Asus & Merom?

Any news on when these two will get together?

 

I presume Asus will make an announcement regarding Merom based models shortly after Intel launches the chip next month.

 

There's no "getting together". Asus has been one of, if not the main ODM that intel develops with.... If Intel can get their stuff together, expect merom systems a month or two after Intel's "official release".... I don't know when that will be, but I do know that you can't trust Intel on release dates until a couple weeks from the actual release date.

 

Is it true that many Core Duo based notebooks will support Merom with a BIOS flash?

 

The initial Merom CPUs, yes. Next year we get new Merom's, along with a new mobo chipset (Santa Rosa) and I think a new socket... Yes, you heard me right. Intel. A new socket. In the same sentence...

Intel is aiming for an August release for Merom. Considering that Merom pre-production samples have been doing the rounds (along with brutal NDAs) and the fact that their server/workstation CPU launched on time last month means Intel may actually hit their release target.

 

No one really knows exactly what is going to happen. The common speculation so far is that it will work with a BIOS flash once updated. One of the test sites on the internet claims to have done a test to prove pin compatability, but the best thing at this point is to just wait another month until the new processors are released and the companies supply the answer, instead of more rumors and confusion.

 

Awww, but I LIKE rumours and confusion...

 

The most accurate story is that no one can actually tell you the truth because only Intel really knows at this point and again... you can't trust them with everything you have..... you have to doubt them until it happens. The cpus may work with no bios update, but when a cpu isn't even available for testing at the time of production, it's hard to sasy if the bios they created will work with it..... so a bios update would be likely and an easy thing to get..... especially when Asus is still making all of the same notebooks....... and they've got the same motherboards...... you could use the bios they're creating for the new models that will take those cpus.. So, it's likely they'll need a bios (although they may not even need that), but it's guarenteed there will be one available if it is needed because they'll have to make one if it doesn't work because they're using the same systems to put the cpu in......

... now, actual release is another story. Intel's release date is always the day the cpu's get released to the ODM's, or at least close to it... which is the dumbest thing ever. Asus needs to get out notebooks for the OEM's they build for before they get anything out for themselves...... so If Intel said the release date is 9/1 --- we'd see Asus notebooks slowly rolling in, with say a single model coming in by 10/7 or so and more after that...... but 12/1 before all models were updated (probably). It all depends.