Intel's Sandy Bridge by end 2010 after all?

By the end of this year, Intel will start mass-producing its upcoming 32nm processors, based on the 'Westmere' architecture. This is a die-shrink of the existing 45nm 'Nehalem' quadcore, which should reduce power consumption, as well as production costs. According to Intel's Tick-Tock model, after this 32nm generation, a completely new processor architecture is to be released; branded Sandy Bridge.

Initially, it was expected that this new architecture would not see daylight until early 2011, but the latest reports claim that Intel will launch Sandy Bridge in the fourth quarter of 2010. The Sandy Bridge processor has both a chipset and graphics core integrated into a single chip, making the components work together at extreme speeds. The GPU in this new processor is linked to the shared L3 cache, providing it with a direct access to the DDR3 memory.

The new architecture will feature Hyperthreading, as well as a number of new features and instructions. The integrated memorycontroller is compatible with two DDR3 memory modules of up to 1600 MHz. The clock frequencies of the next generation quadcores is rumored to be between 2,8 and 3,4 GHz, which will possibly be increased when Intel improves the yields. With a TDP of 85 Watt, the Sandy Bridge generation is to be a bit more efficient than the existing Core 2 Quad and Core i7 generation.

Before Sandy Bridge, Q1 of 2010 will first bring us 32nm processors such as the Clarkdale and Arrandale, followed by the hexacore Gulftown chip in the second quarter. It's expected that this hexacore processor with 12MB L3-cache will cost no less than $1499 a piece when purchased in quantities of 1000.

Sandy Bridge architecture with integrated videochip to be released end 2010

Tags: corei7 ddr3 nehalem core2

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