broadwell | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 28 Feb 2018 15:52:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png broadwell | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Intel release Spectre fixes for Broadwell and Haswell processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/damien-cox/intel-release-spectre-fixes-for-broadwell-and-haswell-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/damien-cox/intel-release-spectre-fixes-for-broadwell-and-haswell-processors/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2018 15:35:11 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=365452 Last week, Intel addressed Spectre issues in the form of a stable software fix for Skylake, Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake. Just one week later, the company is now pushing out its supposedly stable microcode updates for Broadwell and Haswell processors. The latest update is seemingly a major improvement over Intel’s first attempt at fixing …

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Last week, Intel addressed Spectre issues in the form of a stable software fix for Skylake, Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake. Just one week later, the company is now pushing out its supposedly stable microcode updates for Broadwell and Haswell processors.

The latest update is seemingly a major improvement over Intel’s first attempt at fixing Spectre on Broadwell and Haswell machines, as the company admitted there was an issue on these systems causing spontaneous reboots.

Just like last week’s update, the fix mitigates Spectre variant 2 attacks on processors with Broadwell IDs of 50662, 50663, 50664, 40671, 406F1, 306D4 & 40671 and Haswell versions 306C3, 4066, 306F2, 40651 & 306C3.

Since accusations that Intel had covered up the Meltdown and Spectre issues until it was made public, the company has been forthcoming about the release schedule for its fixes. Spectre-mitigating solutions are still in beta for Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge, while 16 more processors, including Bloomfield, Clarksfield and Wolfsdale, are still listed as in the “planning” stage.

Of course, it might take some time for these fixes to reach users. Although Intel has fully released the Spectre-mitigating solutions, these have yet to be distributed by hardware manufacturers within BIOS updates.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully these fixes reach those affected sooner rather than later. Personally, I’m still waiting on a BIOS update myself, keeping a close eye on what’s available. Are you still due for an update to strengthen your system against Spectre?

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AMD’s Ryzen has not brought the price wars we all wanted/needed https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/paul-taylor/amds-ryzen-has-not-brought-the-price-wars-we-all-wantedneeded/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/paul-taylor/amds-ryzen-has-not-brought-the-price-wars-we-all-wantedneeded/#comments Wed, 12 Apr 2017 18:57:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=330099 As much as AMD's Ryzen has seen the CPU underdog being thrust back into the race, how much of an impact has it really had on Intel's thus-far dominant Core i7 and Core i7 processors? Using Camelcamelcamel.com‘s Amazon pricetracking tool, we've measured the changes in the US and UK, and our findings are a bit …

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As much as AMD's Ryzen has seen the CPU underdog being thrust back into the race, how much of an impact has it really had on Intel's thus-far dominant Core i7 and Core i7 processors? Using Camelcamelcamel.com‘s Amazon pricetracking tool, we've measured the changes in the US and UK, and our findings are a bit disappointing, to say the least.

By far the introduction of Ryzen generated two currents of opinion: the first, a slightly fanboi-ish one, that AMD would dominate sales and performance and crush Intel thoroughly and, the second, that it would be a competitive product which would bring about cheaper Intel CPUs for those die-hard Intel fans who wouldn't make the leap of faith.

First, some things to consider before continuing to read:

  • Intel's Core i7 7700K and i5 7600K (i.e. Kaby Lake-S) are but a few months old, launched January 2017.
  • Intel's Core i7 6700K and i5 6600K (i.e. Skylake-S) have been on the market since August 2015.
  • Intel's Core i7 6900K and 6800K (i.e. Broadwell-E) have been around since May 2016.
  • Ryzen 7 SKUs were launched on February 22nd (Amazon pre-order).
  • Ryzen 5 is not included, as there are no metrics yet.
  • We realise not everyone buys off Amazon, and you might find different prices elsewhere. This comparison is to be used as a general reference in a public forum which many users buy from.
  • We looked back to the launch but also as far as the pricing engine would take us, to note seasonal price drops, if any.

In the US, we saw that Intel CPU price drops happened just a day or two before the Ryzen launch, possibly enough to make one hesitate from a Ryzen insta-purchase. The drop itself was only really felt on the Core i7 6700K, which fell around $25. The remainder of Intel's line-up (6600K, 6800K, 6900K, 7600K and 7700K) were afforded token drops as ‘high' as $10.

Today, you can see that some of these CPUs – the Core i7 7700K and Core i7 6700K – have increased ever so slightly in price since the Ryzen launch.

In the UK, Intel's CPUs were also afforded minor discounts on Amazon, happening a few days after Ryzen's actual launch, instead. The interesting part is that Ryzen prices have kept on dropping since launch, and more than a little bit. The Ryzen 1700 has dropped £25, Ryzen 1700X fell £30 and the Ryzen 1800X has dropped a little over £15, but still higher than their US counterparts.

So how much of an impact did Ryzen have? Well, a rather disappointing “much less than you'd expect”, it seems, if Amazon's numbers are anything to measure it by.

All in all, not what we expected, much less what consumers needed. Intel still seems bulletproof (or just too sure of itself) when it comes to pricing. Not even the 6800K and 6900K, the two CPUs which had the most share to lose to AMD's higher-end 1800X, broke a sweat.

Looking further back we can see that seasonal changes in pricing had a bigger impact on Intel's pricing structure than Ryzen's launch. A single Black Friday event, in late November 2016, had the Core i7 6700K going much cheaper than February 22nd 2017.

One notable trend of Intel's is a sharp increase in pricing in the week immediately after Christmas – likely a seasonal hike playing on consumers cashing in on all the extended family's Christmas money gifts, Amazon Gift cards or simply returning presents they got during Christmas in exchange for the real goodies.

Looking back at that historical (at least for AMD) date – February 22nd – we can see that Intel's line-up had some slight changes that were hardly noticeable for US consumers. For UK consumers all is not lost. We have benefitted from a slight downward trend of the Ryzen 7 pricing, but overall the effect on Intel has been negligible. It seems we're still in the doldrums when it comes to CPU pricing.

KitGuru Says: In both camps, consumers had pinned their hopes for more affordable CPUs following AMD's Ryzen launch. However, it seems that Intel's pricing structure has seen little impact so far. Hopefully this is something that starts to change with time. 

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Intel: Usage of DDR3 at default voltages can damage “Skylake” https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/intel-prolonged-usage-of-ddr3-memory-at-default-voltages-can-damage-skylake/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/intel-prolonged-usage-of-ddr3-memory-at-default-voltages-can-damage-skylake/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2015 23:03:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=269764 Intel Corp.’s latest “Skylake” processors officially support only DDR3L and DDR4 memory, but there are motherboards for the new chips that can also use DDR3. While the chips can work with previous-gen memory, prolonged usage of such dynamic random access memory (DRAM) can damage microprocessors, according to Intel. DDR4 memory has default voltage of 1.2V, …

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Intel Corp.’s latest “Skylake” processors officially support only DDR3L and DDR4 memory, but there are motherboards for the new chips that can also use DDR3. While the chips can work with previous-gen memory, prolonged usage of such dynamic random access memory (DRAM) can damage microprocessors, according to Intel.

DDR4 memory has default voltage of 1.2V, whereas DDR3L memory has 1.35V supply voltage. By contrast, default voltage of DDR3 is 1.5V. Moreover, some enthusiast-class DDR3 have 1.65V supply voltage. DDR3 and DDR3L are compatible and DDR3 modules will work with Intel “Skylake” processors, however, 1.5V memory voltage can damage integrated memory controller of the central processing unit, according to Intel.

intel_skylake_chip

Even if DDR3 works initially on an appropriate LGA1151 motherboard, there is no guarantee that under stress the memory controller will not break down over time, reports Tom’s Hardware.

It should be noted that there are DDR3 memory modules with 1.35V default voltage. There are also DDR3L modules available from companies like Kingston.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It looks like if you plan to use Intel “Skylake” processors, you should upgrade to DDR4 and not stick to your current modules…

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Intel drained PC channel inventory to speed up transition to ‘Skylake’, Windows 10 https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/intel-helped-to-drain-pc-channel-inventory-to-speed-up-transition-to-skylake-windows-10/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/intel-helped-to-drain-pc-channel-inventory-to-speed-up-transition-to-skylake-windows-10/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:07:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=268987 Sales of personal computers have been sluggish in the recent quarters, which decreased revenue of PC makers and PC hardware manufacturers. Apparently, Intel Corp. has prepared for slow demand for PCs and significantly reduced shipments of its central processing units in the first half of the year, draining inventory at PC makers. As a result, …

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Sales of personal computers have been sluggish in the recent quarters, which decreased revenue of PC makers and PC hardware manufacturers. Apparently, Intel Corp. has prepared for slow demand for PCs and significantly reduced shipments of its central processing units in the first half of the year, draining inventory at PC makers. As a result, the company can now sell more “Skylake” processors.

