Intel launches Centrino-beating 2.5GHz Pentium 4-M

Intel today rolled out a trio of speed-stepped mobile processors at the top end of its Pentium 4 and Celeron lines.

So, in comes the 2.5GHz Mobile Pentium 4-M, and 2.4GHz and 1.26GHz Mobile Celerons. Prices for the three parts are $562, $149 and $107, respectively, in batches of 1000 processors.

The arrival of the 2.5GHz P4-M finally allows that branch of Intel's mobile processor family to out-perform the Pentium M, aka Banias. At the launch of the Centrino platform, Intel made much of the 1.6GHz Pentium M's performance lead over the 2.4GHz. The two chips yield MobileMark 2002 benchmarks of 189 and 164, respectively, Intel data shows.

According to figures on the Intel web site, the 2.5GHz P4-M scores 193 on MobileMark 2002, putting it a nose ahead of the 1.6GHz Pentium M. That said, the same page also suggests the 2.2GHz P4-M scores 181 - just under the 1.6GHz Banias, but higher than the 2.4GHz P4-M, so maybe Intel needs to revisit its figures... ®