The hot laptop market has sparked a war among computer chip companies — and they’re not just fighting by who can build the fastest processor.

Intel on Monday rolled out Centrino 2, its next-generation laptop chips. Centrino 2 laptops are faster than their predecessors. But their biggest benefits are other features, such as better graphics and battery life.

Advanced Micro Devices, Intel’s chief rival, released a similar set of laptop chips last month. Graphics-chip maker Nvidia, best known for desktop components,

plus rolled out a laptop line.

“It’s a big shift,” says AMD Vice President Patrick Moorhead. The number of laptops sold will outpace desktops by 2009, Intel CEO Paul Otellini predicts. (Laptop revenue already exceeds desktops, considering laptops are usually more expensive.) That’s prompting chipmakers to put new emphasis on the problems that arise in small, portable computers.

They include:

*Battery life. The best laptop in the world isn’t worth much when […]

Orginal post by Top Tech News