Intel finalized 32 nm

By Koushik Saha on 12.12.08

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The first 45 nm processor Intel was unveiled in October 2007, was the Core 2 Extreme QX9650. In mid-November 2008, Intel introduced its new architecture, Nehalem, with the Core i7, always engraved in 45 nm. To follow the agenda of its tick-tock (a new fine etching / a new architecture a year, alternating), the manufacturer will have to disclose the process of burning 32 nm next year. The roadmaps show the "Westmere", a development of 32 nm "Bloomfield" (the Core i7), scheduled for Q4 2009. And obviously, "Sandy Bridge" with a new architecture, landing in 2010. All this seems on track ...

You should know that Intel is preparing a new finesse burning in three stages, the research, development and production. In September, the foundryfoundry announced it had produced a first chip SRAM in 32 nm. Today, Intel indicate that the development of this fine etching and her forthcoming production. The world's leading manufacturer of x86 processors is on time and for the moment everything is going well for the 32 nm.

AMD, which has just introduced its first server processors in 45 nm and declination preparing their public for January, should keep a good year behind Intel. The manufacturer should not break its 32 nm server CPU before the end of 2010, and the general public will have to wait 2011. AMD has also recently indicated that instead of the 44% originally planned, it has only 34% of The Foundry Company, the rest being provided by investors from Abu Dhabi.


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Patriot's unveils Viper Series Tri-Channel for Intel i7

By Koushik Saha on 4.12.08

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Patriot Memory, a global provider of premium quality memory module and flash memory solutions, today announced the release of their Viper series Tri-Channel memory kits designed for the forthcoming Intel® Core™ i7/Intel® X58 Express Chipset. Available in both 3GB and 6GB kits, these newly engineered memory kits come with the award winning Viper series heat shields and are the perfect balance of speed and latency while achieving lower voltage requirements."Intel's® Nehalem architecture shows significant improvements over previous platforms," says Les Henry, Technical Director for Patriot Memory.
"High performance DDR3 DIMMs from Patriot Memory, combined with the phenomenal memory bandwidth & processing capability of Intel's®upcoming Core™ i7 microprocessors, will deliver exciting levels of performance to PC enthusiasts worldwide," said, Steve R. Peterson, Intel's® Director of Chipset & Graphics Marketing.


PRODUCT INFO:
3GB PC3-12800 Viper Series Low Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1600MHz (3 x 1GB) 8-8-8-24
6GB PC3-12800 Viper Series Low Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1600MHz (3 x 2GB) 8-8-8-24
3GB PC3-12800 Viper Series Enhanced Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1600MHz (3 x 1GB) 9-9-9-24
6GB PC3-12800 Viper Series Enhanced Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1600MHz (3 x 2GB) 9-9-9-24
3GB PC3-10666 Viper Series Low Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1333MHz (3 x 1GB) 7-7-7-20
6GB PC3-10666 Viper Series Low Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1333MHz (3 x 2GB) 7-7-7-20
3GB PC3-10666 Viper Series Enhanced Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1333MHz (3 x 1GB) 9-9-9-24
6GB PC3-10666 Viper Series Enhanced Latency Tri-Channel Kit, 1333MHz (3 x 2GB) 9-9-9-24

The Viper series Tri-Channel kits will also include Intel's® newest XMP settings for Core™ i7 processor based platforms. When enabled, XMP settings allow easy, uncomplicated overclocking on Intel's® X58 Express chipsets.

Patriot will also offer a 3GB and 6GB PC3-10666 1333MHz CL9 Tri-Channel kit for their Signature Line for entry level consumers looking to experience Intel's® newest platform.

Patriot's Tri-Channel solutions are manufactured and tested for quality and compatibility as a kit in our USA manufacturing facility located in Fremont, CA.


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Core 2 processors with TDP desktop systems

By Koushik Saha on 21.11.08

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Despite the recent debut of solutions based on Nehalem architecture, marketed under the brand name of Core I7 few days, Intel seems not willing to stop the development of solutions Core 2 Duo systems for Socket 775 LGA least for the first part of 2009 .

