The Penryn’s biggest, or should I say smallest, difference compared to the Merom core is that it is a 45 nanometer manufacturing process instead of the previous 65. This makes greenies very happy because it means less waste in the future. (Hey, any little bit helps.)
In addition, Penryn does have some modest performance gains and makes good strides in energy conservation. This is yet again something that makes greenies happy.
How does a Penryn actually save power?
A good example is the new Deep Power Down (DPD) state:
Penryn saves power wherever possible. For instance if a 32-bit operation is being performed, the other 32-bits in the data path are temporarily switched off. Additionally, mobile variants of Penryn processors can enable a new Deep Power Down state (DPD) which allows them to idle at under 200 milliwatts many times every second, with a less than 200 microsecond exit latency.
The end result is a more densely packed processor which runs cooler and therefore can be pushed to run faster.
When are we going to see wide Penryn use? It’ll be with laptops. Smaller size, better power-saving tech, less heat and better speeds are always welcome in portable computers.
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