Traditionally, Intel Corp. ships more central processing units in the first half of the year to prepare for increased demand for personal computers in the second half. In fact, the chip giant ships more CPUs in the first half than PC makers and other partners can sell. The tactics allows manufacturers of computers to assemble enough systems for the back half of the year. However, this year new processors from Intel and new operating system from Microsoft were released in the second half of the year, which means that demand for PCs was expected to be low in the 1H 2015. As a result, Intel changed its traditional tactics this year.

intel_presentation_skylake

“Our analysis suggests the company has in fact been draining channel inventory in the first half of the year, in stark contrast to their typical pattern (namely, first half channel builds, followed by second half channel drains), in a market where PC vendors themselves are also flushing inventory, and suggesting the idea of a 2H fill on the back of Windows 10 and Skylake may not be entirely crazy,” wrote Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein Research, reports Tech Trader Daily. “In 1H 2015 Intel seems to have under-shipped the PC market by ~three million units, versus their normal behavior to over-ship by ~eight million, suggesting ~two weeks of inventory out of the channel vs where they would normally be positioned.”

Since PC makers may not have enough microprocessors in stock right now, they will need to buy Intel’s new chips, thus increasing revenue of the chip giant. Such situation also helps Intel to maintain its prices despite of slow demand for PCs. In addition, it helps to transit to newer “Skylake” platforms faster, which is a good news for the industry in general.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Keeping in mind slow demand for PCs, it made a great sense for Intel to drain inventories of old chips in the first half of the year. This greatly helps Intel and the industry to transit to “Skylake” processors, DDR4 memory, Windows 10 operating system and new PC platforms faster. On the other hand, this increases pressure on smaller PC makers as well as Advanced Micro Devices.

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Intel will retain “Broadwell-C” as the best LGA CPU with built-in GPU https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-will-retain-broadwell-c-as-the-best-socketed-cpu-with-integrated-graphics/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-will-retain-broadwell-c-as-the-best-socketed-cpu-with-integrated-graphics/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 21:51:55 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=268449 Even though Intel Corp.’s future “Skylake” processors with integrated graphics cores are expected to offer very high performance in applications that demand graphics processing horsepower, the company’s current-generation Core i7-5775C and Core i7-5665C “Broadwell” chips will remain the firm’s best offerings for desktops with sockets for quite a while. Intel’s upcoming “Skylake” processors will incorporate …

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Even though Intel Corp.’s future “Skylake” processors with integrated graphics cores are expected to offer very high performance in applications that demand graphics processing horsepower, the company’s current-generation Core i7-5775C and Core i7-5665C “Broadwell” chips will remain the firm’s best offerings for desktops with sockets for quite a while.

Intel’s upcoming “Skylake” processors will incorporate the company’s ninth generation graphics core (Gen 9) with improved internal architecture, increased number of execution units (EUs) and new eDRAM cache. Intel’s upcoming top-of-the-range integrated graphics processor – Iris Pro 500-series (GT4e) – will feature 72 EUs, eDRAM+ cache as well as 1152GFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, a 50 per cent improved over the highest-performing “Broadwell” IGP (GT3e, which features 48 EUs).

intel_integrated_graphics_gpu_skylake_broadwell_igp_iris

Intel has plans to release “Skylake” processors with Iris Pro “GT4e” graphics cores in the coming quarters for notebooks and all-in-one desktops, but it does not have plans to make such chips available for desktops with processor sockets (i.e., in LGA1151 form-factor), according to ITWorld.

As a result, Intel’s existing Core i7-5775C and Core i7-5665C “Broadwell” central processing units will remain the company’s best IGP options for desktops with sockets. Intel has no plans to discontinue such chips any time soon despite of the fact that the expensive processors are morally outdated, according to AnandTech.

intel_core_i7_broadwell

The lack of processors with high-performance GT4e IGP for LGA1151 clearly positions the platform for enthusiasts, who use discrete graphics cards, leaving LGA1155 for those, who want to have highly-integrated systems with advanced integrated graphics processors. Such differentiation is rather strange because Intel offers inexpensive core-logic sets for its LGA1151 central processing units and affordable PCs tend to rely on built-in graphics adapters.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Perhaps, it does not make a lot of sense for Intel to offer LGA1151 processors with high-performance integrated graphics just now because there are not a lot of mini-ITX or NUC solutions for such chips. On the other hand, if there are no higher-end integrated processors available, it makes no sense for makers of mainboards to develop advanced platforms for mini PCs…

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Intel Xeon E5, E7 “Broadwell” CPUs with up to 24 cores due in 2016 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-xeon-e5-e7-broadwell-processors-with-up-to-24-cores-due-in-2016/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-xeon-e5-e7-broadwell-processors-with-up-to-24-cores-due-in-2016/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2015 22:59:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=268339 Intel Corp. has slightly re-scheduled release dates for its upcoming Xeon E5 v4 and Xeon E7 v4 central processing units for servers. Instead of late 2015, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors will launch its new server CPUs in the first half of 2016. The reasons for the delay are unclear, but Intel has delayed …

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Intel Corp. has slightly re-scheduled release dates for its upcoming Xeon E5 v4 and Xeon E7 v4 central processing units for servers. Instead of late 2015, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors will launch its new server CPUs in the first half of 2016. The reasons for the delay are unclear, but Intel has delayed various chips made using 14nm fabrication process for a number of times.

The new Xeon E5 v4 2600-series “Broadwell-EP” central processing units with up to 22 cores for single-socket and dual-socket servers will be released in Q1 2016, according to CPU-World, which cites sources with knowledge of the matter. The Xeon E5 v4 4600-series chips for servers with up to four sockets will be launched in the Q2 2016. The processors will integrate quad-channel DDR4 memory controller that will support effective memory clock-rates up to 2400MHz. The chips will feature 55W – 160W thermal design power.

The higher-end Xeon E7 v4 “Broadwell-EX” central processing units for real-time analytics, mission-critical and other advanced machines with up to eight sockets will be released in the second quarter of next year. The chips will integrate up to 24 cores as well as a large last level cache (up to 60MB, according to unofficial information). The CPUs will feature two dual-channel DDR3/DDR4 controllers that will work with memory modules via special scalable memory buffers (SMBs) at up to 1866MHz effective clock-rates.

intel_xeon_e7_haswell_ex_4_650

The Xeon E5 and E7 “Broadwell” microprocessors for servers should be drop-in compatible with existing “Grantley” and “Brickland” platforms and are not expected to bring a lot of innovations, except support for TSX instructions, some custom features for select clients, DDR4 memory at 2400MHz clock-rate as well as some other enhancements. Still rather substantial increase of core-count compared to existing CPUs will make the new processors significantly faster in numerous applications. Besides, usage of 14nm process technology could bring down their power consumption and/or increase their frequencies.

intel_xeon_skylake_purley_2

Intel generally releases server-class Xeon processors noticeably later than client chips based on the same micro-architecture. Server makers and datacentre owners want to ensure that the new microprocessors work fine in different configurations, which requires a lot of tests and evaluations before selling new machines or deploying them.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While the delay is not something that chipmakers or server makers are glad about, it should be noted that it will hardly materially affect Intel’s financial results. The company continues to dominate the server market with 98 – 99 market share as it simply has no rivals.

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Intel: Skipping ‘Broadwell’ CPUs for desktops was a mistake https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skipping-broadwell-processors-for-desktops-was-a-mistake/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skipping-broadwell-processors-for-desktops-was-a-mistake/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2015 22:30:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=267917 Due to issues with yields, Intel Corp. had to delay mass production of central processing units made using 14nm fabrication process by almost a year. Instead of releasing enthusiast-class processors based on the “Broadwell” micro-architecture in 2014, the company decided to launch new “Haswell” chips with higher clock-rates. Right now, the company believes that the …

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Due to issues with yields, Intel Corp. had to delay mass production of central processing units made using 14nm fabrication process by almost a year. Instead of releasing enthusiast-class processors based on the “Broadwell” micro-architecture in 2014, the company decided to launch new “Haswell” chips with higher clock-rates. Right now, the company believes that the decision was a mistake.

“We did not build a fifth-generation Core product, our last product, for towers,” said Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s client computing group, at Citigroup’s global technology conference. “We made an experiment and we said maybe we are putting technology in to the market too fast, but let us not build a chip for the mainstream tower business, [which is] $10 billion business [for us]. Turns out that was a mistake.”

Instead of releasing enthusiast-class quad-core “Broadwell” processors with unlocked multiplier in 2014, Intel decided to delay the larger processor and launched dual-core Core M “Broadwell” chip for ultra-compact systems last year. Keeping in mind that Intel had yield issues with its 14nm manufacturing technology, such approach made a great sense for the company. The chip giant maintained its costs and its 22nm chips still offered decent overclocking potential. Nonetheless, right now the company thinks that it should have fixed its 14nm fabrication process in late 2013 or early 2014 and release enthusiast-class offerings in mind-2014.

intel_core_pentium_devil_s_canyon_lga1150_haswell

“It saved us some R&D, but [right after Windows] XP end-of-life [announcement] and then there was no reason to buy a PC this year,” said Mr. Skaugen. “So, it is just pent up demand now. I think for sixth-generation Core as well.”

