With the desktop PC market heading toward SFF (small form factor), Intel plans to shrink down its Penryn processors to support smaller designs, according to sources at motherboard makers. Penryn will have two versions for its BGA packaging, LV and ULV, which will see die sizes shrink from the 35mm squared of previous Merom processors to 22mm squared. This will assist SFF products in becoming even smaller, the sources explained. Penryn will launch first as a 35mm square SV version in the second quarter of 2008, the sources added, while the LV and ULV are scheduled for the second half.
Intel will launch its next generation Centrino platform, Montevina, in the second quarter of 2008. The platform will consist of 45nm Penryn processors, Cantiga GM/PM northbridge chipsets, and the ICH9M southbridge. The platform will also support the Wi-Fi/WiMAX wireless module codenamed Echo Peak, and the 802.11n wireless module codenamed Shirley Peak. Chipsets will support DDR2/DDR3 memory and the graphics engine will have built-in DisplayPort and HDMI/HDCP support, added the sources.