Interesting IDF stuff...

[archibael]

Didn't see this discussed, yet. Forgive me if I'm missing a thread.

Looks like there were a bunch of things demo'd and announced at IDF today:

-- Westmere (32nm CPU + 45nm GPU, MCP) is gearing up for revenue builds in Q4'09

-- A Sandy Bridge (32nm CPU + GPU, monolithic) system was running video and 3D software

-- Early Larrabee silicon was on display running a ray-traced version of Quake Wars on a Gulftown platform

-- 22nm SRAM w/logic: 364Mbit array with 0.092 um^2 cell size (2.9 billion transistors)

Neat stuff. I knew about the first two and guessed at the second two.

 

[Shadow703793]

You forgot Pine Trail: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/eyes-on-with-intels-pine-trail-cpu-gpu-hybrid-and-new-gulftown/

 

[archibael]

Sorry. The press release-esque website I cribbed from was vague on that.

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Yes, it does look like Intel has some impressive news at this IDF. Would be interesting to get more architectural details on Sandy Bridge, since it's supposed to be new instead of a die shrink. Wonder if Intel will make it a LGA-1366 drop-in? I'd guess not since it supposedly has a GPU on-die. And a few more details about Larrabee would be welcome too - esp. some benchmarks . I suppose they are not impressive at the moment since it's early silicon still (and if Intel did have some impressive benchies to show, they'd be on a slide or two).

 

[archibael]

Sandy Bridge straddles the mobile, desktop, and server space, just like Nehalem/Westmere. I am not certain whether the server version is a drop-in for 1366. Sorry.

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Sandy Bridge straddles the mobile, desktop, and server space, just like Nehalem/Westmere. I am not certain whether the server version is a drop-in for 1366. Sorry.

So I'm guessing we'll see 2 - 8 cores for the i3 - i9 lineups as well as server versions.

BTW, Hexus is saying some complimentary things about Intel's 32nm, or maybe not-so-complimentary things about AMD's 32nm :

Intel widens 32nm chasm with AMD

With Intel closer than ever to introducing products based on 32nm technology, many see the technological gap widening with rival AMD, as the smaller chip firm falls farther and farther behind on process technology.

Last time around, AMD introduced its 45nm offerings in Q4 2008; roughly a year after Intel had already brought its 45nm products to market. Now in 2009, Intel is again marching forward with a plan to introduce products built on 32nm technology by the end of 2009, first with "Westmere" or "Dales" chips, and "Sandy Bridge" soon after that. Meanwhile, AMD isn't likely to introduce its 32nm wares until sometime during the first half of 2011.

Of course, AMD claims it will be ramping production on 32nm in 2010, but there is still no concrete timetable for 32nm product shipment, which means that Intel will soon effectively be adding another six months to its technological lead over AMD, leaving the smaller chip firm lagging some 18 months behind.

 

[MarkG]

Hexus [/url] is saying some complimentary things about Intel's 32nm, or maybe not-so-complimentary things about AMD's 32nm :

Yeah, but it's not really AMD's processs now they've sold off the fabs. Which might have an upside: now they're fabless, AMD could always hire Intel to build their 32nm CPUs .