Intel demos first-ever 32nm processors
By Nilay Patel 
posted February 10th 2009 3:22PM
posted February 10th 2009 3:22PM
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Intel Demonstrates First Working 32nm-based Microprocessor
in Both Mobile and Desktop Systems
Feb. 10, 2009 - At a media briefing in San Francisco today, Intel Corporation discussed new milestones for 32nm manufacturing and progress toward future products. Earlier that day, in Washington, DC, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini disclosed that Intel is making the largest- ever investment in a single process technology in the United States to support upgrades to advanced manufacturing facilities in the country and the move to its next-generation, 32nm chip manufacturing technology. Intel is investing approximately $7 billion in 2009-10 on 32nm manufacturing technology, raising the total by the end of that timeframe to approximately $8 billion (for 32nm investment in the United States).in Both Mobile and Desktop Systems
Below is a summary of the product roadmap news at the briefing in San Francisco:
First-ever demonstration of a working 32nm-based microprocessor:
- Intel is demonstrating the first 32nm working microprocessor in both mobile and desktop systems.
- Great 32nm process and product health are enabling Intel to accelerate 32nm product ramp
- Westmere mobile and desktop processor production in the fourth quarter of 2009
- 32nm enables increased performance and power flexibility
- Intel processors based on Westmere will ramp into mobile, desktop, and server segments over time, as the 32nm process ramps
- Increased performance, smaller processor core size
- New multi-chip package with graphics integrated in the processor
- Repartitioned system architecture, simplified motherboards
- Volume ramp; expect 32nm in server market in 2010
- Intel® Turbo Boost technology
- Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (2 Cores, 4 threads)
- Integrated graphics, discrete/switchable graphics support
- 4MB cache, Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) – 2ch DDR3
- AES Instructions
Intel's strength as an integrated device manufacturer allows the company to continue to deliver new generations of advanced process technology on a 2-year cadence. Intel has developed a 32nm logic technology with industry-leading features:
- Second-generation high-k + metal gate transistors
- 32nm marks the first time Intel uses immersion lithography on critical layers
- 9 copper + low-k interconnect layers
- About 70 percent dimension scaling from 45nm generation
- Pb- and halogen-free packages
dual core + gpu + memory controller on one chip???? yes, please!!
"OMG - It's so small!"
That's what she said...
Am I the only one that's a bit disappointed by this? Were only getting closer to the limitations of electrical systems.
Sources at AMD have just shat themselves, followed by several face palms
Seems all more of the same cycle....
Intel, if you want to impress..
5Ghz / 10'C - DONE
making smaller chips that aren't any faster or cooler is just the same as the move from 65 to 45
Wait, maybe I don't understand what's going on here. I thought the smaller chips were ALWAYS cooler - essentially the power usage drops proportional to the process size. That's why power usage of the high-end game consoles has dropped since their release on larger-process chips.
Power usage is what I'm interested in for sure - I'd like to see the 'fanless' movement really take off (initially in netbooks, which have matching requirements for battery life and small size while relatively low CPU performance is acceptable). Partly because fans are movable parts which can fail, but mostly because the noise is irritating.
Ha, Intel do know how to screw over people for money
Look at the Roadmap. The 32nm Dual cores are 1066 where as the 32 Sex Core is 1366. So if you feel like an upgrade from one to the other its going to require whole new motherboard.
Ive got my trusty i7 920 already and I think ill hold onto it until SandyBridge. But to be honest hardly any games use all cores now so if you just planning on gaming the 6 cores would be useless
That's our world in the next 20 years.
Uh oh. Somebody needs a shave and a crash course on cable management 101...
seem like there aiming kinga for a terga rip off
I don't mean to be a worry wart but has anybody looked at the single even upsets (SEU) on these small dimensions. At one time, I calculated the background radiation in natural silicon. At 25 nm design rules a CMOS gate will have 10E-6 upsets per second. Not good for a microprocessor.
Also, the oxide thickness for these smaller devices is going to have to be about 9nm. That is thin enough for 1/e conductivity from tunneling.
Electrodiffusion in the thin gates has to be affecting reliablity.
I'm amazed no one has said this, but:
"Will it play Crysis?"
I'm sorry. Truly, I am.