The only desktop processors in LGA packaging based on the “Broadwell” design are the Core i7-5775C and the Core i5-5665C. The chips sport high-performance integrated graphics core as well as 65W thermal design power, which makes them better suited for highly-integrated rather than for high-performance systems.

Keeping in mind that overclocking potential of Intel’s “Skylake” processors is barely higher than overclocking potential of “Haswell” central processing units, it is unlikely that unlocked “Broadwell” chips would have helped Intel to improve its revenue in 2014. Performance of “Broadwell” should be comparable to performance of “Haswell” since the two micro-architectures are very similar.

Sales of desktop processors have been declining for a while, but in Q2 2015 the company sold record number of high-end Core i7 processors for gaming desktops.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is not good that Intel had to skip a product cycle, the reason for that were issues with 14nm process technology that the company did not want to solve quickly. Since Intel decided to postpone its 10nm chips, it essentially means that solving problems with process technologies is a hard thing to do. For Intel, it will be easier to tweak its micro-architectures rather than speed up development of process technologies.

 

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Intel slightly delays introduction of Core i7 “Broadwell-E” processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-slightly-delays-introduction-of-core-i7-broadwell-e-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-slightly-delays-introduction-of-core-i7-broadwell-e-processors/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2015 22:29:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266803 Intel Corp. has decided to postpone release of its next-generation high-end desktop microprocessors code-named “Broadwell-E”, based on a media report. The new central processing units will be formally introduced in February or March, 2016, not in January, as expected before. According to excerpts from an Intel’s document published by BenchLife, Intel will start mass production …

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Intel Corp. has decided to postpone release of its next-generation high-end desktop microprocessors code-named “Broadwell-E”, based on a media report. The new central processing units will be formally introduced in February or March, 2016, not in January, as expected before.

According to excerpts from an Intel’s document published by BenchLife, Intel will start mass production of its Core i7 “Broadwell-E” processors in February or March, 2016. It is highly likely that Intel will formally introduce its new enthusiast-class chips at CeBIT trade-show in March. Based on the documents, Intel recently reconsidered release schedule of the new CPUs.

intel_broadwell_e_overview

Intel’s Core i7 Extreme “Broadwell-E” microprocessors will have six or eight cores with Hyper-Threading technology, quad-channel DDR4 memory controller (which will gain support for 2400MHz DDR4 SDRAM), 20MB last level cache, up to 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, unlocked multiplier and so on.

intel_broadwell_e_schedule

The new “Broadwell-E” chips will be drop-in compatible with existing mainboards based on Intel’s X99 core-logic set with LGA2011-3 sockets.

The reason why Intel decided to slightly postpone the release of “Broadwell-E” product is unknown, but Intel has already delayed launch of multiple processors made using 14nm fabrication process.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Keeping in mind that Intel’s Core i7 Extreme processors simply have no rivals, slight delay of the “Broadwell-E” will hardly affect business performance of the chip giant.

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Zotac Magnus EN970: SFF PC with Core i5 and GeForce GTX 960 3GB https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/zotac-magnus-en970-sff-pc-with-intel-core-i5-and-unique-geforce-gtx-960-3gb/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/zotac-magnus-en970-sff-pc-with-intel-core-i5-and-unique-geforce-gtx-960-3gb/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2015 21:02:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266796 Zotac has introduced its new miniature personal computer designed for gamers. Despite of small form-factor, the Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 PC can deliver rather high performance in video games thanks to powerful specifications and a unique GeForce GTX 960 graphics adapter with 3GB of memory. The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 is powered by dual-core Intel …

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Zotac has introduced its new miniature personal computer designed for gamers. Despite of small form-factor, the Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 PC can deliver rather high performance in video games thanks to powerful specifications and a unique GeForce GTX 960 graphics adapter with 3GB of memory.

The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 is powered by dual-core Intel Core i5-5200U “Broadwell” microprocessor and can be equipped with up to 16GB of DDR3L memory, one M.2 solid-state drive and two 2.5” storage devices. The system comes with 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0 module, 3-in-1 SD card reader, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports as well as four HDMI 2.0 outputs. The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 Plus comes with pre-installed 8GB DDR3L memory and 120GB M.2 SSD.

zotac_magnum

The new small form-factor system from Zotac is equipped with a unique GeForce GTX 960 graphics card featuring 3GB of memory and 192-bit memory bus. Previously it was believed that Nvidia’s GM206 graphics processor features 128-bit memory interface, but it appears that the GPU actually has 192-bit memory controller. The Zotac GeForce GTX 960 with 3GB GDDR5 should offer considerably higher performance than the regular GeForce GTX 960 with 2GB of memory in high resolutions.

The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 comes in a stylish black plastic case, which can be easily opened to upgrade hardware.

Pricing of the Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 is unknown.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 looks to be a very interesting small form-factor PC that should deliver rather high performance in games despite of its small sizes. Usage of a newer “Skylake” processor would be preferable, but “Broadwell” CPU also delivers fine performance that should be enough for modern games.

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Intel to release 22-core Xeon E5 v4 “Broadwell-EP” late in 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-to-release-22-core-xeon-e5-v4-broadwell-ep-late-in-2015-company/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-to-release-22-core-xeon-e5-v4-broadwell-ep-late-in-2015-company/#respond Fri, 21 Aug 2015 01:07:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=264365 Intel Corp. this week reaffirmed plans to release the next generation of its multi-core Xeon E5 v4 central processing units code-named “Broadwell-EP”, which were rumoured to be cancelled earlier this year. The new chips will emerge later this year, they will increase core-count, memory bandwidth and will also feature micro-architecture-level improvements. The new Xeon E5 v4 …

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Intel Corp. this week reaffirmed plans to release the next generation of its multi-core Xeon E5 v4 central processing units code-named “Broadwell-EP”, which were rumoured to be cancelled earlier this year. The new chips will emerge later this year, they will increase core-count, memory bandwidth and will also feature micro-architecture-level improvements.

The new Xeon E5 v4 chips are set to feature up to 22 cores and the new Xeon E7 v4 central processing units are expected to have up to 24 cores, according to unofficial information. The “Broadwell” microprocessors for servers are designed to be drop-in compatible with existing “Grantley” and “Brickland” platforms and are not expected to bring a lot of innovations, except support for TSX instructions, some custom features for select clients, DDR4 memory at 2400MHz clock-rate as well as some other enhancements. Thanks to 14nm process technology and increased core-count, the Xeon “Broadwell” chips could increase performance and/or reduce power consumption.

intel_xeon_e5_v3_haswell_cpu

A representative for Intel told ComputerBase.de that the Xeon E5 v4 “Broadwell-EP” chips will hit the market late this year and will be the company’s first multi-core central processing units made using 14nm process technology.

Intel traditionally launches server-class Xeon processors considerably later than client chips based on the same micro-architecture. This happens because before releasing new processors commercially, Intel and server makers need to ensure that the new central processing units work fine in different configurations, which requires a lot of tests and evaluations. According to the plan, Intel intends to update its “Grantley” and “Brickland” server platforms with the Xeon E5 v4 “Broadwell-EP” and the Xeon E7 v4 “Broadwell-EX” microprocessors in late 2015 and sometimes in 2016, respectively.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As it appears, Intel’s “Broadwell-EP” is not cancelled after all. Despite of delays, the company wants to bring the chip to the market.

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Shipments of Intel Core i7 processors set records in Q2 – company https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/shipments-of-intel-core-i7-processors-set-records-in-q2-company/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/shipments-of-intel-core-i7-processors-set-records-in-q2-company/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2015 00:06:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=259404 Despite of lowering sales of personal computers and slow demand for consumer electronics in general, Intel Corp. claims that shipments of its high-end Core i7 microprocessors were record-high in the second quarter of 2015. Although Intel Corp. posted mixed results for the second quarter of the year and made a rather disappointing announcement concerning the state …

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Despite of lowering sales of personal computers and slow demand for consumer electronics in general, Intel Corp. claims that shipments of its high-end Core i7 microprocessors were record-high in the second quarter of 2015.

Although Intel Corp. posted mixed results for the second quarter of the year and made a rather disappointing announcement concerning the state of its 10nm process technology, there are a number of bright spots in its report. For example, increased average selling price of its microprocessors because of record shipments of its high-end Core i7 offerings.

“While there were year-over-year declines in desktop and notebook volume, we saw record Core desktop mix due to growth in the high-end segment and record Core i7 mix overall for the PC business,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, during the company’s quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts.

intel_core_i7_haswell_lga1150

It is noteworthy that Intel enjoyed great sales of higher-end desktop microprocessors during the quarter. According to the company, desktop platform sales were down 22 per cent year-over-year, but average selling prices of desktop products were up six per cent, a clear indicator that the company sold a lot of Core i7 products for desktops. By contrast, sales of notebook components were down 11 per cent YoY, ASPs dropped two per cent YoY.

