ULV, does not mean thin?
In fact, Intel is only responsible for production of CPU, the application of the ULV CPU is no longer being clearly defined limits, although designed to be battery life. But in fact, ULV CPU is generally regarded as Atom access to this and fill the gap between the conventional laptop products, representing thin this. Since the AMD Yukon / Congo platforms appear, Intel side of Atom respond to a bit stretched, ULV CPU can actually fill this gap.
Currently ULV notebook mainly defined in the range of 11 to 14 inches or so of “thin”, these just filled up the Internet and laptops in this gap between the products. In fact do? Indeed, the low TDP to bring low power and low heat, to a certain extent, can save a notebook inside the design space. The problem is, ULV Core volume, Acer Aspire Timeline 5810T batteryand mobility is the same, the chipset is the same, in CPU and chipset size issue, there is little space-saving value.
Along with technological development, technological advances, cost reductions. 1 year ago in this 13-inch notebook with a NV / ATI graphics core (including the remarkable and unique set of obvious) and also very little, but now everywhere, indicating the progress on the technical process. Apple’s 13.3-inch book, almost all of the set, which NV is used, CPU, but with the P7450 and the like grades; and VAIO 13.3-inch SONY currently using ATI 4570 alone most significant, CPU use P8700, P8800 range. ASUS, Toshiba, DELL and so on in order to price Apple A1280 battery the brand is also known for a variety of unique 13.3-inch this remarkable book, many have used T series CPU.
Therefore, from the performance / volume ratio point of view, ULV CPU, and 13.3 of this little routine of this comparative advantage, easily a T series CPU’s performance more than ULV CPU, after all, the obvious difference in frequency that lies the. ULV of the left, only about a long life.
Compare Jingdong two notebooks. Take a look at DELL’s Inspiron 1320-201,Apple A1281 battery ATI 4330 graphics card, T4300 CPU (2.1GHz frequency), nominal battery life 2 to 5 hours, nominal size: 322 × 218 × 27 ~ 31mm, nominal weight of 1.8kg . Year Inspiron 13Z-102, which is a ULV this, the other configuration is basically the same, CPU replaced by SU7300 (1.3GHz frequency), battery life 11 hours nominal, nominal size: 340 × 242.5 × 20.8 ~ 32.3mm, standard the weight of 2.01kg.
Can be pointed out that despite the 13Z-102 a little thinner, but the length and width and even increased. Coupled with 8-cell battery, thickness and weight and even more than 1320-201. So, if the data is not a nominal Jingdong an error, DELL laptop this ULV and conventional compared to the present, really is the only the advantages of long life, Apple MacBook 13″ A1278 battery volume weight account for less than what is really cheap. While the performance gap between the T4300 and SU7300, but clearly indicating where the.
Therefore, ULV order to thin and light notebook, you have to give up a big heavy battery; you want life, we can not take the thin line, they are also facing a “Brokeback” situation. After all, CPU and chipset size, just a low-heat on low TDP from the design to save space. Moreover, ULV this is not so cheap, more often than similarly configured notebooks routine is even more expensive, such as the Inspiron 13Z-102 in Jingdong price of 5799 yuan, while the 1320-201 as long as 4399 yuan.
The reason is obvious, Atom is designed for CPU, architecture and Core 2 is completely different interfaces are not the same chipset is not entirely universal, Atom N270 design TDP only 2W, single-core ULV CPY of 5.5W can not compare. In size and heat on, Atom is hammered, because it is uniquely developed products, but also much smaller than the ULV CPU, and now a third-party vendors such as the ION platform that could have been related to a small HTPC box to do some palm . Broadly speaking, in the thin and light on this issue, Atom hammered,Apple MacBook 13″ MB466X/A battery because the current ULV This product is concentrated in the 11.1,11.6,13.3,14 in such areas, Internet is 8 inches of this are found. (This article only talk about “this”, for example UX490N so used ULV CPU is not the scope of the UMPC)
In 11.6 this stage, the current access to this and ULV This product has, from the volume weight / battery life, the really is unique styles. On the current battery technology seems to be viable, certainly with a large-capacity battery. Take a look at Acer’s AS1810TZ-412G25MN, nominal size 285 × 204 × 22.1 ~ 30mm, weight 1.4kg, Battery life 8 hours; is also a Acer Aspire AO751H, 11.6 of the Internet book, nominal size of 284 × 198 × 25.4mm, weight 1.25kg, measured battery life 4 hours. Such indicators, ULV this performance will be better than Apple MacBook Pro 15″ A1286 battery the Internet to this point, had, indeed, there is a certain competitive edge. However, the Internet has a price advantage of this, AS1810TZ-412G25MN Jingdong price of 4299 yuan, while the Aspire AO751H Jinshou 2999 yuan.
In addition, ULV this and the Internet have a 11.1-inch of the products, such as SONY 11.1 of the Internet in this VPCX118LC / N, Z540 CPU, nominal size 278 × 185 × 13.9mm, weight less than 1kg – Nominal 0.76kg, price for 9699 yuan; the same SONY’s ULV this VGN-TT45G, SU9400 CPU, the nominal size of 279.8 × 199.8 × 23.5 ~ 30.7mm, the weight of nominal 1.25kg, some do not use large battery, nominal endurance is only 3.5 hours, price is down of 12,999 yuan. In comparison, ULV this about only a modicum of performance advantages, the price even higher.