The debut of some new cpu with Intel quad core architecture characterized by low levels of consumption of particular content, with maximum TDP in 65 Watt said.

The models are to debut Core 2 Quad Q9550, with clock frequency of 2.83 GHz and L2 cache of 12 Mbytes, Core 2 Quad Q9400 with clock of 2.66 GHz and 6 MB of L2 cache and Core 2 Quad Q8200 with clock of 2.33 GHz and L2 cache of 4 MB. For all these cpu are the same value as TDP quad pumped bus and by 1333 for MHz clock.he prices are respectively 369, 320 and 245 U.S. dollars excluding taxes.
Processors such, in view of the total content combined with a high power, to obtain HTPC systems of major power computer that does not descend to particular compromises in terms of noise operation. Similar approach will be followed by Intel for a wide range of processors Core 2 family, in this case with TDP up to 35 watts.

The following versions of the processor that will be presented by Intel during the month of November.
Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Core 2 Quad Q9100
Core 2 Extreme X9100
Core 2 Duo T9600
Core 2 Duo P9500
Core 2 Duo T9400
Core 2 Duo P8600.


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Intel Core i7 Nehalem launching on November 17

By Koushik Saha on 6.11.08

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Intel provided information about its next-generation micro-architecture (Nehalem) with the Core i7 processors at a media event on Wednesday in Athens, Greece, prior to the worldwide official release of the system on November 17.

The event ran under the headline of "the fastest processor on the planet". The two major characteristics of the new i7 architecture are the triple-channel integrated memory controllers and the new interface called Quick Path Interconnect (QPI). Other highlights include the monolithic die to consolidate all four cores in a single piece of silicon, and the shared L3 cache. Further improvements include the use of the Hyper-threading as well as the Turbo Boost technologies. The Core i7 processors are also optimized to operate with Intel's X58 chipset.The Corei7 series will feature three quad-core models: The 2.66 GHz Core i7 920 will aim for the sub-$1000 class of PCs, the 2.93 GHz Core i7 940 for more expensive PCs in the $1500-$2000 range and the 3.2 GHz 965 Extreme Edition at enthusiast PCs.

The prices (1K pieces) of these CPUs are $999 for the Extreme Edition, $562 for the 940 and $284 for the 920.The X58 Express chipset covers both the northbridge/southbridge operations. The X58 IOH supports up to 36 PCIe 2.0 lanes. Depending on the processor model, QPI may run at either 6.4 GT/sec (Core i7-965) or 6.4 GT/sec (Core i7-940, i7-920) to communicate with the X58 Express chipset in each direction. This is twice the bandwidth of Intel's currently available X48 chipset, plus the full-duplex transport instead of the half-duplex. AMD's HyperTransport 3.0 still has an advantage herewith up to 41.6GB/s of bi-directional bandwidth.However, the X58 Express does not support the legacy PS/2 IDE, serial or parallel ports.

Turbo mode

Under the "TurboMode", the utilization of the number of active cores is used to adjust the frequency. For example, if only two cores are active, then there will be much more headroom within the thermal and power envelope and the CPU will be clocked higher. So the "turbo" frequencies of each core depend on the number of cores active. We could say that this is mainly a power saving feature.

Turbo Mode boasts single threaded applications as well as the performance of multi-threaded applications, according to Intel. Below is a graph that Intel showed with the Core i7 Extreme CPU to process in single-core and quad-core configurations, with Turbo Mode enabled. The graph shows the percent performance increase with Turbo Mode enable.


