ZDNet UK


Skip to Main Content

ZDNet.co.uk - Winner of Best Business Website 2007
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Blogs
  4. Reviews
  5. Prices
  6. Resources
  7. Community
  8. My ZDNet

 

ZDNet UK RSS Feeds


IT Jobs

Processors Toolkit

CPU roadmap: 2008 and beyond

Rich Brown & Michelle Thatcher CNET

Published: 22 Apr 2008

  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendly
  • Post Comment

H2 2008

Say hello to Nehalem
Where Penryn was Intel's move to increased power efficiency, Nehalem, which is set to debut in the latter half of 2008, will introduce a brand new CPU architecture. This pattern of shrinking the die one year, then revamping the core architecture the next is how Intel chip development will proceed, at least under its currently stated release plan. For example, 2009 will feature supposedly more power-efficient, 32nm process Nehalem-equivalent chips (code-named Westmere), while 2010 will feature a new chip architecture design, code-named Sandy Bridge (formerly Gesher), and so on.

Intel's 'tick-tock' cadence model
Intel has settled on an alternating schedule of shrinking the size of its chips with one release ('tick') while revamping the chips' architecture with the next release ('tock'). A tick-tock cycle will occur every two years (see table, below).

For Nehalem, the big innovation will involve Intel linking the CPU to other components on the board via a new technology now branded QuickPath (formerly Common System Interface), a next-generation interconnect technology designed to compete with AMD's HyperTransport. Although AMD's 65nm Phenom has not fared as well against Intel's new 45nm Core 2 Duo chips, when the two were on the same die-size during the old Athlon/Pentium D days, AMD's built-in memory controller design was a significant factor in the Athlon's speed advantage. By introducing a similar design with Nehalem, Intel may further distance itself from AMD with its faster 45nm designs.

AMD's projections for the latter half of year include the very important move to the 45nm manufacturing process. We have a feeling we'll see at least a 45nm Opteron before the end of 2008, if not a full-fledged 45nm, HyperTransport 3.0-based Phenom desktop chip. We were also supposed to have AMD's new Socket AM3 motherboard chipsets by the beginning of 2008. This new circuitry will let AMD-based PCs use DDR3 memory, among other features. We've seen projections saying AM3 will be out by the end of this year, and others placing it in 2009. Moving to DDR3 isn't quite urgent enough yet for us to start feeling impatient, but by the end of this year it will likely be a requirement of any serious PC enthusiast. Hopefully AMD will have some concrete info on its next-generation motherboard chipsets, if not a full-fledged product launch, by the end of this year.

Intel's 'tick-tock' development model

Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture

Tock New architecture

65nm

65nm 

Core Duo

Core 2 Duo

2005 - 2006

Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture

Tock New architecture

45nm

45nm 

Penryn

Nehalem 

2007 - 2008

Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture

Tock New architecture

32nm

32nm 

Westmere

Sandy Bridge*

2008 - 2009

 
* formerly Gesher

 

Next

Previous

1 ... 3 4 5 ... 9


  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendly Print with Kyocera

Did you find this article useful?
18 out of 37 people found this useful



New Products

ecoquiet RM ONE 50: a first look

ecoquiet RM ONE 50: a first look

Intel is talking up its new Atom processor as a basis for low-cost, low-power 'Netbooks' and 'Nettops'. Here, we examine RM's education- focused ecoquiet ONE 50.

MSI Wind: a first look

MSI Wind: a first look

MSI is the latest to join the ranks of would-be ASUS Eee challengers. Here are our first impressions of the forthcoming 10in. Wind notebook.

Apple Time Capsule: a first look

Apple Time Capsule: a first look

With Time Capsule, Apple blends high-bandwidth wireless networking and automated system backup in one tidy-looking package.

Apple MacBook Air: a first look

Apple MacBook Air: a first look

The MacBook Air is not quite an ultraportable, but it is exceptionally thin. Retaining the same 13.3in. display as the current MacBook line, it tapers from 1.94cm thick to just 0.4cm. Apple calls it the 'world's thinnest notebook'.

View all Previews

Discussions

PF PF

dwr50 projection TV?

Wednesday 9 July 2008, 2:16 PM

2 comments
nschoubey nschoubey

voice on blue tooth

Wednesday 9 July 2008, 11:58 AM

1 post