Intel shows off 32nm chip, offers update on Penryn, Nehalem
Presenting at its Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco on Tuesday, Intel Corp. demonstrated the industry's first 32-nanometer (nm) chip and also offered a status update on its upcoming "Penryn" family of processors and next-generation "Nehalem" architecture.
Chief executive Paul Otellini said chips based on its upcoming 32nm technology are due out in 2009 and will include transistors so small that more than 4 million of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. He also provided an overview of the advantages of the upcoming 45nm family of Penryn processors, which are based on the chipmaker's high-k metal gate transistor technology and slated to ship this November.
"Our tick-tock strategy of alternating next generation silicon technology and a new microprocessor architecture -- year after year -- is accelerating the pace of innovation in the industry," said Otellini. "Tick-tock is the engine creating today's most advanced technologies and keeps them coming out at a rapid cadence. Our customers and computer users around the world can count on Intel's innovation engine and manufacturing capability to deliver state-of-the-art performance that rapidly becomes mainstream."
Penryn
When Intel introduces Penryn in a few weeks, it will be the world's first high-volume 45nm processor, the company said. Along with the Silverthorne family of 45nm processors due next year, Penryn will have the small feature size, low-power requirements and high-performance capabilities to meet a wide variety of computing needs from handheld Internet computers to high-end servers.
Intel, which already claims to have achieved more than 750 design wins for the Penryn processor, plans to quickly ramp the technology, introducing 15 new 45nm processors by the end of the year and another 20 in the first quarter of 2008.
"We expect our Penryn processors to provide up to a 20 percent performance increase while improving energy efficiency," he said. "Intel's breakthrough 45nm silicon process technology allows us to provide low-cost, extremely low-power processors for innovative small form factor devices while delivering high-performance, multi-core, multi-featured processors used in the most advanced systems."
Otellini also announced that Intel's 45nm processors and 65nm chipsets would use halogen-free packaging technology beginning next year, yielding chips that will not only be more energy efficient but also better for the environment.
Nehalem
Looking to 2008, the Intel chief also conducted the first public demonstration of Intel's Nehalem processor and said the company is on track to deliver the new processor design in the second half of the year.
The Nehalem architecture was conceived with the company's leadership in performance-per-watt in mind, and will give way to the first chip to utilize Intel's QuickPath Interconnect system architecture, which includes integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links between system components to significantly improve overall system performance.
"Nehalem is an entirely new architecture that leverages Intel's Core Microarchitecture, bringing leading-edge performance advantages, power efficiency and important new server features to market just a year after Intel leads the industry to 45nm technology," said Otellini.
32nm technology
Describing other advanced Intel technologies destined to quickly come to market, Otellini showed the world's first 300mm wafer built using next-generation 32nm process technology. The development of advanced test chips serves as a critical milestone in the company's march toward high-volume manufacturing of 32nm process technology, which it plans for 2009.
Intel's 32nm test chips incorporate logic and memory (static random access memory --SRAM) to house more than 1.9 billion transistors, Otellini said. The 32nm process also uses the company's second-generation high-k and metal gate transistor technology.
This additional performance made possible by Intel's push to drive chip design and manufacturing technology forward will not only be seen in computing, but will enable more true-to-life entertainment and realistic graphics capabilities. As a result, the company said it will be placing increased emphasis on using the power of its processors to enhance key technologies such as visual computing and graphics.
"Satisfying demand for ever-greater computer performance increases means we need to move rapidly to the next manufacturing technology." said Otellini. "Intel engineers and researchers deserve a great deal of credit for setting the pace for the industry. As our advanced technology reaches consumers and businesses in the next couple of years the amount of computing power they'll be able to harness will help them become even more productive, creative and innovative."
25 watt Penryn
During his presentation, Otellini also announced that a version of a Penryn dual-core processor operating at 25 watts will be available on the upcoming Montevina platform, which will include Intel's mobile WiMAX silicon. He said several equipment manufacturers are already planning to introduce Montevina-based notebook PCs starting next year when the platform is introduced.
Chief executive Paul Otellini said chips based on its upcoming 32nm technology are due out in 2009 and will include transistors so small that more than 4 million of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. He also provided an overview of the advantages of the upcoming 45nm family of Penryn processors, which are based on the chipmaker's high-k metal gate transistor technology and slated to ship this November.
"Our tick-tock strategy of alternating next generation silicon technology and a new microprocessor architecture -- year after year -- is accelerating the pace of innovation in the industry," said Otellini. "Tick-tock is the engine creating today's most advanced technologies and keeps them coming out at a rapid cadence. Our customers and computer users around the world can count on Intel's innovation engine and manufacturing capability to deliver state-of-the-art performance that rapidly becomes mainstream."
