Small form factor (SFF) platforms aim to position Intel firmly to address the fast growing mini- and sub-notebook market, expected to increase fourfold over the next three years. This trend is proven by the increasing number of design wins for Intel in this market segment. Intel has made significant advances in processor technology with their SFF platforms based on the new Intel^® Centrino^® Duo processor technology: these include the Intel^® Core™ Duo processor Low Voltage/Ultra Low Voltage (LV/ULV), Intel^® Core™ Solo processor ULV, and the Intel^® 945GMS Express Chipset. To support the mobility vectors¹ of battery life and performance, several power/performance features were designed into the processor, chipset, and platform architectures. This paper describes the power management features of the Intel 945GMS Express Chipset Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH), the Intel^® 82801GBM/GHM I/O Controller Hub (ICH), and the overall platform, all of which have reduced their power consumption while allowing for greater performance. Intel has designed the Intel 945GMS Express chipset to address the mini- and sub-notebook market segments. Given that the package size had to be smaller or equal to that of the Intel^® 915GMS Express Chipset (27mm²) [2], the package design had additional challenges to meet the electrical requirements of the higher frequency Front Side Bus (FSB)/Dual Data rate (DDR) memory and the additional 27 signals. In this paper we discuss the enhancements at the platform level, such as the processor steeper load line and the onboard memory decoupling, which help reduce the Bill of Materials (BOM) cost and save real estate. We also discuss in detail the platform signal and power integrity that enable the DDR2-533 MHz Small Outline Dual In line Memory Module (SODIMM) with onboard memory and decoupling methodology.

This paper serves as a guideline for system designers to understand the benefits of the features described and design better mini and sub notebooks. It also provides an insight into the challenges as package sizes shrink and interface speeds grow. With this SFF platform, Intel reaffirms its strong focus on the four vectors of mobility: breakthrough mobile performance, integrated wireless LAN capability, great battery life, and thinner/lighter design.