It should be noted that 22 per cent drop of desktop sales year-over-year is clearly a very negative trend not only for Intel, but for the whole industry of personal computers. Such a major drop is a result of the fact that Intel sold a lot of mainstream and entry-level desktop components in Q2 2014 because businesses started to buy new PCs due to end of Windows XP support. Nonetheless, the 22 per cent YoY decline cannot be explained by only the “Windows XP upgrade” effect in 2014. It looks like that while gaming desktops seem to be on the rise, all other types of such PCs seem to be losing popularity among customers.

intel_headquarters_hq

Intel this week reported second-quarter revenue of $13.2 billion, operating income of $2.9 billion, net income of $2.7 billion. Second quarter gross margin of the company was 62.5 per cent. Intel’s client computing group – which sells microprocessors, chipsets, mobile communication components as well as wireless and wired connectivity products for personal computers, tablets, smartphones and other personal devices – reported revenue $7.5 billion, up 2 per cent quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and down 14 per cent year-over-year (YoY). Data center group – which sells server processors, co-processors, chipsets, network components and other – earned revenue of $3.9 billion, up 5 per cent QoQ and up 10 per cent YoY. Internet of Things group’s revenue was $559 million, up 5 per cent sequentially and up 4 per cent YoY. Software and services operating segments revenue was $534 million, flat QoQ and down 3 per cent YoY.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is good to see that a lot of people appreciate great microprocessors, it is sad that mainstream users seem to be either abandoning desktops, or keep them for many years for some reasons. Poor sales are bad for the industry as low revenues slowdown progress.

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Intel wants to use EUV lithography for 7nm process technology https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-wants-to-use-euv-lithography-for-7nm-process-technology/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-wants-to-use-euv-lithography-for-7nm-process-technology/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:48:21 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=259382 Intel Corp. has implied a number of times that it did not need to use extreme ultraviolet lithography for its 7nm manufacturing process. However, after facing problems with multi-patterning methods at 14nm and 10nm fabrication technologies, it seems that the company has changed its mind. This week Intel said that it is exploring possibilities to …

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Intel Corp. has implied a number of times that it did not need to use extreme ultraviolet lithography for its 7nm manufacturing process. However, after facing problems with multi-patterning methods at 14nm and 10nm fabrication technologies, it seems that the company has changed its mind. This week Intel said that it is exploring possibilities to use EUV at 7nm. Unfortunately, it is still unclear whether appropriate tools will be ready by the time Intel needs them.

“At 7nm, we are trying to bring in EUV,” said Stacy Smith, chief financial officer of Intel, during the company’s quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts. “Depending on the health of that [technology], we could be at two years, we could be at 2.5 years [with 10nm fabrication process].”

Extreme ultraviolet lithography is an advanced patterning technology that allows semiconductor makers to keep scaling down feature sizes of chips. Thanks to 13.5nm wavelength of EUV lasers, it will be possible to “draw” finer elements of chips without using difficult multiple-patterning techniques and implementing additional metal layers that complicate manufacturing technology and make it more expensive. EUV is also expected to bring significant benefits in terms of yield and cycle time.

intel_ireland_semiconductor_chip_fab_300mm_wafer_2

Intel has been using various forms of multiple-patterning, a semiconductor manufacturing technology that allows to enhance feature density by drawing multiple lines on the same photoresist layer using different photomasks, since its 65nm process technology. While in general usage of multi-patterning has not been a problem for Intel, things got very complicated at 14nm, when the number of mask steps increased. In a bid to ensure that it can produce chips using 10nm fabrication technology with high yields and in high volume, Intel decided to postpone the roll-out of appropriate chips by one year to tune the manufacturing process and its designs. Some believe that Intel plans to use quintuple-patterning for its 10nm tech, which is extremely complex and expensive.

Because of extreme difficulties it faces with modern process technologies, Intel indicated that from now on it will produce three generations of chips using the same process technology instead of two. The company said that it would like to get back to two-year cycle time and that it could be possible with EUV lithography.

intel_fab32_foup_semiconductor

While EUV scanners have existed for years, their productivity is too low for commercial production. Experimental ASML NXE:3300B EUV scanners are capable of processing 500 wafers per 24 hours. However, for high-volume manufacturing wafer scanners should process 1500+ wafers per 24 hours. It is still unclear when EUV scanners from ASML be able to hit necessary production capabilities.

“We will take a look at what is the maturity of EUV, what is the maturity of the material science changes that are occurring, what is the complexity of the product roadmap that we are adding, and make that [cycle-related] adjustment in the future,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Since it is believed that Intel has ordered 15 EUV scanners from ASML earlier this year, it looks like there is a plan to start using EUV at 7nm several years after 10nm introduction in 2017. Depending on capabilities of the tools, Intel may start making 7nm chips in 2019 or 2020.

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Intel confirms delay of 10nm chips to 2017, blames difficulties https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-confirms-delay-of-10nm-microprocessors-to-2017-blames-difficulties/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-confirms-delay-of-10nm-microprocessors-to-2017-blames-difficulties/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2015 10:41:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=259296 Intel Corp. on Wednesday confirmed the delay of mass production of central processing units using 10nm fabrication process to 2017. The company said that it ran into difficulties with its 10nm technology and decided to stretch the life-cycle of 14nm process with one more family of CPU products code-named “Kaby Lake”. Intel admitted that it …

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Intel Corp. on Wednesday confirmed the delay of mass production of central processing units using 10nm fabrication process to 2017. The company said that it ran into difficulties with its 10nm technology and decided to stretch the life-cycle of 14nm process with one more family of CPU products code-named “Kaby Lake”. Intel admitted that it now takes about 2.5 years to transit from one manufacturing technology to another, which means the stretch of Moore’s law cadence.

When Gordon Moore first did his observation regarding doubling the number of transistors in an integrated circuit in 1965, he noted that they increase two fold every 12 months. In 1975, he updated his estimate and revised the forecast doubling time to two years. However, in the recent years manufacturing technologies and semiconductors became so complex that it led to a stretch of manufacturing technology transitions. Consequently, the amount of transistors per chip now doubles every 2.5 years. As a result of the stretch of Moore’s law cadence, Intel now needs to introduce not two, but three processor families made using the same process technology.

“To address this cadence, in the second half of 2016 we plan to introduce a third 14nm product code-named Kaby Lake, built on the foundations of the Skylake micro-architecture, but with key performance enhancements,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, during the company’s quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts. “We expect that this addition to the roadmap will deliver new features and improved performance and pave the way for a smooth transition to 10nm.”

intel_wafer_300mm_semiconductor

The company intends to start production of its code-named “Cannonlake” processors made using 10nm manufacturing technology only in the second half of 2017. The world's largest chipmaker believes that the additional year will help it to polish-off its 10nm fabrication process and ensure a high-volume launch of new chips.

“In the second half of 2017, we expect to launch our first 10nm product code-named Cannonlake,” said Mr. Krzanich. “When we say second half of 2017, we are talking about millions of units and large volumes.”

intel_semiconductor_intel_custom_foundry_alley-with-worker-in-fab-16x9

Mr. Krzanich did not reveal a lot of details about the company’s 10nm fabrication process and the exact reasons of the delay, but he implied that the new manufacturing technology uses FinFET transistors with enhancements and immersion lithography with a lot of multi-pattern steps.

“Each [process technology] has its own recipe of complexity and difficulty,” explained Mr. Krzanich, who once was responsible for manufacturing operations at Intel. “14nm to 10nm is the same thing that happened with 22nm to 14nm [transition]. The lithography is continuing to get more difficult as you try [to scale down]. The number of multi-pattern steps you have to do is increasing. This is the longest period of time without a lithography node change.”

The chief executive of Intel also implied that the company will not take any shortcuts just to get to 10nm in time. The new process will feature smaller transistor fin pitch, transistor gate pitch as well as interconnection pitch compared to 14nm technology in a bid to maximize transistor density.

“We believe if you take a look at the scaling, it will be quite strong relative to the normal scaling parameters that occur with the Moore's Law transition,” said the head of Intel. “I am not going give you the exact numbers right now. We think if you combine all those together, our leadership position [in the industry] does not change, even with this date.”

intel_semiconductor_microprocessor_penryn

Intel said that while for now its manufacturing technology cadence is stretched to essentially 2.5 – 3 years, the company will try to go back to its two years cadence. Quite possibly, the return of the problematic “tick-tock” cadence will require a switch to extreme ultraviolet lithography. If the company’s 10nm process tech will be used to produce three product families (i.e., for three years), then EUV will likely become a viable option for 7nm sometimes in 2020.

It should be noted that stretching process technology cycles also mean stretching micro-architectural cycles. It remains to be seen how Intel will manage to improve performance from one processor generation to another and how significant performance improvements will be going forward.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It looks like “Cannon Lake” processors have not been cancelled, but delayed by one year. If it is the case, then the rumoured “Ice Lake” chips may replace them in 2018, if Intel decides to stretch life-cycle of 10nm to three generations. Alternatively, “Ice Lake” may  not emerge at all because using one micro-architecture for four years is not a good thing in general. Moreover, Intel may not need to use 10nm for three generations if EUV becomes viable by 2019.