Penryn
When Intel introduces Penryn in a few weeks, it will be the world's first high-volume 45nm processor, the company said. Along with the Silverthorne family of 45nm processors due next year, Penryn will have the small feature size, low-power requirements and high-performance capabilities to meet a wide variety of computing needs from handheld Internet computers to high-end servers.
Intel, which already claims to have achieved more than 750 design wins for the Penryn processor, plans to quickly ramp the technology, introducing 15 new 45nm processors by the end of the year and another 20 in the first quarter of 2008.
"We expect our Penryn processors to provide up to a 20 percent performance increase while improving energy efficiency," he said. "Intel's breakthrough 45nm silicon process technology allows us to provide low-cost, extremely low-power processors for innovative small form factor devices while delivering high-performance, multi-core, multi-featured processors used in the most advanced systems."
Otellini also announced that Intel's 45nm processors and 65nm chipsets would use halogen-free packaging technology beginning next year, yielding chips that will not only be more energy efficient but also better for the environment.
Nehalem
Looking to 2008, the Intel chief also conducted the first public demonstration of Intel's Nehalem processor and said the company is on track to deliver the new processor design in the second half of the year.
The Nehalem architecture was conceived with the company's leadership in performance-per-watt in mind, and will give way to the first chip to utilize Intel's QuickPath Interconnect system architecture, which includes integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links between system components to significantly improve overall system performance.
"Nehalem is an entirely new architecture that leverages Intel's Core Microarchitecture, bringing leading-edge performance advantages, power efficiency and important new server features to market just a year after Intel leads the industry to 45nm technology," said Otellini.
32nm technology
Describing other advanced Intel technologies destined to quickly come to market, Otellini showed the world's first 300mm wafer built using next-generation 32nm process technology. The development of advanced test chips serves as a critical milestone in the company's march toward high-volume manufacturing of 32nm process technology, which it plans for 2009.
Intel's 32nm test chips incorporate logic and memory (static random access memory --SRAM) to house more than 1.9 billion transistors, Otellini said. The 32nm process also uses the company's second-generation high-k and metal gate transistor technology.
This additional performance made possible by Intel's push to drive chip design and manufacturing technology forward will not only be seen in computing, but will enable more true-to-life entertainment and realistic graphics capabilities. As a result, the company said it will be placing increased emphasis on using the power of its processors to enhance key technologies such as visual computing and graphics.
"Satisfying demand for ever-greater computer performance increases means we need to move rapidly to the next manufacturing technology." said Otellini. "Intel engineers and researchers deserve a great deal of credit for setting the pace for the industry. As our advanced technology reaches consumers and businesses in the next couple of years the amount of computing power they'll be able to harness will help them become even more productive, creative and innovative."
25 watt Penryn
During his presentation, Otellini also announced that a version of a Penryn dual-core processor operating at 25 watts will be available on the upcoming Montevina platform, which will include Intel's mobile WiMAX silicon. He said several equipment manufacturers are already planning to introduce Montevina-based notebook PCs starting next year when the platform is introduced.
Comments
I know this is a new process, but I would have expected to see this by June, latest. Consider that Intel is several months AHEAD of schedule with 45nm, as they have been for the past 18 months with everything else.
One thing I don't understand from the article published on Anand, which is more detailed, is why Nehalen is coming out late 2008, rather than somewhat earlier. According to Intel, it taped out three weeks ago, and they have it up and running already. They demo'ed it with Windows, and said it was up on OS X as well.
I know this is a new process, but I would have expected to see this by June, latest. Consider that Intel is several months AHEAD of schedule with 45nm, as they have been for the past 18 months with everything else.
I'm not sure why, but chips always seem to be released a year after tape out. I guess there's a lot of fine tuning to do, as well as getting the fabs up to date, etc.
Nehalem's where my next Mac is at.
/Adrian
I ask only because I'm trying to gauge the amount of time it'll take for Apple to begin introducing these chips in their lineup. Would they be able to have designs finalized and in production in time for MWSF?
"Looking to 2008, the Intel chief also conducted the first public demonstration of Intel's Nehalem processor and said the company is on track to deliver the new processor design in the second half of the year."
How does one "demonstrate" a new processor? Do they mean 'first public showing'? If it's a demonstration, do they use a desktop outfitted with the Nehalem and show the 'Tubes' screensaver running really, really fast, as you hear attendees whispering to each other, "Wow, notice how much faster the tubes are redrawn compared to the 45nm processors? Amazing!"
