Contrary to what a lot of people think, Centrino isn�t a laptop processor but a platform containing specific components set by Intel: a given processor, a given chipset and a given wireless network. A laptop can only be called Centrino if it has these three components. In this tutorial we will show you the several Centrino generations and the difference between them. Check it out.

So far there are four generations of the Centrino platform.

The first Centrino platform, codenamed Carmel, was released in March 2003 and is based on a Pentium M (with Banias core) CPU, Intel 855 Express chipset and Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 (802.11b) wireless network.

In July 2004 Intel launched the second generation of the Centrino platform, also known by its codename, Sonoma. This generation is based on a Pentium M (with Dothan core) CPU, Intel 915 Express chipset and Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 or 2915ABG (802.11a/b/g) wireless network.

The third Centrino generation brought to notebooks the power of dual-core processing. This generation, also known by its codename, Napa, features a Core Duo (Yonah core) or a Core 2 Duo (Merom core) processor, Intel 945 Express chipset and Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) wireless network. There is also a version of the Centrino �Napa� platform that is based on Core Solo CPU, which has only one processing core, like Pentium M. From its third generation n Centrino platform started being called Centrino Duo in order to indicate that a dual-core CPU is being used.

The fourth generation, codenamed Santa Rosa, is divided into two versions: Centrino Duo and Centrino Pro. The basic difference between them is that Centrino Pro has a hardware-based remote management technology called Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT), which allows problems to be identified and solved remotely if the computer is connected to a network, even if the computer is turned off (the computer must be connected to the network and has to be connected to a power source, though).

With the release of Centrino �Santa Rosa� a fourth component was added to the Centrino platform, an integrated disk cache using flash memory in order to increase the system performance and to save battery life. This fourth component is called Intel Turbo Memory, also known as Robson technology. Centrino Pro and the new version of the Centrino Duo are based on a Core 2 Duo processor, Intel 965 Express chipset, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n) wireless network and Intel Turbo Memory technology.

On the table below we summarize all specs from all Centrino generations:

Plataform	Centrino Pro	Centrino Duo	Centrino Duo	Centrino	Centrino	Centrino
Codename	Santa Rosa	Santa Rosa	Napa	Napa	Sonoma	Carmel
Processor	Core 2 Duo	Core 2 Duo	Core Duo (Yonah) Core 2 Duo (Meron)	Core Solo	Pentium M (Dothan)	Pentium M (Banias)
Chipset	Intel 965 Express	Intel 965 Express	Intel 945 Express	Intel 945 Express	Intel 915 Express	Intel 855
Wireless Network	Intel PRO / Wireless 4965AGN	Intel PRO / Wireless 4965AGN	Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG	Intel PRO / Wireless 3945ABG	Intel PRO / Wireless 2200BG Intel PRO / Wireless 2915ABG	Intel PRO / Wireless 2100