Merom

If I'm not mistaken a current T60 dual-core "Core Duo" is a Yonah CPU.

Has anybody heard when that dual-core offering will be replaced by the "Core 2 Duo" Merom (which apparently, unlike Yonah, supports EM64T (Intel x86-64 extensions))?

Thanks.

 

A search on memron instead of merom might help you.

EDIT: Sorry, didn't realize I was in the IBM forum and your post was specific to IBM laptops.

 

The Core Duo was released in January. The T60 was released in Feb, but didn't start to ship in greater numbers until May.

 

Core 2 Duo uses the same socket as Core Duo, so personally i believe the T61 won't take as long as T 60 did. lenovo may want to pair it up with vista as well. so wait until the end of this year.

 

I think it's merom not memrom.

 

Thanks - actually it is MEROM as the OP stated - http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2/index.htm

(Although I think if you do a search, you will find more hits for Memron, even though it's incorrect.

 

Yep!
All the design for the Pentium-M and its notebook derivatives (including Yonah and Merom...and quite possibly Conroe and Woodcrest as well, though I can't get any definite info on them right now) is done in Israel. As it happens, Conroe and Woodcrest are both American cities with Intel development (for desktop- Conroe, for workstation- Woodcrest). Merom refers to the place where it was designed; it has nothing to do with "Celeron" (which I have to assume is where "Memron" came from).

Incidentally, Yonah is the Hebrew for "Jonah," as in "and the whale." I'm not entirely sure what possessed them to do that, but that's what the origin of the name is.

 

Thanks all.

I have another question. Can a mobile CPU be pulled and replaced with a physically and electronically compatible upgrade chip, like a desktop machine--i.e., without prohibitively dismantling a notebook chassis and cutting and resoldering a new CPU onto the mobile board? Are mobile CPUs replaceable now, like mobile HDs have always been? If so the Merom would be compatible with the 945 chipset with a BIOS upgrade (if ThinkPads use the 945).

Everybody knows what I'm getting at: the buzz online this week now is that Meroms are getting introduced in August, Vista be damned. (Although I like the Vista hypothesis posted here.) I just don't want to buy a new T60 only to find I can't use it for 64-bit processing over the next 10 years.

My mind would be eased on a T60 purchase in the next month or so somewhat if I knew whether a relatively hassle-free CPU upgrade is possible.

But if even an August release means they don't make it into ThinkPads until the end of the year, then I'll probably just get a T60 now anyway, upgrade feasibility or no.

It's kind of annoying that they're still not putting AMD chips in these things. There have been mobile 64-bit dual cores available for half a year that they could have stuck in these. I sometimes wonder whether the satisfying fit-and-finish and cigar box shape and relief IBM-blue Enter key are worth it? The TrackPoint was licensed to a few other vendors, and at least one of them may be selling AMD in a case that doesn't look like Star Trek Deep Space Nine like Dells do.

 

The Meroms should be hypothetically compatible, though some have reported a possible need for a BIOS upgrade, so it really is up in the air.

As for AMD chips- honestly, pound for pound, they're not up to the Yonahs. Not even up to the late-model Pentium-Ms in battery life, for that matter. The only reason to go with them is 64-bit, and seeing as XP 64 and Vista 64 both kill 16 bit compatibility (i.e. most stuff that's Windows 95+, as opposed to 2k and XP only) and have a lot more trouble with drivers and software than their 32-bit counterparts, 64 bits will probably not be taken advantage of fully for at least 2 more years.

 

Maybe a Turion isn't the answer.

 

Depends what you want it for. I'm quite happy with it, but admit the Core Duo is a faster and smoother chip.

 

Typically yes, although you can buy (cheap) desktops with embedded processors so there is no gurantee that a laptop will not have one.

Also, as you said, you would need a BIOS upgrade for it to work properly, and no way to know if Lenovo will offer one.

 

Mac Mini's have been found to be fully compatible with engineering sample early release Merom's, so I don't think it will be any issues getting it to work in the average notebook.