IDF Keynote: Intel is Carrying the PC Torch

While Windows 8 hogs the spotlight at Microsoft's BUILD conference, the Intel Developer Meeting place starts now with plenty of processor-central announcements. Say on to see how 22nm tri-gate transistors, Ultrabooks, and other Intel projects will bod the next fewer years for the PIC.

Not a Post-PC world quite yet

Despite completely the hoopla at IDF about Intel-based smartphones, tablets and other devices, Intel still views the PC as the nub of the user's digital world.

That's the implicit substance heard at St. Paul Otellini's keynote speech. While the relationship 'tween Intel and Microsoft has been strained recently, minded Microsoft's announcement that Windows 8 would work with ARM-supported devices, Intel still talked up the Microcomputer. Paul Otellini and single Intel demo folk showed several apps that attempt to seamlessly integrate tablets and phones supported Google's Android OS with Windows-based PCs.

The PC love extended to Otellini talking upfield Intel's Ultrabook initiative. Recent Ultrabook announcements reinforce Otellini's point, every bit does Intel's $300 jillio investment in helping OEMs and ODMs deliver Ultrabook class systems to the market.

Still, IT was easy to find certify of the ongoing tensity between Redmond and Kriss Kringle Clara. While Otellini mentioned Windows 8 (without mentioning the parallel Windows Establish group discussion hosted by Microsoft low-spirited in Anaheim), atomic number 2 brought Andy Rubin of Google on stage to announce a novel development relationship between Intel and Google. While Windows may be for PCs, Intel seems to see Android as the basis for all those devices, like tablets and smartphones, that would be connected 24/7 to the PC. Not a idiosyncratic Windows Earpiece 7 device was in sight.

Also wanting was some advert of Orchard apple tree, despite Apple's register gross revenue of MacBook stemma plus iMacs running play Intel CPUs.

These are all indicators of the on-going suboceanic change in the industry, as the big tech companies adjust to a postal service-PC world. The PC Crataegus laevigata still be a critical set off of users' lives, but whether it remains the core of the digital universe is uncertain. And if there's one thing Intel doesn't like, it's uncertainty.

22nm Tri-Gate: Transistors in 3D

Mark Bohr, Intel Senior Fellow, discussed some of the challenges inherent with shrinking the CPU to smaller and smaller die sizes. As the transistor density increases, power becomes a prima issue. Bohr discussed Intel's decision to construct unbowed fins in the atomic number 14 layers to help carry drive stream and increase performance.

In fact, chip designers can chain unneurotic bigeminal fins to increase performance, although at the cost of more power consumption. But the boilersuit power efficiency (in performance per watt) increases. Tri-gate transistors can operate at frown voltages for the same CPU performance, oblation up to a 50% simplification in power consumption. Bohr noted that they'd still see a 37% improvement in power usage atomic number 3 anti to building their next generation CPUs using planar 22nm techniques.

All this performance and power use of goods and services good doesn't come unfreeze. CPUs are built onto large silicon wafers with hundreds of CPU dies. Wafers are expensive, and using tri-gate will increase wafer costs 2-3% o'er planar 22nm designs. But Intel feels the power wasting disease and performance gains outweigh the wafer costs.

Interestingly, Bohr also noted that at 32nm (prior to tri-logic gate), Intel actually has iii families of transistors for different product requirements: high performance, standard operation and low power. This is different from the 65nm era, when Intel offered a single typecast of junction transistor to all their CPU designers.

22nm Roadmap

Intel VP Steve Adam Smith discussed product development with 22nm tri-gate applied science.

Smith suggested that a quadriceps femoris-core CPU can be built in the same expanse and with the same business leader consumption in 22nm tri-logic gate as dual core CPUs in 32nm. They'll actually have unlike manufacturing processes in situ for standard CPUs and organisation-happening-chip products (which may end up in mobile devices.)

Hedera helix Bridge and Haswell will use the swollen carrying into action swear out and will be used to build server, desktop and laptop CPUs. Common ivy Bridge will be the first CPU shipped on 22nm early in 2020, with Haswell coming later. Atom, considered a system-on-poker chip, will apply the other summons. Atom products based on 22nm volition commence with the version code-named Silvermont in 2020. David Smith said Intel is planning on writhing Atom to 14nm away 2020.

Contempt having different processes for system-on-chip and traditional CPUs, Intel is centralising its design efforts and design teams, which will share all the technologies irrelevant of the process. The unified teams and design approach will help Intel accelerate the development pace.

While Intel is busy acquiring its Ultrabook initiative launched, the Ultrabook will see its maturity with the 22nm Haswell generation, when users testament see a 20x betterment in network-connected secondary time.

Stay tuned for more IDF reporting o'er the next three years.