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Intel readies ‘Ice Lake’ processors with integrated voltage regulator https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-readies-ice-lake-processors-with-integrated-voltage-regulator/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-readies-ice-lake-processors-with-integrated-voltage-regulator/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:33:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258708 Intel Corp. has cancelled release of its code-named “Cannonlake” processors and will introduce “Kaby Lake” chips instead in 2016. Intel’s first 10nm central processing units will be code-named “Ice Lake” and will be available only in 2017. Moreover, “Ice Lake” CPUs will re-introduce fully-integrated voltage regulator (FIVR). All Intel’s processors except “Haswell” and “Broadwell” relied …

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Intel Corp. has cancelled release of its code-named “Cannonlake” processors and will introduce “Kaby Lake” chips instead in 2016. Intel’s first 10nm central processing units will be code-named “Ice Lake” and will be available only in 2017. Moreover, “Ice Lake” CPUs will re-introduce fully-integrated voltage regulator (FIVR).

All Intel’s processors except “Haswell” and “Broadwell” relied on voltage regulators located on mainboards. FIVR, which is integrated into “Haswell” and “Broadwell”, greatly simplifies design of motherboards and gives Intel more control over the power supply of CPUs, which also optimizes power consumption. Unfortunately, “Skylake” and “Kaby Lake” processors will not feature FIVR, but the world’s largest chipmaker will reintroduce its fully-integrated voltage regulator in 2017 with “Ice Lake” processors, reports Hardwareluxx web-site.

intel_core_i7_haswell_edited

Not a lot is known about “Ice Lake” central processing units. Based on its name, its micro-architecture should have similarities with Skylake, but keeping in mind that it will be released in 2017, it is likely that that the new chips will feature 512-bit AVX instructions.

It is unclear why Intel decided not to integrate FIVR into “Skylake” and “Kaby Lake” processors. Among other things, FIVR improves overclocking potential of chips, something that is important for enthusiast-class CPUs.

While Intel’s “Kaby Lake” processors made using 14nm FinFET process technology will likely be compatible with LGA1151 mainboards, “Ice Lake” chips will probably use a new form-factor and will require all-new motherboards.

Intel-FIVR

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As it appears, Intel decided to delay mass production of 10nm chips by about a year. The reasons for that are unclear, but it looks like it is getting harder for Intel to transit to newer process technologies every couple of years.

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Intel’s ‘Kaby Lake’ processors will be released in late 2016 – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intels-kaby-lake-processors-will-be-released-in-late-2016-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intels-kaby-lake-processors-will-be-released-in-late-2016-report/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2015 20:52:48 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=257908 Intel Corp.’s “Kaby Lake” central processing units will be released exactly a year after the company’s “Skylake” chips due this August and September. The introduction of chips in late third quarter means that the company will further postpone the roll-out of microprocessors made using 10nm fabrication process. As reported, Intel’s “Kaby Lake” processors will replace …

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Intel Corp.’s “Kaby Lake” central processing units will be released exactly a year after the company’s “Skylake” chips due this August and September. The introduction of chips in late third quarter means that the company will further postpone the roll-out of microprocessors made using 10nm fabrication process.

As reported, Intel’s “Kaby Lake” processors will replace the company’s “Cannon Lake” central processing units next year and will succeed its “Skylake” products. The chips will be build using 14nm manufacturing technology and will likely resemble “Skylake” both in terms of design and in terms of micro-architecture. It is unknown whether the new CPUs will support any new instructions, such as AVX-512 (AVX 3.2) or any other significant improvements.

Earlier it was believed that the “Kaby Lake” was a temporary solution in order to refresh Intel’s product lineup before all-new 10nm “Cannonlake” chips hit the market, which is something that happened to “Broadwell”. It now appears that the “Kaby Lake” is a product family that will be Intel’s primary product lineup for a long time, according to DigiTimes. The report claims that Intel will start to roll-out the consumer versions of “Kaby Lake” chips in September, 2016, and will conclude the roll-out with high-end enterprise-class “Kaby Lake” processors in early 2017. Such launch schedule indicates that the world’s No. 1 maker of microprocessors will not release its 10nm chips until sometimes in 2017.

intel_core_pentium_devil_s_canyon_lga1150_haswell

Based on what is currently known about the new microprocessors, “Kaby Lake” chips feature two or four cores, a new generation integrated graphics engine, a dual-channel memory controller and up to 256MB of on-package cache to speed-up graphics workloads. Intel’s “Kaby Lake” processors for desktops will retain LGA1151 form-factor and will be drop-in compatible with “Skylake” infrastructure and motherboards powered by Intel’s 100-series chipsets.

Different versions of “Kaby Lake” processors – “Kaby Lake-S”, “Kaby Lake-H”, “Kaby Lake-U” and “Kaby Lake-Y” – will address various segments of the market, including mobile and desktop clients. The CPUs will have thermal design power ranging from 4.5W to 91W.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Looks like Intel’s “tick-tock” model, where “tick” represents a die shrink and a new process technology, whereas “tock” represents a new microarchitecture, got broken. With “Haswell”, “Hawell Refresh”, “Broadwell”, “Skylake” and “Kaby Lake” it now more resembles something like “tock-tock-tick-tock-tock”. Keeping in mind that a modern process technology costs $1.5 billion to develop, whereas a new leading-edge fab can cost $6 – $7 billion to build, it is not surprising that even Intel is not as aggressive as it used to be with its transitions. However, the real question is not whether Intel retains its process technology leadership at 10nm and/or beyond. The real question is whether companies like Samsung Electronics or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. can convert their manufacturing technology advantages into real-world benefits for products they produce for their clients.

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Intel delays ramp of 10nm mass production due to poor yields – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/intel-delays-ramp-of-10nm-mass-production-due-to-poor-yields-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/intel-delays-ramp-of-10nm-mass-production-due-to-poor-yields-report/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:08:21 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=256084 Intel Corp. has again delayed installation of equipment necessary to produce semiconductors in high volume using 10nm process technology. It is believed that Intel experiences yield ramp issues, just like in case of its 14nm manufacturing tech, which is why it does not make sense for the company to buy and install new equipment just …

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Intel Corp. has again delayed installation of equipment necessary to produce semiconductors in high volume using 10nm process technology. It is believed that Intel experiences yield ramp issues, just like in case of its 14nm manufacturing tech, which is why it does not make sense for the company to buy and install new equipment just now.

In April, it was reported that Intel put off purchase of tools to start mass production of chips at fab 28 in Kiryat Gat, Israel, from March to December. The acquisition of the equipment is a part of a $6 billion upgrade plan for the company’s semiconductor fabrication facility, which is tremendously important for Intel. SemiWiki reports that recently the world’s largest chipmaker decided to further delay purchase of the equipment to 2016 and hence postpone volume production of chips using its 10nm fabrication process.

intel_wafer_300mm_semiconductor

Intel’s competitors on the market of semiconductors – Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. – plan to start high-volume production of 10nm products in 2015. Potentially, they may leave Intel behind with the new node, which is a bad news for Intel, which has been the technological leader of the semiconductor market for decades.

If Samsung and TSMC manage to start high-volume production of 10nm chips earlier than Intel and those processors can threat central processing units from Intel, then the latter is in trouble. At present Intel has to sell its tablet system-on-chips at a loss in order to sustain or gain market share against partners of ARM Holdings. If designers of ARM-based chips gain technological advantage over Intel and that advantage translates into performance and power consumption benefits, then Intel is in trouble since notebook designers may prefer ARM-based SoCs to Intel’s CPUs.

One thing that should be kept in mind is that Intel’s manufacturing processes are usually superior when compared to fabrication technologies by other makers of semiconductors. Newer manufacturing technologies from Intel have always featured smaller transistor fin pitch, transistor gate pitch as well as interconnection pitch than predecessors in a bid to maximize transistor density. By contrast, Intel’s rivals make trade-offs that reduce transistor density and increase per-transistor costs, which makes it harder for their customers to use those technologies. Moreover, some experts believe that Intel may introduce a new transistor structure at 10nm, improving performance and reducing power consumption of its chips. By contrast, Samsung and TSMC will continue to use FinFET transistors at 10nm. That said, it is not cast in stone that Samsung’s and TSMC’s 10nm technologies will be dramatically better than Intel’s 14nm FinFET.

intel_semiconductor_reduction_cost_chip_manufacturing

Back in May, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors promised to disclose details about its 10nm plans later this year.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Given the recent unofficial information about the delay of 10nm “Cannonlake” and introduction of 14nm “Kaby Lake” processor in 2016, it is obvious that the company is slowing down its pace to 10nm. The only question is whether Intel is trying to reduce its spending to keep financial analysts happy, has technological problems it cannot resolve quickly or is just trying to develop absolutely the best 10nm process not only for its microprocessors and SoCs, but also for its foundry customers, such as Altera.

