Intel Turbo Memory- is Lenovo the only one offering it?

I was checking out some of the new ThinkPads on Lenovo's website and noticed that some of the new models offer a 2GB Intel Turbo Memory option.

I remember hearing a lot of hype about Intel Turbo Memory (originally in 512mb or 1GB varieties, if I'm not mistaken). I know HP declined to offer it because their evaluation determined that it was basically useless. Independent test results varied, but at best the performance enhancements were sporadic and generally insignificant.

Is the newest version, Intel Turbo Memory 2.0, more of the same or does it actually improve system and/or specific application performance? Does anyone other than Lenovo offer it?

What about ReadyBoost? It was supposed to be one of the coolest features of Vista, but the test results showed it to only be marginally effective in many situations. I haven't read/heard it mentioned in a year or so....much ado about nothing?

 

HP got it right :wink:

 

I was thinking the same thing. When I ordered my ThinkPad several months back, I made certain to NOT check the box for the 1GB Intel Turbo Memory.

Intel Turbo Memory only works....er, functions....with Windows Vista operating systems. Oddly enough, Lenovo would allow it (Intel Turbo Memory) to be selected even if XP Professional was the O/S selected.

Then again, its effectiveness is much the same in XP (where it's inoperable)....which it to say, NOTHING! =)

 

I heard the second generation (the one being sold on new laptops) was suppost to be much improved and would be worth keeping on if you had it. Since the laptops came out I havn't heard anything.

The technology itself isn't really required so it will need a lot of popularity before anyone bothers to make use of it (Vista).

 

From initial impressions, Robson II seems to be a lot more useful than the original Turbo Memory, as it offers user pinning. 2GB of usable pretty much SSD space sounds useful to me, as long as you don't mind paying the $45 extra.

 

I have this feeling that turbo memory never delivered mostly due to poor drivers and support. Only just now with PV 1.7 has Intel released a good stable driver. I hope some good testing with data will be done to see if it has any improvement now (even turbo memory 1.0 might be more effective now that a good driver has been released). But hardware wise turbo memory 2.0 is SUPPOSED to have faster NAND memory on it, but after scouring the net and Intel.com I cannot find any datasheets or official specs. All the documents on Intel's site don't even distinguish between turbo memory 1.0 or 2.0.

 

If Intel isn't going to at least start doing some PR on behalf of the 2.0 version, or even document it's existence on their website, then it is certainly doomed.

Maybe some of the sharp fellows that do conduct some of the tests and reviews on here will arrange to test the newest iteration(s) of Intel Turbo Memory. Perhaps a comparison of the 2.0 version now available in addition to the original 1GB module with the newest drivers available.

It was and is a cool idea, but the first go-round it truly was "much ado about nothing."

What about ReadyBoost- does anyone ever use it or see anyone else using it???

 

Turbo memory is described in the service manual for the Dell Latitude E6400 although it is not currently offered as a configuration option. I think there are two basic requirements: BIOS support and a spare slot.

John

 

lenovo is not the only one...
AW and Sager are offering it currently.
AW is at 1G and Sager at 2G.

 

I hadn't even heard of AW before, I had to google it. But if they're offering the 1gb still then that is ITM 1.0 rather than 2.0. I know Lenovo continuously offered 1.0 throughout its products lifecycle. Dell offered ITM 1.0 at the start, then stopped offering it only a few months after it debuted its Santa Rosa offerings. I think some other laptop manufacturers did the same but I can't recall who I'm thinking about off the top of my head. I remember my initial opinion about HP and Sony and others who didn't offer it was just that their notebook designs only had one mini PCIe slot thus making it not practical to use an ITM module since then it would take up the slot for a wifi module. I figured this because the other laptops that did offer ITM (Lenovo, Dell Latitude/Precision) had two miniPCIe slots in their design.

 

Robson memory is not an effective means of increasing performance; just your price tag. For further reference,

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3737956#post3737956

 

Turbo Memory 2 might work significantly better. We've seen some new driver releases and features. See this.

John