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Intel to unveil detail of new 32-nm process at IEDM

By Koushik Saha on 3.11.08

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Intel’s current lineup of desktop and laptop processors are currently being built with a 45nm process, a process which AMD is only now catching up with. It appears however that the race continues as Intel plans to unveil its new 32nm process technology on December 15th at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). 32nm might sound like nothing new, and in actuality the technology was first showcased back in 2007. At the time however, little was revealed and the company didn’t give many details as to the process itself. According to recent information Intel will share the specifics for the first time at IDEM and we expect to hear an announcement on new processors as well. The first platform is is rumored to be codenamed ‘Westmere’ which should hit the market in late 2009. Westmere however, is expected to be little more than a die shrink of Nehalem.New features of the 32nm manufacturing process are expected to include second-generation high-k/metal gate technology, and nine levels of low-k interconnect dielectrics. According to the EE Times, Intel tested its new process by building a 32nm, 291-Mbit SRAM array test chip which has a cell size of 0.171-micron2. It houses over 2 billion transistors and has an array density of 4.2-Mbit2. The chip managed to run at an impressive 3.8 GHz while requiring only a meager 1.1v. Given the amount of time Intel has been working on this process experts expect commercialization next year to be highly plausible. The die shrinks will have the greatest benefits for mobile computing as it will boot performance while lowering the voltage requirements and the amount of heat generated. The future for mobile computing is bright indeed.


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Intel scheduled Moorestown Platform in 2009-2010

By Koushik Saha on 20.10.08

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Looking to capitalize on the new surge of Internet-based applications and innovations, Intel today announced that its architecture is well positioned to be at the core of new innovations and transformation, according to Intel executive Anand Chandrasekher.

"Technology innovation is the catalyst for new user experiences, industry collaborations and business models that together will shape the next 40 years," said Chandrasekher. "As the next billion people connect to and experience the Internet, significant opportunities lie in the power of technology and the development of purpose-built devices that deliver more targeted computing needs and experiences."

Based on these observations, Intel spoke about the Atom processor, the upcoming "Nehalem" processor, and the Intel "Moorestown" platform scheduled for the 2009-2010 timeframe. The company also highlighted the progress they are making in the Mobile Internet Devices (MID) market segment with the world's first working "Moorestown" platform demonstration.Moorestown comprises of an SOC, codenamed "Lincroft," which integrates the 45nm processor, graphics, memory controller and video encode/decode onto a single chip and an I/O hub codenamed "Langwell", which supports a range of I/O ports to connect with wireless, storage, and display components in addition to incorporating several board level functions.

Chandrasekher stated that Intel is on track to reduce Moorestown platform idle power by more than 10x compared to the first-generation MIDs based on the Intel Atom processor. He indicated that Moorestown platforms will support a range of wireless technologies including 3G, WiMAX, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and mobile TV.

Additionally, Chandrasekher announced collaboration with Ericsson for HSPA data modules optimized for the Moorestown platform. He also announced that Option is extending its collaboration for HSPA modules to the Moorestown platform. These 3G modules are 25x30x2.x mm in size, are optimized for Moorestown power requirements and will help provide MID users with always-on Internet-based experiences.

The company also provided details for the Intel Core i7 processor, launching next month.


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Core i7 Processors not too late to arrive

By Koushik Saha on 15.10.08

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The wait is almost over for anyone who has been anticipating Intel's upcoming processor lineup based on the Nehalem architecture. Citing un-named "industry sources," TGDaily says the new processors will launch on November 17, a little over one month from now. That won't be a paper launch either, as Intel CEO Paul Otellini said during the company's Q3 quarter conference call that Core i7 processors have already begun shipping.

While nothing is yet official, rumors regarding the three desktop processors expected to make the initial Core i7 debut remain unchanged from earlier speculation. These include the Core i7-965XE clocked at 3.2GHz, Core i7-940 clocked at 2.93GHz, and Core i7-920 clocked at 2.66GHz. According to those same sources, pricing in thousand tray quantities will be set at $999, $562, and $284 for the 965XE, 940, and 920 respectively.Also coinciding with the desktop parts, Intel is expected to release high-performance server chips codenamed Nehalem-EP.