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Aorus begins to sell its X5 laptop: Core i7, GeForce GTX 965M SLI, 3K IPS display https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/aorus-begins-to-sell-its-x5-laptop-core-i7-geforce-gtx-965m-sli-4k-ips-display/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/aorus-begins-to-sell-its-x5-laptop-core-i7-geforce-gtx-965m-sli-4k-ips-display/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2015 02:46:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252472 Aorus, a division of Gigabyte Technology that specializes on gaming laptops, on Tuesday began to sell its Aorus X5 notebooks introduced earlier this year. The company had to slightly change configuration of the mobile PCs, but the laptop is still among the highest-performing slim notebooks on the planet. The Aorus X5 notebook is based on the …

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Aorus, a division of Gigabyte Technology that specializes on gaming laptops, on Tuesday began to sell its Aorus X5 notebooks introduced earlier this year. The company had to slightly change configuration of the mobile PCs, but the laptop is still among the highest-performing slim notebooks on the planet.

The Aorus X5 notebook is based on the Intel Core i7-5700HQ “Broadwell” processor as well as two Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M graphics adapters in SLI mode. The system is equipped with 16GB DDR3 memory, 256GB or 512GB solid-state drive, 1TB hard disk drive, Killer Networking LAN chip with 802.11ac WiFi support and so on. The mobile PC can be further upgraded to support up to 32GB of memory, up to three M.2 solid-state drives and maybe even faster graphics processors.

aorus_x7_laptop_nvidia_g_sync_geforce

The new laptops from Aorus are equipped with 15.6″ IPS display panels with 2880*1620 resolution and rather high luminance of 350 cd/m². The notebooks feature Nvidia’s G-Sync direct that dynamically synchronizes refresh rate of a display to the framerate of the outputting graphics processing unit. Earlier this year Aorus planned to use a 4K IGZO panel from Sharp.

The Aorus X5 gaming notebooks boast with extreme performance that is comparable to that of modern desktops. However, it is not very thick (22.9mm) or heavy (2.5 kilograms). In fact, its weight and dimensions are similar to those of non-gaming laptops released several years ago. In a bid to ensure maximum stability, the X5 employs an advanced cooling system with eight thermal pipes, four vents and two fans. Thermal parts have been placed at the rear in a bid to ensure maximum coolness for wrists. The Aorus laptops also feature advanced LED-backlit keyboard with programmable buttons and macros.

aorus_x5

Aorus will start to sell its X5 laptops in the U.K. shortly at Overclockers UK. Two configurations will be available:

  • Aorus X5/15.6″ WQHD+ 2880×1620/Intel Core i7-5700HQ/Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M SLI GDDR5 8GB/DRAM 16GB/ SSD 512GB/HDD 1TB/ G-Sync – £1,899 including VAT;
  • Aorus X5/15.6″ WQHD+ 2880×1620/Intel Core i7-5700HQ/ GeForce GTX 965M SLI GDDR5 8GB/DRAM 16GB/ SSD 256GB/HDD 1TB/G-Sync – £1,799 including VAT.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although it is a little bit sad that Aorus decided not to use 4K ultra HD display on its X5 laptops, the 2880*1620 resolution seems to be more optimal for a 15.6” display. Moreover, lower resolution also means higher performance in games. All-in-all, both Aorus X5 models seem to be decent gaming machines.

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ECS unveils tiny Liva Core PCs with Intel Core M inside https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/ecs-unveils-tiny-liva-pcs-with-intel-core-m-inside/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/ecs-unveils-tiny-liva-pcs-with-intel-core-m-inside/#respond Tue, 02 Jun 2015 06:50:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252226 Elitegroup Computer Systems has introduced one of the world’s first desktop personal computers with Intel Corp.’s Core M processor inside. The new system is very tiny and is completely silent, but it has features similar to those supported by full-size desktops. The new Liva Core personal computer is based on the Intel Core M-5Y10C “Broadwell” …

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Elitegroup Computer Systems has introduced one of the world’s first desktop personal computers with Intel Corp.’s Core M processor inside. The new system is very tiny and is completely silent, but it has features similar to those supported by full-size desktops.

The new Liva Core personal computer is based on the Intel Core M-5Y10C “Broadwell” system on-chip with two cores and built-in Intel HD Graphics 5300. The microprocessor has thermal design power of 4.5W and can be cooled down using only a radiator, which means that the system is absolutely silent. The SoC hardly provides high performance, but those who need minimal size and absolute silence will hardly find anything that provides truly high performance.

ecs_liva_core

The ECS Liva Core is equipped with 4GB DDR3L memory, one Intel M.2 solid-state drive, 802.11ac WiFi card, four USB 3.0 ports, micro SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet port and so on. The computer supports Intel Wireless Display technology in addition to two HDMI outputs. The tiny PC has 136mm*84mm*38mm dimensions.

KitGuru’s Leo Waldock has pictured the ECS Liva Core at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan. The system should hit the market shortly from now. The tiny desktop PC will ship with Windows 8.1, but it is ready for Windows 10 that will be available later this year as a free upgrade to owners of Windows 8.1.

ecs_liva_core_2

Pricing of ECS Liva Core is unclear, but do not expect it to be too affordable: Intel Core M processors are rather expensive and small form-factor PCs are not cheap in general.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Usage of mobile SoCs inside SFF desktops is an interesting decision. On the one hand, it allows companies to build ultra-small PCs that are also silent. On the other hand, such PCs are too expensive for the mass market and will hardly become popular, especially keeping in mind that Core M processors do not offer truly high performance.

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Asus unveils all-in-one Zen PCs: Core i7, GeForce GTX, 512GB SSD, 32GB RAM https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/asus-introduces-all-in-one-zen-pcs-intel-core-i7-geforce-gtx-512gb-ssd-32gb-ram/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/asus-introduces-all-in-one-zen-pcs-intel-core-i7-geforce-gtx-512gb-ssd-32gb-ram/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2015 23:46:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252197 At the Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show Asustek Computer has introduced its first high-performance all-in-one personal computers. The new Zen AIO systems can deliver performance of high-end desktops thanks to usage of powerful processors, graphics adapters and solid-state drives. Asustek’s new Zen AIO personal computers look very stylish and resemble the latest-generation Apple iMac all-in-one PCs. …

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At the Computex Taipei 2015 trade-show Asustek Computer has introduced its first high-performance all-in-one personal computers. The new Zen AIO systems can deliver performance of high-end desktops thanks to usage of powerful processors, graphics adapters and solid-state drives.

Asustek’s new Zen AIO personal computers look very stylish and resemble the latest-generation Apple iMac all-in-one PCs. Initially Asus will offer two models: Z2401c with 24” display and Z2201c with 22” screen. The systems feature Intel RealSense 3D camera, powerful 16W speakers and USB 3.1 type-C receptacles.

“We have a team of extremely talented designers, working hard to bring our customers the best experience possible,” said Jonney Shih, the chairman of Asustek Computer.

asus_zen_aio

Asus Zen all-in-one personal computers are based on the latest Intel Core i7 microprocessors and are equipped with Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M graphics cards, up to 32GB of random access memory and up to 512GB solid-state drives with PCI Express 3.0 x4 interface with maximum bandwidth of around 4GB/s.

Asus plans to ship its AIO PCs with Windows 10 operating system, so expect them to hit the market sometimes in late summer or early fall.

Pricing of Asustek’s Zen AIOs is unknown, but the systems will clearly not be affordable simply because of high-end specifications and impressive design.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Asustek manufactures laptops and displays. It was completely logical for the company to start offering all-in-one desktops as well.

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Intel: We will reveal schedule for 10nm chips later this year https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-we-will-reveal-schedule-for-10nm-chips-later-this-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-we-will-reveal-schedule-for-10nm-chips-later-this-year/#respond Fri, 22 May 2015 22:57:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250811 Intel Corp. has been particularly tight-lipped about its roadmap concerning microprocessors to be made using 10nm fabrication process. However, on Friday the company said that development of the 10nm technology is progressing well and it will share more information about products it plans to produce using the process later this year. “The 10nm development is progressing very …

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Intel Corp. has been particularly tight-lipped about its roadmap concerning microprocessors to be made using 10nm fabrication process. However, on Friday the company said that development of the 10nm technology is progressing well and it will share more information about products it plans to produce using the process later this year.

“The 10nm development is progressing very well,” said Renee James, president of Intel, during a Q&A session with stockholders at the company’s annual meeting. “You will start to see start-up cost in the second half of the year on 10nm. We will talk about the timing of [10nm] later this year – the early part of next year about when that will happen.

Intel has not disclosed almost anything regarding its 10nm manufacturing process so far. The only thing that is known about Intel's 10nm fabrication tech is that the chip giant wants to further increase transistor density and reduce per transistor cost, something that many contract makers of semiconductors have failed to do with their 14nm/16nm FinFET processes. Unfortunately, the most recent reports about Intel’s 10nm chips and production of microprocessors using the node contradicted each other.

intel_semiconductor_intel_custom_foundry_alley-with-worker-in-fab-16x9

In April, it was reported that Intel postponed purchase of equipment needed to start mass production of chips at fab 28 in Kiryat Gat, Israel, from March to December. The purchase of the equipment is a part of a $6 billion upgrade plan for fab 28, which is crucial for Intel. The delay could potentially set back volume production of chips made using 10nm fabrication process.

