Chip -- Engadget

chip posts

Intel Arrandale chips detailed, priced and dated?

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 12th 2009 at 9:38AM

Who's up for some more Intel roadmap rumoring? The latest scuttlebutt from "notebook players" over in the far East is that the chip giant has finally settled on names, speeds, and prices for its first three Arrandale CPUs, which are expected to arrive in the first half of 2010. The Core i5-520UM and Core i7-620UM both run at 1.06GHz, while the top Core i7-640UM model speeds ahead at 1.2GHz, with bulk-buying prices of $241, $278, and $305 per unit of each processor. Even if the processing speeds might not impress on paper, these 32nm chips splice two processing cores, the memory controller, and graphics engine all into the same package and thereby deliver major power savings. Platform pricing is expected to remain at around $500 for netbooks, while the ultrathins these chips are intended for should hit the $600 to $800 range... if Lord Intel wills it so.

Physicists calculate the end of Moore's Law, clearly don't believe in Moore's Law

by Darren Murph posted Oct 20th 2009 at 6:01PM

If you're looking for pundits with an end date for Moore's Law, you don't have to look far. You also don't have to look far to find a gaggle of loonies who just knew the world was ending in Y2K, so make of that what you will. The latest duo looking to call the demise of the processor mantra that has held true for two score comes from Boston University, with physicists Lev Levitin and Tommaso Toffoli asserting that a quantum limit would be achieved in around 75 to 80 years. Scott Aaronson, an attention-getter at MIT, expects that very same limit to be hit in just 20 years. Of course, there's plenty of technobabble to explain the what's and how's behind all this, but considering that the brainiacs of the world can't even agree with Gordon Moore's own doomsday date, we're choosing to plug our ears and keep on believin' for now. Bonus video after the break.

[Via Slashdot]

Continue reading Physicists calculate the end of Moore's Law, clearly don't believe in Moore's Law

Samsung develops first chip for US mobile digital TV transmission, provides no release date

by Darren Murph posted Oct 19th 2009 at 9:33AM

Mmm, nothing like a pinch of predictability to wake us in the morning. Just days after the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) finally announced that a North American mobile DTV standard was struck, Samsung has jumped in with what it's calling the planet's first single chip solution designed to handle those very transmissions. All we're told is that the solution combines RF and "digital chip components" into one 65 nanometer chip, making it ideal for smaller devices such as smartphones, car-mounted televisions and portable media players. Of course, Sammy doesn't even bother to mention a mass production date, so we're guessing we all just rise awkwardly and start a roaring slow clap to celebrate the accomplishment.

Core Values: The silicon behind Android

by Anand Shimpi posted Oct 14th 2009 at 3:30PM

Core Values is our new monthly column from Anand Shimpi, Editor-in-chief of AnandTech. With over a decade of experience poring over the latest in chip developments, he's here to explain how things work and why our tech is the way it is.

Remember this chart? It's interesting for a number of reasons, but I want to highlight that all present day Android phones use virtually the same Qualcomm application processor, all based on a sluggish 528MHz ARM11 core. Blech.

I've got nothing against Qualcomm, but a big reason most Android phones feel slow is because they're running on slow hardware. The ARM11 core was first announced in 2003. It's old and creaky, and it's used so frequently because it's cheap. But the basic rules of chip design mean that things are about to change fast.

Continue reading Core Values: The silicon behind Android

NVIDIA confirms Tegra processor within Zune HD, details it real good

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2009 at 12:19PM

It's no big secret that NVIDIA's potent Tegra chip will be powering Microsoft's forthcoming Zune HD, but up until now, the former company had been rather quiet about its involvement in the project. Just a few days after the OLED-equipped portable media player went up for pre-order around the web, NVIDIA has stepped in to affirm that its own Tegra processor will be "providing the multimedia muscle in Zune HD." We're told that no fewer than eight independent processors make up Tegra's collective whole, with each one engineered for a specific class of tasks; among them are an HD video processor, an audio processor, a graphics processor and two ARM cores. Each of the chips can work together or independently to minimize power consumption, and the built-in nPower technology is said to optimize system power use and enable extended HD video / MP3 playback time. Sounds good in print, but we've got just under a month to find out how it performs for real.

