pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

Illustrated Intel Pentium Tillamook CPU technology guide

Conspicuous by its absence from Intel’s launch of MMX at the beginning of 1997 was a 200MHz version of the Pentium MMX for notebooks. This omission was addressed before the year was out, however, with the announcement of its latest mobile processor codenamed Tillamook, after a small town in Oregon. The new processors were originally available at speeds of 200MHz and 233MHz – with a 266MHz version following early in 1998.

The Tillamook was one of the first processors to be built on an Intel-developed pop-out Mobile Module for notebooks, called MMO. The module held the processor, 512KB of secondary cache, a voltage regulator to buffer the processor from higher voltage components, a clock, and the new 430TX PCI Northbridge chipset. It was connected to the motherboard by a single array of 280 pins, similar to the Pentium II’s SEC cartridge.

On the chip itself, the biggest difference was in the 0.25-micron process: down from 0.35 microns in the older-style mobile Pentium chips, and much smaller than the 0.35-micron process used on desktop Pentiums. The lower micron value had a knock-on effect on the speed and the voltage.

As the transitions (the electrical pulses of ones and zeros) occurring on the processor are physically closer together, the speed is automatically increased. Intel claimed a performance increase of 30%. As the transitions are closer together, the voltage has to be reduced to avoid damage caused by a strong electrical field. Previous versions of the Intel mobile Pentium had 2.45V at the core but on Tillamook this was reduced to 1.8V. A voltage regulator was needed to protect the chip from the PCI bus and the memory bus, both of which ran at 3.3V.

The mobile 200MHz and 233MHz CPUs generated 3.4 watts and 3.9 watts TDP (thermal design power) typical respectively. These improvements represented nearly a 50% decrease in power consumption over the previous generation 166MHz mobile Pentium processor with MMX technology. This was just as well, as many of the notebooks using this chip were driving energy-sapping 13.3in and 14.1in screens intended for graphics-intensive applications. On the plus side, a lower voltage also meant lower heat emissions – a real problem with desktop chips.

The processor was sold to manufacturers either on its own in a Tape Carrier Package (TCP) format, or mounted on a Mobile Module (MMO). The module held the processor, 512KB of L2 cache, a VRM to buffer the processor from higher voltage components, a clock, and the new 430TX PCI Northbridge chipset. The module was connected to the motherboard by a single array of 280 pins, just as on the Pentium II’s SEC cartridge.

Tillamook

There were various reasons for putting the chip on a module. From an engineering point of view, it made it easier to combat the two main problems which arose in the area around the processor; namely heat and connections. The voltage regulator and the lower voltage of the chip helped dissipate the heat. A temperature sensor was located right by the processor, which triggered whatever heat dissipation method the manufacturer had built in. The 430TX chipset then bridged the gap between the processor and the other components, communicating with a second part of the chipset on the motherboard which controlled the memory bus and other controllers such as the graphics and audio chips.

Intel maintained that the MMO made life easier for the notebook OEMs, which could now devote more time to improving the other features of notebooks rather than having to spend too much R&D time and effort on making their systems compatible with each new processor. And, of course, as most processors required a new chipset to support their functionality, manufacturers were spared the dual problem of redesigning motherboards for the purpose and of holding obsolete stock when the new processors came in.

On the flipside, it neatly cut off the route for Intel’s competitors by forcing notebook OEMs to go with Intel’s proprietary slot. However, the much-vaunted idea that the module meant easy upgrading for the consumer was little more than wishful thinking. In practice, it was far more complicated than just opening up the back and slotting in a new SEC, as in a Pentium II desktop. Its size was also a downside. At 4in (101.6mm) L x 2.5in (63.5mm) W x 0.315in (8mm) H (0.39in or 10mm high at the connector), the module was too bulky to fit into the ultra-slim notebooks of the day.

January 1999 saw the family of mobile Pentium processors with MMX technology completed with the release of the 300MHz version.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: CPU Technology

Latest Articles

AI Technology is the Fascinating New Frontier of Digital Gaming Industry

The global gaming industry is growing at an unprecedented rate. It generated nearly $138 billion in revenue in 2018. There are a lot of reasons the market is booming. One of the biggest is the rapid progression in AI technology, which makes games better than ever. This past summer, Towards … [Read More...]

How Technology is Changing Healthcare

Have you ever stopped to think how technology has impacted your life? It impacts us in many different ways. One area where it really shines in in the healthcare industry. But, it isn’t just computers and gadgets that you see in the hospital. All of this ties together to make some pretty monumental … [Read More...]

CD-ROM Photo CD

Photo CD has been specified by Kodak and Philips based on the CD-i Bridge specification. It comprises the following: General Disc format including example of program area layout, index table, volume descriptor, data area, subcode Q-channel … [Read More...]

The Impact of Modern Technology on Relationships

Technology has changed dating in tremendous ways. It has gradually become more immersed in the modern quest for intimacy. In 1995, only 2% of … [Read More...]

Benefits of Instagram as a Powerful Marketing Tool for B2B Brands

The ever-growing popularity of the social networking app Instagram makes it a popular channel for businesses to launch their services, advertising, … [Read More...]

6 Simple Ways to Improve Security of Windows Computers

Millions of Windows PC users experience some form of cybercrime every year. According to one study, there were 2,953 reported cyberattacks between … [Read More...]

2021 PC Hardware Releases to Bolster Your Gaming

If you are a PC gamer, then chances are you are looking to upgrade your kit over the coming year. However, a lot of money can go into building the … [Read More...]

New Transfer Feature in Dropbox Enable Sharing files with Third Parties

Dropbox has been a popular P2P sharing platform for many years. They don't announce new features as often as other applications, since they have a … [Read More...]

Ransomware Operators Find Data Theft Profitable

How valuable is your data? That’s not a question that organizations or individuals have to ask themselves all that often. You might know the market … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

ADSL2 Speed and wiki – History of ADSL2

Even before designs based on the first generation standards (ITU G.992.1 and G.992.2) had been perfected, the ITU had been … [Read More...]

CD-ROM White Book

The White Book, finalised in 1993, defines the VideoCD specification and comprises: Disc format including use of tracks, … [Read More...]

Major Technology Trends for the New Year (Part 1)

The science fiction films of the last century imagined 2020 as a very distant future in which all kinds of unthinkable technologies would prevail. … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2021 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors