Intel completes 32-nanometer chip development

Intel has completed the development phase of its next-generation manufacturing process that shrinks chip circuitry to 32 nanometers, the chipmaker said Tuesday night.

Intel processors are currently made on a 45nm process. Generally, smaller geometries result in faster and more power-efficient processors.

"The company is on track for production readiness of this future generation (of transistors)...in the fourth quarter of 2009," the chipmaker said in a statement.

Intel said it will provide technical details about the 32nm process technology at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) next week in San Francisco.

Finishing the development phase for 32nm process technology keeps Intel on track with its "tick-tock" strategy. Tick-tock is intended to introduce either a new processor microarchitecture or cutting-edge manufacturing process about every 12 months.

"Producing 32nm chips next year would mark the fourth consecutive year that Intel has met its goal," the company said.

The 32nm paper and presentation "describe a logic technology that incorporates second-generation high-k + metal gate technology, 193nm immersion lithography for critical patterning layers, and enhanced transistor strain techniques," Intel said.

Other Intel IEDM papers will "describe a low power system on chip version of Intel's 45nm process, transistors based on compound semiconductors, substrate engineering to improve performance of 45nm transistors, integrating chemical mechanical polish for the 45nm node and beyond; and, integrating an array of silicon photonics modulators," according to the company's statement.

Intel will also participate in a short course on 22nm CMOS technology.

Intel Core i7 Performance Preview

Welcome to Core i7

Core i7, or Nehalem as we've been calling it for the past year, becomes part of Intel's "Tock" step, which denotes a brand-new micro-architecture built on the current process node. "Tick" will come next year in the form of Westmere, a 32-nm shrink of Nehalem.

The top-of-the-line i7 processor will be the Extreme 965, at 3.20GHz. As is typical of all newly-launched Intel Extreme editions, this one will be sold at a price of $999 in quantities of 1,000. This means that you can expect a price of closer to $1,100 if you wish to own one. Moving downwards, the 2.93GHz model will sell for $562, while the mainstream 920 will be sold at $284.

Like previous Extreme products, the 965 will be a fully-unlocked chip with a Turbo multiplier capable of hitting 40x, the default being 24x. The 940 and 920 are capped at their stock multipliers (22x and 20x, respectively) and can only be overclocked by increasing the Base Clock, or BCLK for short. That tells us right away that these processors are going to be more of a challenge to overclock than anything from the Core 2 line-up, and we'll get into the specifics of why later.

Comprised of 731 million transistors on a surface area of 263mm^2, Intel's latest processor is a little bit of a strange beast, since it's larger in areal density than its predecessor (214mm^2), but uses less transistors. Why that's the case exactly, I'm unsure.

Each of the i7 processors to be launched later this month have identical pin and filter cap layouts on the back, which leads us to believe that each is identical inside, with the obvious multiplier and model code changes. In previous architectures, some of the filter caps would be laid out differently, or some would be missing on the smaller models, but not here. We could assume that smaller models, when eventually released, will look slightly different on the back.

As mentioned above, today's article is a preview, not a review, as there is a lot more testing that needs to be conducted that couldn't yet be focused on due to time. So, we'll be following-up with more specific content over the course of the next few weeks, including a deeper look at gaming performance and overclocking. We'll finish it all off with a proper "review" nearer to the official launch.

Today's article will be focusing primarily on two things. First will be simple performance scaling between the three new processors and three top processors from Intel's Kentsfield line-up, including the QX9770 and Q9450. The second will be a performance look at Core i7's new features, including Turbo and HyperThreading. I can assure you... these are results you won't want to skip over.

Intel, Micron to Mass Produce 34nm Memory Chips

Intel and Micron are teaming up to take on Samsung and Toshiba in the battle for NAND flash memory, used for multimedia storage on consumer products such as iPods and digital cameras. But when falling consumer confidence is taking its toll on the flash memory market, is this the right time for Intel and Micron to invest?

A joint venture between Intel and memory maker Micron Technology has begun production on a 34nm NAND flash memory disk. The venture, called IM Flash Technologies, should heighten competition with Toshiba and Samsung Electronics, the world's largest NAND flash memory chip maker.

NAND flash memory is commonly used for multimedia storage on portable media players. The 34nm, 32 Gb chips are manufactured on 300 mm wafers. Measuring less than the size of a thumbnail, the chip enables high-density solid-state storage in small form factor applications, including digital cameras, iPods and digital camcorders. “The tiny 34nm, 32 Gb chip enables our customers to easily increase their NAND storage capacity for a number of consumer and computing products,” Micron Memory Group’s vice president Brian Shirley said in a statement.

“The creation of this new company supports Intel’s intent to maintain its industry-leading position in nonvolatile memory and enables us to rapidly enter a fast-growing portion of the flash market segment,” Intel’s president and CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement. Despite Otellini’s statement, a recent report by market research firm iSuppli found the NAND flash market is feeling the effects of a weakened global economy, and will cause revenue declines in 2008. A slim rise in revenue over 2007’s $13.9 billion intake is expected, though the report was released before the worsening of the financial crisis this fall. Worldwide, iSuppli projects NAND flash revenue will decline 14 percent in 2008 and fall another 15 percent in 2009.

Intel and Micron also announced that they have each entered into separate long-term agreements to supply Apple with a significant portion of each of their share of IM Flash Technologies’ NAND flash memory output. As part of these agreements, Apple would prepay $250 million each to Intel and Micron. “We are extremely pleased to have Apple broaden its relationship with us,” Otellini said.

The companies also released information on the venture’s management team, which will be led by Intel’s Dave Baglee, who previously served as manager of Intel’s Fab 11 in New Mexico, and Micron’s Rod Morgan, who most recently served as manager of Micron’s fabrication facility in Manassas, Va.

Both companies said they also plan to begin sampling lower density multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) products using the 34nm process technology in early 2009.

Intel to eliminate toxic lead from its microprocessor chips

(NaturalNews) Intel Corp. has announced plans to stop using lead as a soldering agent in its microprocessors. Lead is a chemical element with widespread industrial use. It is particularly useful as a semiconductor, due to its specific electrical and mechanical properties. The element, however, is a highly potent toxin known to cause blood and nervous system disorders, including mental dysfunction, especially in children.

Intel began phasing out the use of lead in its products in 2002, with the introduction of a tin-silver-copper soldering alloy. This alloy had replaced lead as a soldering agent in nearly all Intel chip sets and processors by 2004, with the exception of 0.02 grams of lead that continued to be used inside each chip.

This lead will now be eliminated in favor of the tin-silver-copper alloy, beginning with the Penryn line of processors. The company plans to have its microprocessors be lead-free by the end of the year, and to phase out lead in its 65-nanometer-process chips in 2008.

The use of toxic metals in electronics manufacture has become a serious health problem worldwide. High rates of obsolescence have contributed to a global "electronic waste" problem, in which vast quantities of electronics have been ending up as garbage, particularly in Third World countries that are paid to dispose of First World waste.

Unregulated disposal of this waste, whether by landfilling, burning or even disassembly for parts, exposes local workers, residents and ecosystems to a heavy toxic payload. Lead in particular is known for its ability to contaminate soil and groundwater.

According to Solving the E-waste Problem, a United-Nations-led alliance between three U.N. agencies, 16 businesses and several government agencies and universities, electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing types of trash in the world, with levels rapidly approaching 40 million metric tons per year.

Intel fleshes out the MID platform with five low-power CPUs

Intel has high hopes for its new Silverthorne/Diamondville-based Atom processors. Intel formally introduced Atom and Centrino Atom in early March and indicated that the processors/platform would be used in a wide variety of devices.

Intel expects for its new Atom architecture to target $40B in new markets. "It’s not just the 1 billion people that have access to the Internet now. It’s the next 2 billion people. It’s not just about selling more PCs, but bringing new devices and new price points to bring those people onto the Internet," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in March. "We are not talking about repurposing old silicon, but designing new silicon for each of these different areas."

Intel is now taking its first steps to deliver Atom processors to the masses. The first round of Atom processors are the Silverthorne-based units which feature a 13mm x 14mm package size.

The five new 45nm, high-k Atom processor range in speed from 800MHz to 1.86GHz and all feature 512KB of L2 cache. The Z500 and Z510 clock in at 800MHz and 1.1GHz respectively and feature a FSB operating at 400MHz. The Z520, Z530, and Z540 represent speed grades of 1.33GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.86GHz respectively using a 533MHz FSB. The 533MHz SKUs will feature Hyper-Threading -- a technology that many are familiar with thanks to the unloved Pentium 4 processors.

The family of Atom processors features a thermal design power (TDP) range of 0.65 to 2.4 W; average power range of 160 to 200 mW; and idle power range of 80 to 100 mW.

Prices for the chips range from $45 for the Z500 to $160 for the Z540 in quantities of 1,000.

The Atom Z5xx processors are aimed at what Intel calls the Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. These devices fit into your pocket and are expected to have excellent battery life. Other targeted platforms for these Atom processors include GPS devices, portable video players, and converged tablets.

Backing up Intel's Atom Z5xx processors is Intel's new System Controller Hub (SCH) which was previously known as Poulsbo. The SCH incorporates HD audio, PCIe, USB, and SDIO support. The SCH will also have extended capabilities for WiFi, WiMAX, EV-DO and HSDPA.

Also included on the SCH is a third-party graphics solution which is quite a departure for Intel. In this case, Intel licensed Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX graphics and POWERVR VXD multi-standard HD video technologies. The graphics core is capable of supporting hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD resolutions.

"The introduction of Intel’s Centrino Atom processor technology incorporating our POWERVR graphics and video technologies signifies the beginning of a new class of Mobile Internet Device,” said Tony King-Smith, Imagination Technologies’ VP of Marketing. “Imagination looks forward to its continued collaboration with leading industry players to provide products and technologies that help enable ever more dynamic visual user experiences."

"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great package of technology," said Intel Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher. "Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small devices can deliver a big Internet experience."

The next big release for Intel's Atom processors will come in the form of the Diamondville-based processors. These processors will go in devices which Intel calls "netbooks". However, we know them more commonly as devices like the Eee PC 900 and ECS G10IL.

The Diamondville-based N270 will run at 1.6GHz using a 533MHz FSB. This is the chip that will find a home in the previously mentioned nettops. According to Intel's latest roadmaps, the chip will be priced at $44 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel is going full-bore with its new Atom processor lineup and it should be interesting to see how the Silverthorne and Diamondville-based machines fare in the marketplace. Diamondville-based nettops are pretty much a sure bet as far as sales are concerned, but many are still not sold on the whole MID concept which would cater to Silverthorne.

Intel Bets Big on Mobile Computing

In a bid to leverage the growing demand for notebook PCs, Intel has launched its Intel Centrino 2 processor technology products for laptops that include five new Intel Core2 duo processors.

Intel also introduced what it claims to be the world's highest performing dual-core mobile processor, the Intel Core2 Extreme processor running at 3.06 GHz, according to a press release.

In addition, 250 new laptop models with features such as powerful processors, enhanced graphics and battery life will soon be launched, the release said.

Intel also plans to unveil eight new processors within 90 days that will include first-ever mobile quad-core products and second generation products for ultra thin and light notebooks. In total, the company will bring 14 diverse processors into the marketplace as laptop sales continue to outpace desktop PCs.

The Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology improve upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless (with WiMAX arriving later this year), and new business-class manageability capabilities.

"When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos and social media didn't really exist, 'thin and light' only referred to weight goals and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin," said R Ravichandran, director of sales, Intel South Asia.

"Today, notebooks are fast gaining share and we are seeing new and previously unheard off usage model. We are paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets."

The five new dual core processors come with a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage about 30 percent, down to just 25 watts, according to the release. Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle for greater energy savings.

Intel also unveiled its new Mobile Intel 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel WiFi Link 5000 series that is shipping to customers now, with laptops arriving in July and August. According to Intel, it delivers five times the speed and twice the range of older 802.11a/g technology, while the Intel WiFi Link 5000 series provides 802.11 draft-N support that delivers the fastest data rates possible today -- up to 450 Mbps.

Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers manageability and security options. This is increasingly important as companies replace desktops with notebooks and need to remotely diagnose, update and repair systems over a wireless network, according to the release.

Improved manageability with AMT 4.0 has also been added that provides wireless manageability during system sleep states, ongoing remote configuration capabilities, support for next-generation management standards (WS-MAN and DASH 1.0) and the ability for an employee to initiate communications to IT from outside a company's firewall.

The company will begin shipping its first ever combined WiMax/Wi-Fi module later this year in the US. The module will be part of the Intel WiMax/WiFi Link 5050 Series that is an optional feature for future Intel Centrino 2-based laptops.

Intel Holds WiMAX Vital in Internet Expansion

Intel has high hopes for its new Silverthorne/Diamondville-based Atom processors. Intel formally introduced Atom and Centrino Atom in early March and indicated that the processors/platform would be used in a wide variety of devices.

Intel expects for its new Atom architecture to target $40B in new markets. "It’s not just the 1 billion people that have access to the Internet now. It’s the next 2 billion people. It’s not just about selling more PCs, but bringing new devices and new price points to bring those people onto the Internet," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in March. "We are not talking about repurposing old silicon, but designing new silicon for each of these different areas."

Intel is now taking its first steps to deliver Atom processors to the masses. The first round of Atom processors are the Silverthorne-based units which feature a 13mm x 14mm package size.

The five new 45nm, high-k Atom processor range in speed from 800MHz to 1.86GHz and all feature 512KB of L2 cache. The Z500 and Z510 clock in at 800MHz and 1.1GHz respectively and feature a FSB operating at 400MHz. The Z520, Z530, and Z540 represent speed grades of 1.33GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.86GHz respectively using a 533MHz FSB. The 533MHz SKUs will feature Hyper-Threading -- a technology that many are familiar with thanks to the unloved Pentium 4 processors.

