While Intel"s next-generation mobile processor code-named Dothan is expected to be pin-to-pin compatible with existing platforms for Intel Pentium M microprocessors, notebook makers are worried about increased thermal design power of the chip, as their chassis were developed taking into account only Intel"s current chip formerly known as Banias.
Intel Pentium M processor – the key-element of Intel Centrino mobile platform – is based on a micro-architecture specially tweaked for mobile applications that delivers high performance amid low power consumption to enable longer battery life in today"s systems. General micro-architecture of the Pentium M more resembles that of the Pentium III rather than the inner design of the Pentium 4. Nevertheless, the processor has some important advantages over the previous generation P6 architecture, such as support for SSE and SSE2, Advanced Branch Prediction, Micro-Op Fusion, Power Optimised Processor Bus, Dedicated Stack Manager technology as well as Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology.