Intel's Arrandale Chips Will Power a Range of New Laptops

Santa Clara, California-based Intel, the world's leading chip maker, is expected to announce a series of new processors that will be part of the company's new CPU families, including the Core i7, Core i5 and Core i3. Part of the company's new line of CPUs will be Intel's Arrandale chips, which will be launched as highly integrated products that are expected to power a series of new portable computer systems. The chips will be the first of their kind, as they feature a dual-core processor with integrated graphics in the same chip package.

According to reports on the Internet, the new Arrandale processors will initially be made available under the Core i7 and Core i5 brands, using the chip maker's advanced 32nm technology. The new chips are expected to be integrated in some of the upcoming portable computer systems, consequently replacing the majority of today's Intel Core 2-powered laptops.

They are expected to become available in mainstream, low-voltage and ultra-low-voltage versions, which means that they will be powering a series of new, portable PCs, ranging from mainstream laptops to ultra-thin, ultraportable systems that could compete with systems like Apple's MacBook Air, or Dell's Adamo.

There are some drawbacks to Intel's new Arrandale processor design, as such an integrated chip can't provide the level of performance of traditional processors. These new processors are expected to offer the necessary performance for mainstream laptops and entry-level, portable PCs.

Intel is also expected to roll out its next-generation netbook platform, codenamed Pine Trail, which is due out in early 2010. These new processors will provide even a higher level of integration, enabling netbooks to consume less power and provide system builders with the means to create lower-profile systems.

Intel's first mobile Core i7 processors are due out in September or October, according to rumors on the Internet, coming in the form of the company's new quad-core models, codenamed Clarksfield.