IBM studying 'DNA origami' to build next-gen microchips, paralyze world with fear

by Darren Murph posted Aug 17th 2009 at 10:51AM

IBM is already making a beeline to 28nm process technology, but it looks like the train may deviate a bit before it even reaches the bottom. Reportedly, the company responsible for PowerPC, the original business laptop and all sorts of underground things that we'll never comprehend is now looking to use DNA as a model for crafting the world's next great processor. DNA origami, as it's so tactfully called, can supposedly provide a cheap framework "on which to build tiny microchips," with IBM research manager Spike Narayan proclaiming that this is "the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry." Sir Spike also noted that "if the DNA origami process scales to production-level, manufacturers could trade hundreds of millions of dollars in complex tools for less than a million dollars of polymers, DNA solutions, and heating implements." The actual process still seems murky from here, but we're told to expect real results within ten years. Which should be just in time for the robot apocalypse to really hit its stride -- awesome.

[Via HotHardware]

Intel denies rumors that Z-series Atoms are headed for the grave

by Laura June posted Aug 3rd 2009 at 10:22AM

Intel wants you to know that the rumor that its Z-series Atom chips are headed for the "discontinued" pile is not true. A few days back, we heard that the chips -- which were initially designated for MIDs but made their way into some netbooks -- could no longer be ordered from Intel. A spokesperson for the company, however, speaking with Register Hardware, said that the rumors were "100 percent inaccurate." We'll just have to wait and see how this all pans out, but we're still not feeling terribly positive about poor little MIDs' odds.

New Atom architecture Pine Trail on schedule for this year, says Intel's Eden

by Ross Miller posted Jul 29th 2009 at 5:10PM

The ever-entertaining Mooley Eden, Intel's General Manager of Mobile Platform Group, wants you to know as succinctly as possible that the rumors of Atom evolution Pine Trail's delay have been greatly exaggerated. "Pine Trail is on schedule. You can quote me on that... The three chip solution down to two chip solution [is] coming this year." Now how about a hint as to where we'll first see this chip, eh Eden?

AMD parties hard after shipping 500 millionth x86 processor

by Darren Murph posted Jul 24th 2009 at 2:18AM

Get on down with your bad self, Mr. Spaceman -- AMD just shipped its 500 millionth x86 processor! Shortly after the company celebrated 40 years of hanging tough and doing its best to overtake Intel, the outfit has now revealed that a half billion x86 CPUs have left its facilities over the past two score. We pinged Intel in order to find out just how that number stacked up, but all we were told is that the 500 million milestone was celebrated awhile back down in Santa Clara. We'll just chalk the vagueness up to Intel not wanting to spoil an otherwise raucous Silicon Valley shindig. Classy.

[Via HotHardware]

iLuv's iEA15 adapter lets any headphones work with VoiceOver, iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 9:21AM

The suits in Cupertino already confirmed the existence of a proprietary chip in the new iPod shuffle headphones, but if you're squarely in the tin foil hat crowd, we've got one more shred of evidence to win you over. iLuv's newest adapter, the iEA15, outrightly asserts that it is "equipped with a remote control chip provided by Apple, Inc.," but it's the functionality of said adapter that has our interest piqued. Rather than settling for a set of VoiceOver-capable earbuds that you aren't really fond of, this here go-between enables any headphones with a 3.5 millimeter jack to connect with (and control) Apple's newest shuffle. Moreover, it'll play nice with the iPhone family as well, and the built in microphone enables you to handle a call without ever removing your 'buds. The frightening part is that no price and release date have been set, which probably means iLuv's lobbying to get that Made for iPod tax down in order to not charge $50 for this thing.

[Via CNET]

