Notebook for all

Evgenie Rudometov

Developing the bar of notebooks MEGABOOK, company Micro-Star International (MSI) has developed and has released the next model of the compact, multifunctional notebook supporting processing technique IntelCentrino

Transportable computers step-by-step win the world to what prompt growth of their sales testifies. Responding to requirements of the market, many computer corporations participate in this process, releasing on the powers various models of notebooks. Among them known company MSI, whose brand it is widely known to domestic users basically thanks to qualitative motherboards. Expanding the business, the given company on a number of the factories has adjusted release of several models of the notebooks, differing the architecture, accessories, design and functionality.

As an example of one of the last models of the notebooks created on the basis of transportable processors of Intel, it is possible to result MSI MEGABOOK S260.

Features of model MSI MEGABOOK S260

The given model concerns bit of the compact arrangements, differing compactness, in small weight, wide functionality and high efficiency. Thanks to bright is liquid-crystalline matrix of a high-resolution the notebook provides the qualitative drawing. Besides, it possesses the developed connectivities. Increased time of offline work gives long time for operation and games.

Appearance of notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260 is presented in a Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260

The architecture of the given notebook is created on the basis of a platform known as Sonoma. Its basis is the chipset of system logic (chip set) of bar Mobile of Intel 915 Express with code name Alviso.

Before to pass to consideration of the newest solutions linked to the specified platform and a chip set, it is necessary to mark, that all time increasing requirements of mobility do not reduce necessity of increase in productivity. And one of paths is the increase in a transmission frequency of data on the bus of the processor with 400 to 533 MHz.

Application of the powerful transportable processor of Intel of Pentium M of 1,6 GHz working on frequency of 533 MHz, allows to combine high values energoekonomichnosti and productivity in calculations.

Economic functioning of the processor created on processing technique of 90 nanometers of kernel Dothan, is supported by the special chipset of system logic of Mobile set Intel  915. It provides an optimum behaviour of operation of the processor and will organise teamwork of subsystems of the transportable computer. This set is specially developed for transportable solutions and provides usage of the high-powered memory DDR SDRAM working on frequency of 333 MHz. Implementation of a wide set of functions energosberezhenija provides economic operation not only the processor, but also dynamic storage units, and also other components of a notebook. As a result of operation of the given functions in each instant only the involved units actively function, the others are in a sleeping mode at minimum energopotreblenii.

Fig. 2. The main communication ports of notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260

Intels  915 have found incarnation in platform Sonoma and chip set Mobile the advanced development which has been already checked up in computer systems, created on the basis of desktop chip sets of the set of the similar name. One of them are resources of the built in drawing of Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (Intel GMA 900) with double productivity of kernel Extreme Graphics 2 used in similar resources of the previous chip sets of the set of Intel 855.

In spite of the fact that in a notebook the drawing built in a chip set uses, computer MSI MEGABOOK S260 provides rather productivity high level.

According to requirements of processing technique of Intel Centrino in the given notebook together with the processor and a chip set the built in resources of wireless access are realised. These resources provide high-speed data transfer under standard IEEE 802.11.b/g in allowed band of presence of points of "hot" access (Hot Spot). Link is usually accessible on a distance in some tens metres, and on open space range can reach hundreds metres.

In addition to Wi-Fi the structure of the architecture of a notebook optsionalno includes resources Bluetooth.

All specified architectural resources which are a part of notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260, provide productivity high levels, energoekonomichnosti and mobility. Added with modern high-speed interfaces (a Fig. 2), multi-channel audiosolutions, capacious disk drives on hard magnetic and replaceable optical disks they allow to fulfil a wide spectrum of tasks, including office applications and processing of the multimedia information. Video information output is carried out on built in large-format screen LCD TFT with permission WXGA (1280 x 800) or the external screen monitor which is hooked up to a notebook. Saving of data is carried out on the built in optical drive.

