Intel is set to release the first of its ultra low voltage Arrandale CPUs in the first quarter of 2010; the i5 520UM (a 1.06GHz clocked dual core) has similar features to the desktop processors including “Turbo Boost” which allows the 520UM to hit speeds of 1.86GHz, a 0.8GHz rise.
A successor to the i5-520UM is already in the pipeline though and planned for a 2010 Q3 release. The i5-540UM is clocked at a higher 1.2GHz and with the Turbo Boost overclocking will break past the 2.0GHz mark. The power consumption of these CPUs is clearly one of the main attractions too and with a TDP of just 18W, the i5-540UM is very effective.
The advantage of just a low TDP, and integrated graphics into the chips, is that battery life is significantly reduced without overly affecting performance. The Arrandale chips have also been well in the mobile market and these new CPUs aim to continue the trend.