Further down, 10-inch on the Internet in this overwhelming, and prices generally in 2000 ~ 3000 yuan, Apple MB771 battey 5-6 hour battery life, there are also many. And then down 8.9 inches, 8 inches, is currently few products to compare well-known, such as SONY pocket VGN-P35J / R, to achieve a 245 × 120 × 19.8mm, weighs just 0.617kg, this price a little high; Fujitsu has a section 8.9-inch M1010A, battery life, 4 hours, price 2699, but also not bad.
Overall, due to inherent size, power consumption and many other reasons, ULV this can not be with the Atom Qupin the overall thin and battery life, and the price is not dominant. Although the performance has some advantages, but there are still ION platform for Atom help, the gap will not be too far away.
Underachievement, specializing in battery life?
We can sum up, ULV CPU is not specifically for thin and light in this re-development of the product, the original development of mind, that is a low TDP Mobile Core Duo, with large battery to provide long life. However, in practical applications, because the low-power, low heat, space savings can be made at present 11.1 to 14 inches ULV products. Therefore, ULV some users this has been seen as a kind of thin this. While this is also true, but it can also be made aware of SL9600 thin this 13.3, such as the MacBook Air.
Therefore, ULV CPU is actually SL version of the lower-voltage version, called “ultra-low voltage” is very appropriate, its real advantage is that can provide longer battery life.
But, as we earlier analysis, the current ULV this price make this product and conventional notebooks, the Internet has no advantage compared with the present. Start with people were accustomed to price factor, or take Jingdong For example, enter the following 3999 yuan terms, an independent graphics card, immediately appeared a bunch of optional notebook. For example, Lenovo’s 14.1-inch L3000 G430A-TFO, T4200CPU, NV 9300M alone significantly, the price 3599 yuan; Acer 14-inch AS4736ZG-421G25MN, T4200 CPU, G105M alone significantly, the price the same 3599 yuan.
If you do not pay attention to battery life, these notebooks a lot higher performance than the ULV this, while the ULV this price is higher! For example, Acer AS1810TZ-412G25MN, previously referred to is 4299 yuan, up by ULV this more than the price of the universal in the 4K. Even the MSI EX300’s 13.3-inch products there, T4200 + HD3450 configurations, price is only 3466, very cost-effective. Just look at cost-effective, ULV present in the 13.3 to 14 inches of this interval, compared to traditional notebooks account for less than any cheap, are so-called high fragmentation. Let’s look at the following range of 11.6, only 11.6 inches of view, ULV can be done in this volume, weight, battery life is good, but they do not have good prices; 11.1-inch ULV this little, and goes Apple MacBook 13″ MB467CH/A battery on the Internet is totally dominated by the , it can be described as a low not to.
So, that ULV is a rather awkward position of the product, seems inappropriate, it should be that it is targeting some specific needs of users, such as frequent need to travel more than 12 hours for international flights, but also on the plane to use computers and the Internet this has feel that the low performance of the user. Battery life is after all obvious advantages, although I believe that access to this with great battery life more. Or, since manufacturers can more easily make a Macbook Air as the product is estimated period of time, using ULV CPU design similar to the Macbook Air notebook will be more.
Looking to the future, ULV CPU, and who will swallow the Atom
The demand from the market point of view, light weight, long life notebook products, an important development direction of the portable applications, the only cell phone, MID and other products was able to set out some of the market, but there are still some things that must be computer Walsh said. Apple MacBook 13″ Aluminum Unibody Series(2008 Version) battery The author believes that the current ULV this is just a compromise interim products, before the advent of further revolutionary product, the actual value of relatively limited.
In the long run, Atom products is the real direction of development. So the next ULV CPU are Atom is not possible to achieve that kind of TDP and size it? On the current technology, it seems that it is relatively difficult. Because for the modern X86 processors, the chaos-order execution (Out of Order) is an effective performance methods, chaos-order execution has a higher efficiency in the implementation, but the need for more transistors and higher power consumption as the price. The Atom uses very different order of implementation of the (in-order execution) architecture, so power consumption and volume, can do the kind of level. Therefore, from the architecture perspective, ULV CPU is out of order implementation of the mobile Core Duo complement, it is impossible to achieve that level of Atom. Despite the extreme cases, the implementation of the efficiency of the order of only one-fifth of out of order, but it can be a number of other technologies to enhance and make up for performance. Therefore, even if in the future ULV CPU TDP can be done even lower, the volume can no longer become smaller; and Atom performance space, is still not small, after all, is a new framework for product,Apple MacBook 13″ MB467CH/A battery market hot, Intel significantly improve the product momentum.
Therefore, ULV notebooks will continue in a more specific areas, such as long life as a laptop or Macbook Air products. The Atom’s future brighter, the current rumor is even possible to enter the mobile phone market in 2010, if there is breakthrough technology, ULV CPU might would be “eaten” and is not impossible.