Fig. 3. MSI MEGABOOK S260 architecture components

Components of the architecture of computer MSI MEGABOOK S260 are resulted in a Fig. 3, and key parametres are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Short parametres MSI MEGABOOK S260

Components	Characteristics
Processor type	Intel of Pentium M of 1,6 GHz (90 nanometers, kernel Dothan, 533 MHz)
Chip set	Mobile Intel  915GM + ICH6M
The screen	12.1", TFT, WXGA (the permission 1280 x 800)
The videoadapter	The drawing of Intel GMA built in a chip set 900
Dynamic storage	DDR SDRAM 256 Mбайт (2 Gbytes are maximum )
Input/output plugs	-1 * VGA Output (D-Sub, 15-kont.) -3 * USB2.0 port -1 * IEEE1394 port -1 * a microphone Input terminal -1 * the Output on ear-phones -1 * modem Port -1 * LAN port
Network tools	10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN, Modem, Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG
Com	-
LPT	-
Floppy disk (FDD)	-
Hard disk (HDD)	40/60/80  Gbytes
The optical drive	Combo/DVD Dual
The keyboard	Standard, Windows
PC Card	PCMCIA 2.1, Type II
Card Reader	MMC/SD/MS/MS Pro of maps-readers 4-v-1
The manipulator	TouchPad with 2 keys
Audioresources	AC ' 97 2.2, compatible SoundBlaster
The secondary generator	Li-ionic 4/8 units, 2200/4400мАч
Operating time	Operating time from the secondary generator more than 4 hours
The power supply adapter	General-purpose 19 In DC, 65 W / the Input terminal: 100~240В AC, 50/60Гц
The operating system	predustanovlena OS Microsoft Windows XP Home
The sizes, mm	The sizes: 303 (dl) x 225 () x 26~28 ()
Weight, kg	Weight: 1.8кг

As to numerical estimations of productivity some values are resulted more low.

Results of testing MSI MEGABOOK S260

For an estimation of productivity MSI MEGABOOK S260 as the measurement standard notebook RoverBook Nautilus E410W has been selected: the processor of Intel of Pentium M of 1,5 GHz (processing technique of 130 nanometers, kernel Banias, 1 Gbyte L2), Intel chip set 855GM, the built in drawing, 14.1"LCD TFT, XGA - 1024 x 768, HDD 40 Gbytes, DVD/CD/CD-RW/CD-R

The pattern of researched notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260 in which architecture the processor of Intel of Pentium M of 1,6 GHz (processing technique of 90 nanometers, kernel Dothan, 1 Gbyte L2 is used   ) and chip set Mobile Intel 915GM, is resulted in Table 1.

As tests have been used SiSoftware Sandra (SiSoftware Sandra Standard Unicode 2004.7.9.129) and 3DMark2001.

Results of performance of tests SiSoftware Sandra estimating productivity in calculations, are resulted in Table 2 and in a Fig. 4.

Table 2. Results SiSoftware Sandra

Tests	MSI MEGABOOK S260	RoverBook Nautilus E410W
Dhrystone ALU, MIPS	6899	6135
Whetstone FPU, MFLOPS	2226	2082
Whetstone ISSE2, MFLOPS	2847	2661
Integer x4 ISSE, it/s	15224	14206
Float x4 ISSE2, it/s	16806	15664

Fig. 4. Results of performance of test SiSoftWare Sandra

Results of performance of the test 3DMark2001 estimating productivity of a video subsystem, are resulted in Table 3 and in a Fig. 5.

Table 3. Results 3DMark2001

Tests	MSI MEGABOOK S260	RoverBook Nautilus E410W
3DMark2001	3653	1767

Fig. 5. Results of performance of the test 3DMark2001

Parsing the received results, it is necessary to remember, that model of notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260, it is created on the basis of the newest platform whereas RoverBook Nautilus E410W concerns products of the previous generation. Moreover, considering that fact, that on testing the pre-series copy of the newest transportable computer from MSI has been given, there is an underplate to calculate for even big difference in productivity.

The received numbers in tests testify to proceeding progress in the field of development of new solid-state technologies and computer architectures. However, despite productivity high levels, it is necessary to remember, that main advantages MSI MEGABOOK S260 consist in rather small weight, width of functionality, comfort of the operation given by large-format matrix LCD TFT with the permission 1280х800 (16:10).

Notebook MSI MEGABOOK S260 is given by the Moscow office of company Micro-Star International