The family of Atom processors features a thermal design power (TDP) range of 0.65 to 2.4 W; average power range of 160 to 200 mW; and idle power range of 80 to 100 mW.

Prices for the chips range from $45 for the Z500 to $160 for the Z540 in quantities of 1,000.

The Atom Z5xx processors are aimed at what Intel calls the Mobile Internet Device (MID) market. These devices fit into your pocket and are expected to have excellent battery life. Other targeted platforms for these Atom processors include GPS devices, portable video players, and converged tablets.

Backing up Intel's Atom Z5xx processors is Intel's new System Controller Hub (SCH) which was previously known as Poulsbo. The SCH incorporates HD audio, PCIe, USB, and SDIO support. The SCH will also have extended capabilities for WiFi, WiMAX, EV-DO and HSDPA.

Also included on the SCH is a third-party graphics solution which is quite a departure for Intel. In this case, Intel licensed Imagination Technologies’ POWERVR SGX graphics and POWERVR VXD multi-standard HD video technologies. The graphics core is capable of supporting hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD resolutions.

"The introduction of Intel’s Centrino Atom processor technology incorporating our POWERVR graphics and video technologies signifies the beginning of a new class of Mobile Internet Device,” said Tony King-Smith, Imagination Technologies’ VP of Marketing. “Imagination looks forward to its continued collaboration with leading industry players to provide products and technologies that help enable ever more dynamic visual user experiences."

"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great package of technology," said Intel Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher. "Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small devices can deliver a big Internet experience."

The next big release for Intel's Atom processors will come in the form of the Diamondville-based processors. These processors will go in devices which Intel calls "netbooks". However, we know them more commonly as devices like the Eee PC 900 and ECS G10IL.

The Diamondville-based N270 will run at 1.6GHz using a 533MHz FSB. This is the chip that will find a home in the previously mentioned nettops. According to Intel's latest roadmaps, the chip will be priced at $44 in quantities of 1,000.

Intel is going full-bore with its new Atom processor lineup and it should be interesting to see how the Silverthorne and Diamondville-based machines fare in the marketplace. Diamondville-based nettops are pretty much a sure bet as far as sales are concerned, but many are still not sold on the whole MID concept which would cater to Silverthorne.

Intel Core 2 Duo Knocks Down AMD Athlon 64

Intel has regained the performance crown from AMD, after its launch of Core 2 Duo line of processors which are based on Intel’s new Core micro architecture. The processors are expected to ship by 27th July 2006. The performance Core 2 Duo is found to be superior than the AMD’s current line of processors.

Intel’s Core 2 Extreme X6800 didn’t lose a single benchmark in our comparison; not a single one. In many cases, the $183 Core 2 Duo E6300 actually outperformed Intel’s previous champ: the Pentium Extreme Edition 965. In one day, Intel has made its entire Pentium D lineup of processors obsolete. Intel’s Core 2 processors offer the sort of next-generation micro-architecture performance leap that we honestly haven’t seen from Intel since the introduction of the P6.

Compared to AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 the situation gets a lot more competitive, but AMD still doesn’t stand a chance. The Core 2 Extreme X6800, Core 2 Duo E6700 and E6600 were pretty consistently in the top 3 or 4 spots in each benchmark, with the E6600 offering better performance than AMD’s FX-62 flagship in the vast majority of benchmarks. Another way of looking at it is that Intel’s Core 2 Duo E6600 is effectively a $316 FX-62, which doesn’t sound bad at all.

We’re still waiting to get our hands on the E6400 as it may end up being the best bang for your buck, but even the slower E6300 is quite competitive with AMD’s X2 4200+ and X2 3800+. If AMD drops the price on those two parts even more than we’re expecting, then it may be able to hold on to the lower end of the performance mainstream market as the E6300 is not nearly as fast as the E6600.

For industry experts, Core 2 Duo beating the Athlon 64 processor family is no surprise: On the one hand, Core 2 Duo is a brand-new state-of-the-art processor, whereas the Athlon 64 X2 has been around for a while. On the other hand, Intel must come out with a superior product to finally beat AMD after two years of Athlon 64 headwinds.

Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor to be produced by Intel based on an all-new CPU design called the Intel Core Microarchitecture, which will replace the NetBurst architecture that has powered Intel processors since 2000. Core 2 also will mark the retirement of Intel’s Pentium brand name that has been used from 1993 and the reunion of Intel’s notebook and desktop product lines since Pentium M was released apart from Pentium 4 in 2003.

Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 will not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements on other CPU features, including cache size and number of cores. Intel claims that the power consumption of these processors is to be extremely low compared to the Pentiums before.

Intel Core 2 processors will feature EM64T, Virtualization Technology, and Execute Disable Bit. The release will also introduce LaGrande Technology, SSE4, Enhanced SpeedStep Technology, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2).