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Intel soon to release 6-core Dunnington

By Koushik Saha on 13.9.08

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At the VMWorld Conference in Las Vegas, Intel will possibly release a six-core Xeon 7400 processor codenamed Dunnington. Aimed at the blade/server segment, this six-core chip is manufactured on the tick 45nm process, and will be the last chip in the Penryn lineup.

Dunnington has each core sharing 3MB of L2 cache with access to 16MB of L3 cache. Frequently used instructions can be stored in these large memory caches to reduce bottlenecks. The Thermal Design Power rating is approximately 130W, and the chip supports 1066 MegaTransfers per second interconnectivity and new SSE4 instruction set.At Intel Developer Forum last month, Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and co-general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group announced that Intel servers had broken multiple world performance awards. The Dunnington chip will precede Nehalem chips which will come in two, four and eight cores with integrated graphics.


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Intel CPU roadmap leaked

By Koushik Saha on 7.9.08

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It seems that a few more pieces of info on Intel's roadmap for the 2008-2010 timeframe have leaked to the web and, although they have not been yet officially established as accurate, some sites already jumped on publishing articles on the matter. Looking at the chip manufacturer's already confirmed plans, the leaked information seems to be reliable enough, at least for what Intel has in mind at this moment, but no one can say for sure that changes will not appear in the future.An article published by PCWatch earlier showed a number of diagrams that presented some Nehalem breakdowns, and those interested in making a comparison between Lynnfield, Havendale, Westmere, and Bloomfield can take a look at them here. The diagrams we attached to this article give more information on Intel's roadmap until 2010, as well as some specs on the Atom processor.

Intel has already launched strong value parts on the market, and E7300 (2.6GHz Wolfdale, 3MB L2) is one of them, although is seems that its projection on the “Essential” is not too accurate. Q4 is stated to bring Bloomfield for the “Mainstream 3”, and this will be the only Nehalem to launch until Q2/Q3 2009, when a full flavored Core i7 lineup is expected to burst. The Core 2 will be pushed to the “Value 2” area at that time. The Core 2 Duo technology seems to go into the Celeron segment after that, and the Nehalem line will cover all the other areas. The new Atom processors set for launch in Q3 2008 are also present in the diagram.

According to the chart, the first half of 2010 will bring the six-core Westmere for the high-end segment of the market. The chip manufacturer seems to be planning the push of quad-core and hexa-core processors into the mass market, although there are few applications that would support this number of processors.
The Atom 330 will be launched in the next few weeks, while Atom 230 is already here. The new chips should come in 2009, but it remains to be seen whether Intel will have the single-core released before the dual-core model. The roadmap shows changes in the CPU's platform as well as an integrated GPU core, but it's not clear yet whether the GPU core will be integrated in the Atom or the company will go for a multi-die package.

Most likely, the new processors will also feature an integrated memory controller, given the fact that the boards use DMI and not the standard FSB. The chip manufacturer is suspected to opt for the use of an MCM package for Pinefield, with the CPU+IMC on one die, and the GPU core on the other. The MCH and the ICH are connected through the DMI link, making the FSB term unusable.

Hopefully, Atom will have a friendlier desktop chipset, one that will also fit its power consumption. Currently, both Atom 230 and the next-to-come Atom 330 work on the rather old 945GC platform, which needs more energy to operate than the Atom itself. The new processors will probably have higher clock speeds as well.


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Some details of Nehalem

By Koushik Saha on 23.8.08

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Nehalem is the codename for Intel's next generation Core microarchitecture--which has recently been given the official processor family name of "Core i7." Nehalem was one of the big topics of discussion at IDF--and not just because it represents the next generation of Intel's processors, but also because the clock is winding down quickly on when the chip will make its official, public debut. An official date has not been given yet, but Intel is promising that we'll see Nehalem systems for sale sometime in Q4 of this year.This article represents the culmination of several IDF presentations, privates meetings, and conversations with Intel representatives from this past week--most of the slides are from a presentation give by Rajesh Kumar, Intel Fellow and Director of Intel's Director, Circuit, & Low Power Technologies.

