Intel launched its Centrino 2 platform roughly three weeks ago, but already there's speculation about its successor. Code-named Calpella, Intel's next-generation notebook platform is reportedly set for a launch in the third quarter of next year and will bring with it some fundamental changes to the table.
According to DigiTimes, Calpella will be the first mobile design from Intel to forgo the need for separate northbridge and southbridge chipsets by moving the DDR3 memory controller and other typical northbridge components onto the CPU package itself, while a new bridge chip, dubbed Ibex Peak-M, will handle all the remaining duties.
Calpella will form the foundations for Intel's next-generation notebook processors, code-named Clarksfield and Auburndale, with the latter expected to have a graphics core integrated into the same die as the processing cores - just like AMD's Fusion. Wireless will be similar to what's available on the current Centrino 2 platform, with options for either an 802.11n Wi-Fi module (now referred to as Puma Peak) or an expanded WiMAX chipset (Kilmer Peak) that supports more wireless frequencies.