Can someone reconcile the following statement:
"Looking to 2008, the Intel chief also conducted the first public demonstration of Intel's Nehalem processor and said the company is on track to deliver the new processor design in the second half of the year."
How does one "demonstrate" a new processor? Do they mean 'first public showing'? If it's a demonstration, do they use a desktop outfitted with the Nehalem and show the 'Tubes' screensaver running really, really fast, as you hear attendees whispering to each other, "Wow, notice how much faster the tubes are redrawn compared to the 45nm processors? Amazing!"
They put a screen up showing a benchmark of floating point calculations, integer calculations, etc., compared to the previous (or different) chip.
For all you know, it could be a Keynote presentation, but it looks nice.
I'm not sure why, but chips always seem to be released a year after tape out. I guess there's a lot of fine tuning to do, as well as getting the fabs up to date, etc.
Nehalem's where my next Mac is at.
/Adrian
Not necessarily. Often chips go into production 3 months after tape-out.
this can easily be illustrated by the showing of actual computers running Nehalen with Windows, and being told that OS X was up and running on it as well.
We see this in the graphics industry all the time, where chips are in production before three months after tape-out.
I was expecting to see Nehalen in production by May, and possible new machines from Apple using them by the Dev conf.
Now, we may not see them until late fall, possibly later?Macworld, though I hope not.
When they say Penryn will be dropping in a few weeks, does that mean that's when it'll first become available to manufacturers, or when we'll start seeing the first consumer products employing the new chips?
I ask only because I'm trying to gauge the amount of time it'll take for Apple to begin introducing these chips in their lineup. Would they be able to have designs finalized and in production in time for MWSF?
Manufacturers.
During his presentation, Otellini also announced that a version of a Penryn dual-core processor operating at 25 watts will be available on the upcoming Montevina platform, which will include Intel's mobile WiMAX silicon. He said several equipment manufacturers are already planning to introduce Montevina-based notebook PCs starting next year when the platform is introduced.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
About a week ago I made a post about what I thought it would take to make a really great subnotebook (or ultra-compact, or whatever). It looks like this chip answers two of the points.
On a separate note, this should coincide well with my hardware upgrade periodicity. So. . . iMac, Mac Pro, or MacBook Pro. . . Hmm.
About a week ago I made a post about what I thought it would take to make a really great subnotebook (or ultra-compact, or whatever). It looks like this chip answers two of the points.
Looks to be a good year, next year.
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Think we might see Penryn Macs in time to coincide with the Leopard launch?
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Only if Leopard is delayed again by another two months or so.
if desktop and mobile are selling 50-50 then why mobile cpus should be priced higher than desktop parts...
Performance per watt
performance per price - whether desktop or mobile cpus ..
iMac/MacBooks will be cheaper ... then AIO iMacs makes more sense
Only if Leopard is delayed again by another two months or so.
Check. Am gonna delay any Leopard Mac purchases in that case.
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One thing I don't understand from the article published on Anand, which is more detailed, is why Nehalen is coming out late 2008, rather than somewhat earlier. According to Intel, it taped out three weeks ago, and they have it up and running already. They demo'ed it with Windows, and said it was up on OS X as well.
Short answer: bugs in the design. Even taking an existing design and "adding" a few features can introduce hardware bugs that can take a year to track down and iron out. Speaking from experience working for a microprocessor manufacturer (Zilog) many years ago, where the process was much more labor intensive, but with the quadzillion circuit increase, probably much the same time frame.
Short answer: bugs in the design. Even taking an existing design and "adding" a few features can introduce hardware bugs that can take a year to track down and iron out. Speaking from experience working for a microprocessor manufacturer (Zilog) many years ago, where the process was much more labor intensive, but with the quadzillion circuit increase, probably much the same time frame.
I'm not so sure. They didn't say that they did the first tapeout. They had silicon running. Usually, you don't do that until you have confidence the design is pretty much secured.
That doesn't mean that they might not want to do some efficiency re-working. But, it shouldn't take another 11 months. It should be through by February.
I think they just want to give the first 45nm gen a chance to pay out.
OK, I will ask the question everyone is dying to: Should I update my G3 iMac to Penryn or wait for Nehalem? On second thought maybe I should just wait until the 32nm shrink.
At your update rate you may as well wait for 1nm processors.
At your update rate you may as well wait for 1nm processors.
Yes, after waiting this long, what's another decade or two?
At your update rate you may as well wait for 1nm processors.
I'm surprised that UV photolith has made it this far, but 1nm. . . no fucking way. (?)