Leaked Intel roadmap specs upcoming Core i5 and i7 'Lynnfield' CPUs

by Ross Miller posted Jul 15th 2009 at 4:33AM

Looking for something to print out and put on your wall that demonstrates the full extent of your Intel dedication? PC Watch has some mighty high resolution charts of the company's desktop and mobile CPU roadmaps, including a handful of chips that we haven't seen before. On the Lynnfield / desktop side, there's the Core i7 870 (2.93 to 3.6GHz) and 860 (up to 3.46GHz), due out second half 2009, with the latter having a greater range in available clock speeds and a less power hungry, 82 watt version due out next year. Listed squarely in the Q3 2009 column is one of the first spec'd Core i5-branded chips we've seen, the 750 (up to 3.2GHz), which also boasts a more energy efficient iteration due out sometime in first third of 2010. Looking to mobile, the three Core i7 Clarksfield processors that were recently rumored for September are also listed here for Q4 of this year as 720QM, 820QM, and 920XM, and on the more value end of the charts, Intel's Atom / Pineview series (N450 for mobile and D410 / D510 for desktop) is listed for release just after the stroke of 2010. There's seriously a lot to digest here, so if reading over large multi-colored tables full of data is your idea of a fun time, hit up the read link for a veritable gold mine of delight.

[Via Electronista]

Nanometer wars heat up, Toshiba and Intel enter unofficial race

by Darren Murph posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 10:12AM

Think the megapixel race is bad? Now we've another to worry about, with both Toshiba and Intel hastily approaching 0.01nm technology in order to make chips faster, more nimble and smaller. According to undisclosed sources at Digitimes, Intel has actually canned production plans for its 45nm Havendale processors, which were originally slated to slip into machines later this year. The cause? It's heading straight to 32nm, reportedly hoping to ship its Clarkdale line in Q1 2010 with entry-level prices ranging from $60 to $190. In related news, Toshiba is joining the likes of IBM, Samsung and Globalfoundries in an effort to dish out chips based on 28nm process technology. Needless to say, the move is being made in an effort to "stay relevant in an area dominated by the likes of Intel Corp and Texas Instruments." Now, if only we could get one of these potent, low-power chips inside of a netbook, we'd be pleased as punch.

Read - Intel cans Havendale in move to 32nm
Read - Toshiba speeds to 28nm

eASIC eDV9200 H.264 codec promises HD for all devices

by Darren Murph posted May 12th 2009 at 9:16AM

We've already got HD in places that the cast of Step by Step would've sworn was never possible way back when, but eASIC is far from satisfied. To that end, it's introducing a new H.264 codec aimed to bring high-def capabilities to all manners of devices, including (but certainly not limited to) toys, baby monitors, public transportation, wireless video surveillance and wireless webcams. The highly integrated eDV9200 is said to "dramatically lower the cost of entry into the high-definition video market, enabling a new class of low-cost applications to fully leverage the benefits offered by HD technology." Best of all, these guys aren't just blowing smoke, as the chip -- which captures streaming data directly from a CMOS sensor, compresses it, and transfers it to a host system or to a variety of storage devices -- is priced at just $4.99 each in volume. HD oven timers, here we come!

AMD reorganizes, ATI now fully assimilated

by Ross Miller posted May 6th 2009 at 8:58PM

It looks like the final step in AMD totally subsuming ATI has been taken. The company announced a reorganization around four specific pillars: products, future techology, marketing, and customer relations. The restructuring also marks the end of Randy Allen's tenure, as the SVP of the Computing Solutions Group has decided to leave for unspecified reasons. ATI holdover Rick Bergman, who had also be head of the subsidiary known internally as the Graphics Product Group, will head up the products division with the goal of unifying the GPU and CPU teams (not necessarily the products). We highly doubt this means ATI branding is going anywhere -- it's far too valuable for AMD. Will Bergman's lead help the company reclaim its position among the top ten chip makers? Give Fusion the kick in the pants it needs? Only time will tell.

Intel Core 2 Quad S-Series shaves power consumption to 65W

by Darren Murph posted Mar 29th 2009 at 10:44AM

In a relatively hush-hush manner, Intel recently slipped out energy saving versions of its Core 2 Quad Q8200, Q9400 and Q9550 CPUs, all of which are suffixed with a simple "s." Put simply, these S-Series chips are built using the same 45 nanometer process technology as used on the regular models, and aside from TDP, all the specifications are exactly alike. The difference comes in power consumption, as the S crew sucks down just 65 watts compared to 95 watts in the standard issue models. Tom's Hardware had a chance to handle, benchmark and report on these new power sippers, and lucky for you, they found performance to be equal to that of the higher power chips. Granted, you'll have to pony up a few extra bucks in order to treat Mother Earth (and your energy bill) better, but at least we're working down the power ladder instead of the other way around.

[Via Tom's Hardware, thanks Jonathan]