AN INTERESTING tit-bit of information on Intel's notebook future has been leaked.

According to Taiwanese site Digitimes, Intel's next-generation notebook platform, code-named Calpella on roadmaps, is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2009.

As with all future Nehalem-based processors, Capella will abandon the current northbridge and southbridge chipset arrangement.

Instead, many of the typical northbridge components will be integrated into the CPU package, including a DDR3 memory controller - similar to what AMD has been doing for some time.

However, a single integrated chipset, codenamed Ibex Peak-M, will coordinate other features on the motherboard not integrated into the processor, according to Digitimes' sources.

This chipset will support Intel's new notebook CPUs, code-named Clarksfield and Auburndale. Auburndale will also have a graphics core integrated into the CPU package.

It's expected that all Nehalem notebook processors will be manufactured via a 32nm process.

Like the current Centrino 2 platform, wireless Internet will be available through an 802.11n Wi-Fi module (Puma Peak) or a WiMAX chipset (Kilmer Peak).

Intel is also expected to phase out the current 1.6GHz single-core Atom N270 processor by the end of Q2 2009 and will hopefully be replaced by a faster design - which has yet to be announced. µ