In May, a leaked slide from Intel’s roadmap revealed the company’s plans to start commercial shipments of its “Cannonlake” processors for mobile devices in mid-2016, which means that production should begin at least three months before commercial shipments (i.e., early in 2016).

intel_semiconductor_reduction_cost_chip_manufacturing

At present Intel Intel is setting up a pilot line for 10nm production in D1X development fab in Hillsboro, Oregon. The line will be operational shortly from now and will allow Intel to learn maximum amount of information about its new process technology and designs (i.e., “Cannonlake”, “Knights Hill”, etc.). Once Intel learns enough about its tech and products, it can start to transfer the technology to different fabs (i.e., fab 28 in case of 10nm), a process called Copy Exactly. The “Copy Exactly” methodology requires matching equipment configuration, chemical purity and a lot of other things. Intel does not start the CE process before manufacturing technology hits multiple targets, such as yield, performance and other. The parameters at all factories are then monitored and adjusted on-the-fly in a bid to improve yields, performance characteristics, etc. simultaneously at all Intel's fabs across the globe.

Process technology development and finalization take a long time, just like the Copy Exactly process. If Intel moves in new equipment to fab 28 only in late 2015, it will not be able to mass produce 10nm chips in early Q2 2016.

intel_wafer_300mm_semiconductor

It is highly likely that Intel will reveal more details about its 10nm process technology at plans at the upcoming Intel Developer Forum trade-show in mid-August.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If Intel is ready to talk about its 10nm manufacturing technology, it generally means that the chip giant is satisfied with its fabrication process and is confident that products made using it will hit all necessary parameters on time.

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Intel ‘Skylake’ launch schedule revealed: CPUs to arrive in August https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/complete-intel-skylake-launch-schedule-revealed-chips-to-be-showcased-in-august/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/complete-intel-skylake-launch-schedule-revealed-chips-to-be-showcased-in-august/#comments Thu, 21 May 2015 02:45:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250397 Intel Corp. has reportedly finalized its launch schedules for the upcoming code-named “Skylake” central processing units. According to a timetable published by a Chinese web-site, various “Skylake” chips are set to arrive to the market between August and November. Intel plans to demonstrate its next-generation “Skylake” microprocessors at its Intel Developer Forum, which takes place …

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Intel Corp. has reportedly finalized its launch schedules for the upcoming code-named “Skylake” central processing units. According to a timetable published by a Chinese web-site, various “Skylake” chips are set to arrive to the market between August and November.

Intel plans to demonstrate its next-generation “Skylake” microprocessors at its Intel Developer Forum, which takes place from the 18th to the 20th of August in San Francisco, California. At the trade-show the company will disclose peculiarities of the micro-architecture, reveal innovative PCs powered by the new central processing units and may even talk about its future CPUs.

intel_core_i7_haswell_edited

The first “Skylake” products to hit the market will be desktop “Skylake-S” chips for enthusiasts, the Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K, according to a timetable published by BenchLife web-site. The new quad-core processors with unlocked multiplier could hit the market already in August.

intel_skylake_rts_schedule

The RTS [ready to ship] milestone for low-power Core M “Skylake-Y” as well as mainstream and high-performance mobile Core i-series “Skylake-U” and “Skylake-H” is scheduled on September, 2015. Highest-performing laptop chips as well as the first Xeon processors for single-socket servers featuring “Skylake” microarchitecture will arrive in October or November. Intel will also update the mobile CPU lineups in January, 2016, with improved models.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Intel’s “Skylake” microprocessors are on the home straight. Expect early benchmark results and more details in the coming weeks and months.

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Intel Core i7-5775C ‘Broadwell Unlocked’ listed for $499 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5775c-broadwell-unlocked-listed-for-499/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5775c-broadwell-unlocked-listed-for-499/#comments Mon, 18 May 2015 22:58:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249927 For many years Intel’s highest-performing Core i7 processors for mainstream platforms cost $300 – $349. However, Intel may change its policy regarding prices of its advanced Core i7 and Core i5 processors with unlocked multiplier going forward, based on prices leaked by a U.S.-based online store. NCIX, a well-known online store in the U.S., recently …

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For many years Intel’s highest-performing Core i7 processors for mainstream platforms cost $300 – $349. However, Intel may change its policy regarding prices of its advanced Core i7 and Core i5 processors with unlocked multiplier going forward, based on prices leaked by a U.S.-based online store.

NCIX, a well-known online store in the U.S., recently started to take pre-orders on Intel’s Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C microprocessors that belong to the “Broadwell” generation and are made using 14nm FinFET process technology. The store charges $499 for the Core i7-5775C and $379 for the Core i5-5675C. The same store sells Intel’s Core i7-4790K for $459, which is considerably higher than the price of the chip in other stores. Intel’s official price for the Core i7-4790K is $339.

While the highest-performing LGA “Broadwell” processor will unlikely cost nearly $500 officially, it is obvious that it will be more expensive than Intel’s current flagship “Devil’s Canyon” processor.

Wccftech believes that the higher price of Intel Core i7-5775C and Intel Core i5-5675C is conditioned by high-performance integrated Iris Pro 6200 graphics processing unit. The Iris Pro 6200 (also known as the GT3e) features 48 execution units and has 128MB eDRAM cache for performance maximization purposes.

intel_core_pentium_devil_s_canyon_lga1150_haswell

The family of socketed “Broadwell Unlocked” processors for desktops contains only two models: the Core i7-5775C (4 cores/8 threads, 3.30GHz/3.80GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP) and the Core i5-5675C (4 cores/4 threads, 3.10GHz/3.60GHz base/turbo frequency, 4MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP). Both chips are compatible with motherboards based on Intel’s 9-series chipsets, such as the Z97 and the H97.

Given the fact that in general-purpose tasks Intel’s “Broadwell” chips with unlocked multiplier will be slower than Intel’s Core i7-4790K and Core i5-4690K, it is unlikely that Intel’s new central processing units will become popular among enthusiasts, who do not use integrated graphics adapters.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Looks like despite of the fact that “Broadwell Unlocked” processors will not beat existing chips in terms of performance, they will still be pretty expensive. The question is whether a lot of end-users will actually buy such chips…

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Launch date of Intel Core i5/i7 ‘Broadwell Unlocked’ revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/launch-date-of-intel-core-i5i7-broadwell-unlocked-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/launch-date-of-intel-core-i5i7-broadwell-unlocked-revealed/#comments Thu, 14 May 2015 22:59:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249512 Intel Corp. is set to start selling desktop microprocessors based on the “Broadwell” micro-architecture in early June, according to a report from a Japanese web-site. The family will include only two models and will hardly be very popular among performance enthusiasts and overclockers. Intel and its partners will start to sell its Core i7-5775C and …

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Intel Corp. is set to start selling desktop microprocessors based on the “Broadwell” micro-architecture in early June, according to a report from a Japanese web-site. The family will include only two models and will hardly be very popular among performance enthusiasts and overclockers.

Intel and its partners will start to sell its Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C microprocessors on the 2nd of June, 2015, in Japan, reports Hermitage Akihabara web-site. Originally it was expected that the new chips will hit the market in mid-May, but it looks like the world’s largest maker of microprocessors changed its plans and decided to start actual sales of the highly-anticipated chips in early June.

The lineup of socketed “Broadwell Unlocked” processors for desktops will be limited to only two models: the Core i7-5775C (4 cores/8 threads, 3.30GHz/3.80GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP) and the Core i5-5675C (4 cores/4 threads, 3.10GHz/3.60GHz base/turbo frequency, 4MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP). Both chips will be compatible with mainboards based on Intel’s 9-series chipsets, such as the Z97 and the H97.

intel_core_pentium_devil_s_canyon_lga1150_haswell

The new central processing units will feature unlocked multiplier and will support overclocking, however, it is unlikely that they will become true successors to the Core i7-4770K/4790K and the Core i5-4690K due to relatively low out-of-box clock-rates and moderate overclocking potential. On the other hand, thanks to relatively low thermal design power and advanced graphics core, the new chips will be perfect for enthusiast-class small form-factor systems, which are gaining popularity these days.

Prices of Intel’s Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C are unknown, but given that the chips are not going to deliver leading-edge performance, they should not be too expensive.

Later this year Intel plans to introduce the true successors to the “Devil’s Canyon” central processing units. The Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K based on the “Skylake” micro-architecture are expected to hit the market in late September or October.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: So, “Broadwell Unlocked” chips are a couple of weeks away. Any of our readers are going to grab one of such CPUs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section or in Facebook.

