Intel fires up Penryn production at new Arizona facility

We don't proclaim to be experts in chip making or anything, but it seems like everything at Intel's new Fab 32 production facility in Chandler, Arizona better function mighty smoothly in order to meet that November 12th street date the firm is still holding to. Yep, today marks the day that Intel starts production on its highly-anticipated Penryn at a $3 billion factory, which is being hailed as the company's "first plant dedicated to churning out 45-nanometer microprocessors." 'Course, Intel's only got six days left if it plans on being the first company to crank out the goods before ole Panasonic steals the thunder, and you can bet we'll be waiting in tense anticipation.

[Via Reuters / Yahoo]

[CharlieX @ Oct 25th 2007 6:07PM]

3 billion clams and they get a dirt parking lot. suckers!

[Alex Groleau @ Oct 25th 2007 7:41PM]

Silicon comes from dirt. If they need some more they can just go outside and scoop some up :-)

[Phreak511 @ Oct 25th 2007 6:58PM]

That's not dirt.

It's gold dust........

[qbit @ Oct 25th 2007 7:10PM]

The exterior is still under construction wise-ass. And who cares about the exterior anyway, we make the chips on the inside. If the only thing you can bitch-and-moan about is the unfinished exterior, you seriously need to get a life. Freakin' loser............

[CharlieX @ Oct 25th 2007 7:36PM]

@qbit. dude. WTF took a greasy turd in your cereal this morning? You need to stop having pissy fits over sarcastic comments on Engadget. You hoser!

[BigPana @ Oct 25th 2007 10:12PM]

What the hell is a hoser?

[Philometalist @ Oct 25th 2007 6:08PM]

Here comes the new Mac Pro!

[Sirocco @ Oct 25th 2007 6:17PM]

"we'll be waiting in tense anticipation"? Surely you jest.

[coolant8 @ Oct 25th 2007 6:19PM]

at long last,then it comes out, it will be already be outdated...
AMD K10.5 is already looking sweet.

[roach @ Oct 25th 2007 6:21PM]

What Intel run Apple computer?! I thought Intel sucks compare to G# processors...well, thats what Stevie and followers kept claiming.

[JeffDM @ Oct 25th 2007 6:28PM]

Wha? Why are you pretending to just get the memo now? At the time it was often true, in comparison to the line of Netburst processors. With Core & Core2, it's definitely not the case, but they weren't available at the time.

[roach @ Oct 25th 2007 6:51PM]

Ahh...competition is what keeps Window industry in the cutting edge of technology development. Something Apple industry prevent with its closed platform. If that was the case, you guys would still be using G#. But then again debugging system would be easier with so few configuration.

[Constable Odo @ Oct 25th 2007 6:49PM]

Intel processors only suck when running Windows especially Vista. Intel processors are unbelievably superb when running OSX especially Leopard.

Otellini kept begging Steve Jobs to switch to Intel. He swore Apple would not have to put on any stupid Intel Inside sticker to ruin the computer's looks. He said the only way Intel's dream could be recognized would be to used in an Apple computer.

Paul Otellini always hated the idea of his beautiful Intel chips sitting in boringly ugly PC boxes. Now Otellini swears all the fastest top-bin Intel chips will go into MacPros and XServes before any other computer vendor gets them. He said he can hardly wait until until Vista fails and Apple computers take over the world of computing. Que sera, sera.

There's a secret project going on at this new plant. 4.5 GHz 4-core Harpertowns exclusively for MacPros. Oh crap! I wasn't supposed to tell anybody.
http://techgage.com/news/fastest_harpertowns_to_be_apple-exclusive/

[eX @ Oct 25th 2007 7:30PM]

