IDF Fall 2002: Banias will have a performance rating
At Intel Developer Forum (IDF) Intel representatives reported the details about the new mobile PC platofrm, codenamed Banias, basing on the fundamentally new architecture.
The future platform features long battery life, new design, and the simplicity of wireless device configuring and using.
The information includes technical details of Banias microarchitecture, built-in 802.11a/b for dual-range WLAN connectivity, and a number of software solutions to provide higher security and simplify wireless network connections.
Banias architecture combines four technologies, aimed at higher performance at lower power consumption: Advanced Branch Prediction, Micro-Op Fusion, Power Optimized Processor Bus and Dedicated Stack Manager.
Advanced Branch Prediction provides performance boosts analysing previous program behavior and predicting operations to come from it in the future. When the system is ready to perform several operations Micro-Op Fusion combines them into one, increasing the performance at more effective power consumption. Architectural and circuit novelties, implemented into Power Optimized Processor Bus, limit power consumption to necessary by automatically reducing voltage and optimizing buffer management. Finally, Dedicated Stack Manager realizes special hardware means for system resource load, enabling processor to perform software instructions without latencies.
It´s also interesting that Intel is going to use ratings to evaluate Banias performance. As it will be higher than that of previous Intel processors, clock rate itself won´t represent Banias capabilities. Last Monday, at the press conference, president and COO Paul Otellini marked that rating system won´t be similar to AMD PR rating and will be based on a formula, comparing Banias with previous Intel chips.
Intel proprietary dual-range WLAN solution, used in Banias, provides 802.11a and 802.11b connectivity at 54 and 11 Mbps, respectively. Backward compatible with existing wireless infrastructure, this solution provides access to various networks. Through Intel PROSet software, Banias-based PC users will be able to transit from wired to high-speed wireless connections without having to close running apps.
WLAN connectivity, developed by Intel for Banias, provide simultaneous operation of both Bluetooth, and 802.11b solutions.
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