Intel Haswell CPU microarchitecture: leaks, chips, and computers – The Verge

Intel teases a new Haswell processor for thin, potentially fanless tablets

2013-07-23T15:11:54-04:00

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Intel's new Haswell processors are quickly earning a reputation for huge gains in battery life and power efficiency, but the company had another surprise up its sleeve. Today, Intel's announcing a limited run of the new Y-series chip that could potentially fit in extremely thin devices and ones that might not require a fan to cool them, like the fanless tablet that the company showed off at Computex 2013.

That's because the new chip runs at a "scenario design point" (SDP) of just 4.5 watts, which basically means that it's slow enough to spend most of its time comfortably living in a chassis designed to cool only 4.5 watts worth of heat. Tho …

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Massive battery life, killer graphics: can Intel’s Haswell deliver on the hype?

2013-06-13T11:48:24-04:00

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For years now, it seems everyone has been waiting for Haswell, the latest processor from Intel that promises major improvements to graphics performance and battery life. The new silicon just officially launched last week at Computex Taipei, and we're starting to see the first machines that take advantage of it, including Apple's updated MacBook Airs. Apple promises the new Airs will deliver 70 to 80 percent better battery life and graphics that are up to 40 percent stronger than the previous Ivy Bridge-powered models.

Those are some impressive numbers - if they hold up in real-world testing - but Haswell's been billed as revolutionary, and th …

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Intel launches Haswell processors: here’s what you need to know

2013-06-01T10:15:32-04:00

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Last year, Intel's Ivy Bridge processors provided a modest but very welcome speed bump, just in time for all of the crazy transforming computers which heralded the launch of Windows 8.

This year, the company's new Haswell CPUs are poised to actually give those touchscreen computers the battery life and graphics power they so desperately need. Intel's launching its fourth-generation Core processors this week, and it sounds like they'll be a significant enough improvement in laptops and tablets that you'll actually want to look for their name, perhaps even choosing a processor whose digits start with "4" rather than a cheaper one with "3" if …

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Intel’s new ‘Iris’ integrated graphics are up to three times better than last year’s versions

2013-05-01T23:00:05-04:00

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When you're buying a new computer with performance in mind, integrated graphics are generally not the ones you want. Even though they've improved greatly over the years, "Intel HD Graphics" has become synonymous with "doesn't play things very well," continually lagging behind dedicated GPUs from the likes of AMD and Nvidia.

Now, Intel hopes to break the cycle and the naming association in one fell swoop. The company claims its new Intel "Iris" Graphics, embedded in upcoming Haswell CPUs, can offer double or triple the performance of the Intel HD Graphics 4000 that comes with current Ivy Bridge processors. That's significant: typically each …

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Intel posts $13.5 billion revenue in Q4, but sees income drop 15 percent in 2012

2013-01-17T16:03:12-05:00

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Intel has seen itself stuck in a difficult position as its primary business - PC processors - gets marginalized by the growth of smartphones and tablets powered by competitors' chips. The company is managing to keep up with expectations, however, as it revealed in its earnings report today that it earned a total of $3.2 billion on $13.5 billion in revenue during the quarter. While Intel may have met Wall Street's expectations, it is clear that it's feeling the effects of the decline in PC sales (despite the recent launch of Windows 8), and Intel knows it. CFO Stacy Smith admitted "the PC market segment was impacted by the growth of tablets." …

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Ultrabook, round two: can Intel control the future of the laptop?

2013-01-16T14:45:03-05:00

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There aren't many companies that can set a new direction for the entire computer industry. Right now, three come to mind: PC manufacturers march to the beat of Microsoft's Windows drum, and many follow Apple's design. The third is Intel, which influences the market behind the scenes with ever more powerful processors and aggressive marketing campaigns.

In 2011, Intel told every PC manufacturer that it needed to have an answer to Apple's MacBook Air, and offered $300 million, among other persuasions, to help OEMs develop and market new designs. Intel called it the ultrabook, and specified a set of ultrabook requirements in terms of thicknes …

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Intel’s North Cape is a power-sipping, keyboard-detaching blueprint for Haswell PCs (hands-on)

2013-01-07T18:07:21-05:00

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Intel's fourth-generation Haswell processors were the focal point of the company's presentation today, and with its North Cape reference design, Intel aims to show the public what it can expect from the new chips. The detachable Windows 8 tablet contains a separate battery in the keyboard for extra power, and the sub-10W design means that users can expect to get in the neighborhood of 13 hours of battery life. But North Cape also has some flashier tricks up its sleeve. Firstly, its electromechanical locking mechanism can be disengaged with a single finger. There's a key in the keyboard's top-right corner that unlocks the tablet from the keyb …

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Intel unveils fourth-generation Intel Core processor with ‘all-day battery life’

2013-01-07T15:56:25-05:00

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Intel is launching its latest Intel Core processor today at CES 2013. Formerly known as Haswell, the latest Intel chip will bring all-day battery life to the latest ultrabooks. Intel says this will equate to around 9 hours of continuous battery life on new systems. This new chipset is designed for a new ultrabook detachable reference design codenamed North Cape that converts into a 10mm tablet which will run up to 13 hours while docked.

Intel showed off a reference design on stage that has a battery both underneath the keyboard and behind the display on a Core i5 / i7 system. Along with the new reference design, Intel says ultrabooks will r …

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Intel plans 10-watt Ivy Bridge processors for 2013, signaling longer battery life or thinner PCs

2012-12-03T23:01:58-05:00

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If you want to build or buy an ultrathin laptop with Intel inside, you've got a difficult choice. Right now, you can pick between a powerful Core i3, i5 or i7 processor which might not make it through your average workday, or a comparatively weak Atom chip with an estimated 10 hours of battery life. If you're willing to wait until the middle of next year, though, there might be a third option. Intel's planning to drastically reduce the power consumption of its existing Ivy Bridge silicon architecture to a TDP (thermal profile) of just 10 watts.

Currently, the ultra-low voltage Ivy Bridge processors you'll find in thin laptops like Apple's M …

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Intel’s power-efficient Haswell processor targets thinner laptops with new 10-watt TDP

2012-09-05T16:43:11-04:00

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Intel's holding its annual developer conference next week, from September 11th through the 13th, and while a certain Cupertino computer company will undoubtedly dominate the news on day two, Intel will also have a few things to reveal. Chief among them is the firm's next-gen Haswell architecture, which is still on track for 2013. Well, actually, it's not merely on track: Intel tells us that at least one version of highly integrated system-on-chip is now slated to have a 10-watt TDP. "It's really the first product we're building from the ground up for ultrabook," a representative says.

What does that mean? Well, TDP ("thermal design point") …

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