Intel claims that Nehalem represents the biggest platform architecture change to date. This might be true, but it is not a grounds-up, completely new architecture design. An Intel representative told us that Nehalem "shares a significant portion of the P6 gene pool"--it does not include many new instructions and has approximately the same sized pipeline as Penryn. Nehalem is built upon Penryn, but with significant architectural changes to improve performance and power efficiency. It includes more external ports and deeper buffers. Nehalem will be manufactured on a 45nm process and will be the basis for Intel's forthcoming platforms, including the desktop, server, and mobile spaces.
One of the biggest changes Intel made with Nehalem is integrating the memory controller directly into the processor (which up to now has been located in the Northbridge of Intel's chipsets). Nehalem supports native DDR3 SDRAM memory (3 channels per socket) and up to the three DIMMs per channel. This three-channel memory architecture is a radical departure from the dual-channel SDRAM memory architecture that has existed since 2003 with the introduction of Springdale. Intel claims up to a 3.4x increase in memory bandwidth from Pernryn. As DDR3 memory speeds get faster, Intel says we could potentially see up to a 6x increase in memory bandwidth. Intel also claims that memory latencies have improved by more than 40 percent.


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Intel officially confirms 'Core i7'

By Koushik Saha on 11.8.08

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The rumors we heard on Friday were apparently true. Intel has sent out a press release saying its next-generation Nehalem processors will indeed bear the Core i7 brand—at least, some of the chips will.

Intel Corporation announced today that desktop processors based on the company’s upcoming new microarchitecture (codenamed "Nehalem") will be formally branded "Intel® Core™ processor." The first products in this new family of processors, including an "Extreme Edition" version, will carry an "i7" identifier and will be formally branded as "Intel® Core™ i7 processor." This is the first of several new identifiers to come as different products launch over the next year.Intel goes on to explain that the Core i7 badge will go on "high-performance desktop PCs with a separate black logo for Intel’s highest-end 'Extreme Edition.'" The first Nehalem CPUs are still on track to hit production "in the fourth quarter of this year."

If we mix rumors with official information, Intel's announcement suggests the Core i7 brand will apply to Bloomfield chips, which will supposedly launch later this year with prices tags ranging from $284 to $999. Mobile and low-end desktop derivatives should follow in the third quarter of next year, and the wording of Intel's press release hints they might have different brand names.


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Intel's First Nehalem Chipset - X58

By Koushik Saha on 10.5.08

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Intel's upcoming generation of processors, called the Nehalem, will be introduced later this year, and all the signals point to a Q4 release. As previously stated by the chip manufacturer during this spring's Intel Developer
Forum, the first Nehalem units to hit the market will be built on the 45-nanometer process technology (Bloomfield silicon) and will sport four processing cores.

It is widely known that the 4-core behemoth will come with an integrated DDR3-1333 memory controller, SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) technology and 8 MB of L2 cache. The SMT implementation will allow each of the CPU cores to simultaneously process two threads, just like the previous HyperThreading technology introduced back in the Pentium 4 era.

In spite of all the details regarding the Nehalem Bloomfield chips, Intel is still not talking about a supportive motherboard for the upcoming architecture. However, recent details leaked from the chip manufacturer point to the fact that the first Nehalem-ready motherboard will be built around the Intel Tylesburg chipset, that seems to be branded as X58.The X58 will be packed full with new features, and is expected to work in conjunction with Intel's ancient ICH10/R southbridge. According to Intel's chipset roadmap, the new northbridge is expected to arrive sometime during the fourth quarter of 2008, probably at the same time as the Bloomfield silicon.

Motherboards built using the X58 chipset will provide triple-channel DDR3-1333 support, two or four PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, a Socket 1366 interconnect and seem to be the company's flagship platform offering for desktop computing. Other motherboard features are currently unknown, especially the graphics part.

According to previous rumors, Intel will ditch SLI support from its Nehalem line-up and the Tylesburg chip are expected to come with CrossFireX technology instead.
source :Softpedia.com


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