Intel's 32nm Core i7 Coming this Year
On a telephone briefing today, Intel announced that its 32 nm processors will begin production later this year, specifically in the 4th quarter of 2009.
Intel is in the process of bringing Core i7 down to a 32 nm fabrication process and will begin production and shipping of the processor in the second half of 2009. The new 32 nm platform is codenamed Westmere and is comprised of two 32 nm Core i7 processors and a new chipset family called the Intel 5-series (P55 and P57). With the move to 32 nm, Intel will free up room on the package to integrate graphics. With Westmere-based Core i7 processors, the first series of products will come with a 45nm integrated graphics core and memory controller, on a separate die, on the same processor.
According to Intel, the following processors will be on their way later this year:
Desktop Performance / Mainstream:
Clarkdale: 2 cores / 4 threads, with integrated graphics/memory controller
Mobile Extreme / Mainstream:
Arrandale: 2 cores /4 threads, with integrated graphics/memory controller
Intel will be utilizing existing graphics technologies, manufacture the integrated graphics die at 45nm and not be using any new graphics technologies--specifically Larrabee.
Prior to the two 32 nm Core i7 products above, Intel will release Lynnfield and Clarksfield for the desktop and mobile markets, respectively. Both of which will be 45 nm Core i7 processors offering four cores/eight threads with the same on-die memory controller as existing i7 CPUs. All four processors will be running on the Intel 5-series chipset family as well. While Intel did say that 32 nm processors will begin production later in the year, Intel hesitated to indicate when products from OEMs will begin to be available on the market.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Once Intel's Westmere platform is on the market, Intel will begin its next transition into a future platform called Sandy Bridge, which will succeed the Nehalem microarchitecture.
-
68vistacruiser Well, there's another motherboard upgrade, I bet. I figured my X58 would only be good for the 45nm cpu's, and I'm sure that will end up being true.Reply -
hop Can't keep up anymore, as soon as you buy a system, it goes out of style in six months. :-)Reply -
way to go intel.. produce the bast cpu's and then cripple it with suck ass graphics controllers..Reply
-
etrnl_frost Pretty much, Hop. I'm stopping with my Q9650 and settling down until this all stops. Which... might be never, but I'll be that much more rich.Reply -
Tindytim HopCan't keep up anymore, as soon as you buy a system, it goes out of style in six months. :-)I don't think these models are attempts to beat out the Current Core i7s. They're just here to start filling in the i7 line with more mainstream products.Reply -
rocketw31 If you are on X58 you are going backwards by going to 32nm at this time. It seems that some people don't understand that not every new product that comes out is better than the one they have now, and that Intel markets parts to many different segments of the market. Did people not even read the part of the article that talked about these chips using integrated graphics and having 2 cores? Do people read ANYTHING anymore??????????????????????????????????????Reply -
alvine I was hoping for 4+ core 32nm cpu :< Kinda cool that they integrate gpu on it so MAYBE you can power off the big graphic cards and use the integrated while you surf the internet....Reply -
descendency Why is the on die memory controller 2 channel if Westmere is a 3 channel cpu? Is Westmere not like the current Nehalem processors?Reply
This would be saddening... -
etrnl_frost rocketw31If you are on X58 you are going backwards by going to 32nm at this time. It seems that some people don't understand that not every new product that comes out is better than the one they have now, and that Intel markets parts to many different segments of the market. Did people not even read the part of the article that talked about these chips using integrated graphics and having 2 cores? Do people read ANYTHING anymore??????????????????????????????????????Reply
Hey, I read it. And I also note that it's not necessarily raw power that keeps people upgrading. Efficiency is another thing that is looked at. The move to a smaller process will probably lead to cooler processors - and in this case something interesting in die size, where they can add particular integrated chipsets. This is a boon to the HTPC market. However, just buying the die shrunk 45nm Core 2 Duo last year for an HTPC... it makes one wonder how much money idle costs are causing them to throw out the window.