Intel Pentium M 1.50 socket: Socket 479

What the Pentium M 1.50 is

The Intel Pentium M 1.50 is a 1500 MHz single-core mobile processor from March 2003. It runs one P6 Banias core at 1500 MHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 1 MB of L2 with 64 KB of L1 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 24.5 W in a Socket 479 micro FCPGA package on a 400 MT/s front side bus with a 15x multiplier at up to 1.484 V.

Higher voltage for the 1500 MHz mark lifts the envelope from 22 W to 24.5 W, which is why the 1.50 needs a stronger pipe than the 1.30 and 1.40 despite sharing the bus. Intel launched the 1.50 on March 12, 2003 as the fastest launch Banias part before the 1.60 refresh. The chip supports MMX, SSE, SSE2 and Enhanced SpeedStep.

Faster clocks with the full 1 MB cache suit performance Centrino laptops with DDR memory and discrete mobile graphics. The 15x ratio keeps bus timing in spec. That is why the 1.50 shipped in desktop-replacement laptops with larger screens.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 1.50 fits Socket 479 performance laptops with Banias support. It needs a 479-pin board with a 400 MT/s bus and a BIOS that lists Pentium M 1.50. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Desktop-replacement DDR laptops are the natural match. Boards listing Pentium M 1.50 accept the chip with a 24.5 W pipe. Thin ultraportable pipes rated only for 22 W may run hot, so the chassis thermal design decides.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR through the board chipset, matched to the board slots. The CPU has no memory controller, so the chipset sets the type and speed. Performance 855 boards commonly run DDR266 and DDR333 paths for 400 MT/s parts.

A 400 MT/s front side bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while AGP and PCI hang off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the laptop heat pipe for the exact chassis, rated for 24.5 W. Fresh pads and a clean fan keep the higher envelope in check.

Upgrade paths

On the same socket, a move to a Pentium M 1.60 such as Intel Pentium M 1.60 keeps the laptop when the support list names it. The 1.60 adds 100 MHz at the same 24.5 W, so the pipe often carries over with a BIOS update. A Pentium M 1.40 on the same list drops 100 MHz at 22 W for cooler running.

A move to Dothan 2 MB parts needs chipset and BIOS support for the larger cache. The Socket 479 page lists the Banias to Dothan path for planning.