Wow, you obviously are an Apple fanboi. Vista and XP run great on even mid range pc, and it doesn't necessarily have to be Core based. As far as Apple exclusivity, who cares? Any pc user with some knowledge knows that Core based procs overclock like hell so it's not a problem to get faster performance out of a cheaper proc. Just imagine how much Apple would overcharge for these, not like 4.5GHz is true anyway (your article doesn't support that claim btw). You're also forgetting that Apple is simply a proprietary pc nowdays, nothing more. Sorry to break this to you buddy. If you only seen ugly pc's, you're obviously were in a budget isle in Best Buy, and as a side note, Apple doesn't offer anything at a budget price so I fail to see your comparison. Even your man Stevie tells you to think different, and yet you don't and are blind to other technology and choices around you. As for the stickers, it's a manufacturer's choice. Parts vendors pay builders for putting the stickers so by doing that consumers can get computers for less. Not like the stickers are permanently attached anyway, you can always peel them off if that's such a big concern for you.

[roach @ Oct 25th 2007 7:02PM]

Wow...an Apple exclusive again. Reminds me back in 99 when nvidia/Apple was suppose to be running latest Doom exclusively on Apple. Well, we all know what happened there.

A new faster chip for Apple! Welcome to Window industry where chips will be slow chips within 6 months.

By the way if Windows stop using Intel, Intel will go down the tubes no matter how many chips Apple buys.

[Brian Lindenau @ Oct 25th 2007 7:25PM]

Nov. 12 ships won't come from this factory...

"Intel will ship its first 45 nanometer microprocessors on Nov. 12 from a smaller demonstration fab in Oregon. The first chips from Fab 32 will be delivered in the first quarter of next year."

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/100446

[hp540 @ Oct 26th 2007 12:05AM]

No water in Arizona? Who cares! I'm sure a lot of shady under-the-table dealings were done to get that fab there.

[TIMMAH! @ Oct 25th 2007 7:37PM]

Wow, a manufacturing plant in the US. How novel!

[JeffDM @ Oct 25th 2007 10:01PM]

Actually, the oddest part is that semiconductor fabbing is a water-heavy process, and they built this fab in Arizona! Arizona is not a state known for water availability.

[Brian Lindenau @ Oct 26th 2007 12:57AM]

Intel already has 2 factories at that location. Fab 32 is #3, and actually, the factory will recycle 70% of the water it uses.

"Further, Fab 32 makes use of Intel Arizona’s water conservation and reuse program which conserves more than 70 percent of the water."

http://www.edn.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6494398

[Jordan @ Oct 25th 2007 10:10PM]

Looks kinda like a Porsche dealership...

[Brent @ Oct 26th 2007 5:04PM]

"Course, Intel's only got six days left if it plans on being the first company to crank out the goods before ole Panasonic steals the thunder."
What is Engadget talking about? Panasonic about to build 45Nm chips, or are they bout to start building CPUs for PCs? Also, what is Intel supposed to accomplish with this new Nm size? Seems like since AMD is giving hardcore competiton that Intel has just done to sleep on us. Why in the world do we have to have 2 CPUs to run 8 Cores? The amount of time, and past experiments Intel has had with much larger numbers of corses, they should be beyond the 16 Core segment by now. Hardware just isn't moving anymore.

[Brent @ Oct 26th 2007 5:07PM]

Sorry, I had some typos... I meant that since AMD is NOT giving competition that Intel has seemed to have GONE to sleep on us, not DONE. I would very much appreciate of anyone has some info on what Intel is planning to reach with this new hardware.

[tekdroid @ Oct 27th 2007 9:41AM]

I would very much appreciate of anyone has some info on what Intel is planning to reach with this new hardware.
-------
Same thing as always: moving forward.

A smaller process allows for more stuff to be crammed in at a given die size, which eventually reduces costs for Intel (increased profit), and should enhance power efficiency too.

Important since this drives sales of:
1) server hardware whose customers are now getting increasingly conscious of power and cooling costs and space taken up in racks,

2) mobile computing which never has enough power efficiency

and
3) desktop performance (cranking up the clock while minimising heat, etc) allowing Intel to keep selling high-clocked hardware and multi-core hardware at higher profit margins than lower-clocked parts, all the while trying to spoil the competition's day.