Socket Adapter Brings Pentium M to Desktop

EconolineCrush writes "Intel's Pentium M processor is widely regarded as the company's most compelling chip, and although desktop versions of it won't be available until next year, a new adapter from Asus allows users to run a Pentium M on existing Socket 478 motherboards. When coupled with a compatible motherboard, the CT-479 adapter is much cheaper than existing Pentium M desktop platforms, and also offers better performance by allowing the processor access to dual-channel memory configurations. Considering the Pentium M's frugal power consumption and great clock-for-clock performance, this could be an interesting upgrade for those looking for a low-noise system."

Comments

Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[Sv-Manowar]

I've always wondered about the potential of today's mobile cpu's as quiet/silent & power efficient replacements for the current crop of desktop processors. It'll be interesting to see how Intel react to this, and if enough people make use of these adapters to noticably affect P-M sales. After reading articles about silent PC's, and the various steps/careful hardware choice required to create them, its only logical to move to components where the cooling & noise issues have already been considered in the component design.

Re:Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[Sv-Manowar]

I use a Powerbook, and I'd pretty much suggest the same thing myself.. that most people looking for a quiet pc would be far better served with a laptop of some kind instead (not to mention the numerous benefits of laptops combined with wifi etc). However moving well-thought out, power conserving chips from the laptop to the desktop can only be a step forward for desktops in general, and a crucial change of direction from the bigger-is-better P4 Extreme Edition style upgrades that have been delivered in the last few years.

Re:Next logical step for quiet PC's.

[syukton]

Laptop screens are not friendly to gaming.
Laptop RAM capabilities are usually limited at 1GB or 2GB.
Laptop CPUs cannot generally be upgraded.

Those are probably the big reasons.

Review, Pentium M on desktop hardware

[MooseMuffin]

Over at Tom's from a few weeks ago. http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050525/index.htm l Redundant yet?

How about a more scalable solution?

[NRAdude]

Does anyone know about those neat 386-based computer systems that install into your motherboard's unused DIMM sockets? Has anyone seen the Sun or Apple alternative x86 solution whereas a complete computer is assembled into a PCI adaptor form-factor and installed into a PCI slot to give access to a x86 nativity?

We need more of these solutions. Just for the utility of it, I want a computer for general purpose use; consider a Transmeta solution, and then have a Pentium M co-processor that I can enable or disable when I need it to boost an application, or even better a Hitachi SuperH 128bit solution for quicker and greater math precision. I'm waiting for the days to return when computers were modular, separate FPUs from the die core for example, like back in the late 80's when the manufacturer gave you the manual that has all the BIOS function calls and circuit schematic in such an open manner.

All I see today is a bunch of unnecessary IC bloat, taking advantage of increasing transistor efficieny to use more transistors and obtusely dissipate more heat with a design that is bigger than the previous. Is progress to obsolete computers or give what is needed? I would settle for a fab-shrunk 8-way computer based on the earlier technology because it worked. Where are all those great designs going to, or is it just a fighting statistic? How about a 386 PDA? Anyone seen one yet?