter Centrino Pro and Centrino vPro, which are specifically Mobile Enterprise. The Centrino Pro and vPro incorporates Core 2 Duo technology and have 64 bit instruction sets.
Core 2 Duo
Core 2 Duo is the best selling chip right now. There are several dozen Core 2 Duo processors for laptops. These processors are not specifically mobile CPUs. Nevertheless, Core 2 Duo now has dominance in the mobile market, as well as deskop processors. The Core 2 Duo is available to a wider segment of machines needing processors. Processor speed for mobile chips ranges up to 3.06 GHz. The 2 Duo processors for the desktop have frequencies as high as 3.33 GHz.
Differences
When it comes to mobile processing, Centrino technology has a decided edge. Centrino technology was developed specifically for mobile applications. So the Centrino group is on the path of best practices to that goal. This is why the newest Centrinos have incorporated Core 2 Duo technologies.
The Core 2 Duo CPUs have not, as of yet, incorporated all that Centrino has to offer. The newest Centrino has Next-Gen Wireless-N. That is a wireless technology with up to 5 x faster performance and 2 x WiFi range. Additionally, Centrino-specific technologies are being ported to Core 2 Duo processors.
Common
The Centrino 2 actually has Core 2 Duo as a component. There are both 64-bit Centrino and Core 2 Duo processors. The Core 2 Duo used technologies that originated with Centrino. These technologies are being used on the desktop and mobile.
Significance
When you peep under the hood of the Centrino you'll find some engineering that Core 2 Duo does not have. The Centrino processor is quickly becoming the standard for mobile enterprise computing. But Core 2 Duo is not left in the dust. They ascend to the present level and beyond only with a concerted effort. The latest Centrino CPU has Core 2 Duo as a component.
Tags: Centrino Core, Centrino technology, Core processors, mobile market, Centrino Centrino