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Asus: Intel ‘Skylake’ and Microsoft Windows 10 to debut in Q3 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/asus-intel-skylake-and-microsoft-windows-10-to-debut-in-q3/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/asus-intel-skylake-and-microsoft-windows-10-to-debut-in-q3/#comments Thu, 14 May 2015 11:32:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249389 Chief executive officer of Asustek Computer has revealed that Intel Corp.’s code-named “Skylake” microprocessors as well as Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 10 operating system will both debut in the third quarter of the year. He also disclosed that his company’s products with new chips inside will use the next-generation operating system as well. Quarterly sales of …

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Chief executive officer of Asustek Computer has revealed that Intel Corp.’s code-named “Skylake” microprocessors as well as Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 10 operating system will both debut in the third quarter of the year. He also disclosed that his company’s products with new chips inside will use the next-generation operating system as well.

Quarterly sales of Asus’ notebooks are only slightly behind shipments of Apple’s MacBooks. In the first quarter of 2015 the company sold 4.8 million laptops, which is a lot. Mobile PCs represent a tangible part of Asustek’s business and the company will do its best to stay ahead of competitors in terms of innovations and performance. In the second half of the year Asus will aggressively roll-out new models featuring the latest microprocessors from Intel as well as the new OS from Microsoft.

“With Skylake and Windows 10 scheduled to be launched in the third quarter, we are focusing on a couple of models in our mainstream product lines, for example, one from ZenBook, the other from gaming products,” said Jerry Shen, chief executive officer of Asustek Computer, at the company’s quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts, according to a transcript published by SeekingAlpha. “We are going to launch ahead of our competitors.”

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Neither Intel, nor Microsoft, have disclosed exact launch dates for their upcoming products. AMD expects the software giant to release its Windows 10 in July, but analysts are not sure that actual PCs with the new OS will hit the market before September or October. Asustek expects Windows 10 to arrive in July and Intel “Skylake” for notebooks to debut in August. Asustek Computer hopes to start selling its laptops featuring Intel Core M and Core i “Skylake” microprocessors and Microsoft Windows 10 in the third quarter, which means September, at the latest. However, there will be Windows 10-based hardware with previous-gen chips as well.

“In July, we will see the official transition to Windows 10,” said Mr. Shen. “In August, Skylake will come into the market, so there are two different transitions, one in July, the other in August. Windows 10 in July and Skylake in August and only in September we will see a more comprehensive transition.”

asus_ultrabook_intel_touch_1

The head of Asus pins a lot of hopes on the company’s next-generation laptops based on Intel’s new chips. Apart from Windows 10, the new notebooks will feature USB 3.1 and reversible USB 3.1 type-C ports, select models will support Rezence wireless charging and there are more innovations that will be announced later.

Intel traditionally debuts microprocessors for laptops ahead of chips for desktops. Therefore, desktop flavours of Intel Core i7 and Core i5 “Skylake-S” processors are still on track to debut in September or even October.

asus_skylake_windows10_expectations

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As expected, PC makers are trying to align transitions to Intel “Skylake” and Microsoft Windows 10. This is a good thing in general since both technologies are expected to improve user experience and their collaborative debut may finally convince a lot of people to upgrade.

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Intel Core i7-5775C ‘Broadwell’ overclocked to 5GHz with air cooling https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5775c-broadwell-overclocked-to-5ghz-with-air-cooling/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-core-i7-5775c-broadwell-overclocked-to-5ghz-with-air-cooling/#comments Wed, 13 May 2015 20:10:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249328 A Chinese overclocker has managed to obtain an engineering sample of Intel Corp.’s Core i7-5775C central processing unit and overclock it to rather whopping 5GHz frequency using an air cooler. As it turns out, Intel’s “Broadwell Unlocked” chips can run at rather high clock-rates. Albertfu, a PC enthusiast from China, overclocked his Intel Core i7-5775C from default …

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A Chinese overclocker has managed to obtain an engineering sample of Intel Corp.’s Core i7-5775C central processing unit and overclock it to rather whopping 5GHz frequency using an air cooler. As it turns out, Intel’s “Broadwell Unlocked” chips can run at rather high clock-rates.

Albertfu, a PC enthusiast from China, overclocked his Intel Core i7-5775C from default 3.30GHz to 4.80GHz first and passed the SuperPi 32M test in 4.399 seconds, which is a solid result. He then pushed the chip further to 5.0GHz with rather massive 1.419V core voltage and the system was stable enough to boot Windows and take a CPU-Z screenshot. At that frequency, the computer was not truly stable, according to Albertfu.

intel_corei7_5775c_overclock

The overclocker used an Asrock Z97 OC Formula motherboard as well as Gelid GX-7 cooler for his experiments. It is highly likely that professionals with liquid nitrogen will manage to boost the Core i7-5775C to well over 5GHz, but do not expect the chip to break that milestone inside regular PCs even with highly-sophisticated liquid cooling solutions.

intel_corei7_5775c_overclock_1

The Intel Core i7-5775C processor features four “Broadwell” cores with Hyper-Threading technology running at 3.30GHz as well as 65W maximum thermal design power. The particular chip clearly demonstrated a rather respectable, yet not record-breaking, overclocking potential. However, at present there is no statistics regarding overclockability of “Broadwell Unlocked” products. If the majority of such chips can only hit 4.80GHz, then it does not seem that they can actually set new performance records, despite of the fact that they are made using 14nm fabrication process and should have high clock-rate potential. Last year enthusiasts managed to overclock an engineering sample of Intel Core i7-4790K processor to 5.50GHz using air cooling.

intel_corei7_5775c_overclock_2

Intel is expected to make its Core i7-5775C processors available in the coming weeks. Pricing of the CPU is still not clear.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for a new PC, the Core i7-5775C is a thing to consider, especially once we learn more information about its overclocking potential. However, if you are seeking for an upgrade from something powerful (e.g., Core i7-4770K or Core i7-4790K), it looks like it makes more sense to wait for the Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” that is due to arrive later this year…

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Intel: ‘Skylake’ to consume 60% less energy than ‘Broadwell’ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skylake-to-consume-60-less-energy-than-broadwell/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-skylake-to-consume-60-less-energy-than-broadwell/#comments Tue, 12 May 2015 00:19:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=248960 Intel Core M “Broadwell” processors already feature impressively low power consumption, but the upcoming Core M “Skylake” chips will sport not only all-new micro-architecture, but also even lower power consumption, according to an excerpt from Intel’s document. Manufacturers of notebooks and high-performance tablets will be able to make their devices thinner and lighter because Core M “Skylake” …

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Intel Core M “Broadwell” processors already feature impressively low power consumption, but the upcoming Core M “Skylake” chips will sport not only all-new micro-architecture, but also even lower power consumption, according to an excerpt from Intel’s document.

Manufacturers of notebooks and high-performance tablets will be able to make their devices thinner and lighter because Core M “Skylake” system-on-chips will feature up to 60 lower power consumption compared to current-gen Core M SoCs. Despite lower power consumption the new Core M chips will feature 50 per cent faster Iris Pro graphics core thanks to increased number of stream processors, according to an image published at AnandTech forums.

Devices based on Intel Core M “Skylake” chips will support wireless charging as well as WiGig wireless connectivity. Select devices based on Intel’s new system-on-chip will also feature Intel’s 4G/LTE modem.

intel_skylake_overview

“Skylake” microprocessors are expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of this year. Unfortunately, it is highly likely that availability of the new chips will be limited this year.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: Looks like systems powered by Intel Core M “Skylake” will be very impressive not only because of wireless charging and WiGig support, but also because of longer battery life and thinner designs.

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Intel quietly starts to ship ‘Broadwell Unlocked’ microprocessors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-quietly-starts-to-ship-broadwell-unlocked-microprocessors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-quietly-starts-to-ship-broadwell-unlocked-microprocessors/#respond Wed, 06 May 2015 02:14:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=248204 Without making any loud announcements, Intel Corp. has started to ship its new-generation microprocessors code-named “Broadwell” to system makers. At least one high-end PC manufacturer is already offering computers featuring Intel’s new central processing units. CyberPowerPC currently sells Gamer Xtreme GXi320OS system featuring quad-core Intel Core i7-5775C (3.3GHz/3.7GHz) microprocessor with integrated Iris Pro 6200 graphics …

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Without making any loud announcements, Intel Corp. has started to ship its new-generation microprocessors code-named “Broadwell” to system makers. At least one high-end PC manufacturer is already offering computers featuring Intel’s new central processing units.

CyberPowerPC currently sells Gamer Xtreme GXi320OS system featuring quad-core Intel Core i7-5775C (3.3GHz/3.7GHz) microprocessor with integrated Iris Pro 6200 graphics adapter, 8GB of DDR3 memory, 2TB hard disk drive, Windows 8.1 and so on. The system costs €947.59 and is available now.

CyberPowerPC
Given the price of the PC and its rather moderate configuration, it looks like Intel’s new “Broadwell” microprocessors are not inexpensive, despite their relatively low performance out-of-the-box (which is supposed to be considerably behind that of Intel Core i7-4790K).

intel_core_i7_haswell_edited

Intel’s “Broadwell Unlocked” microprocessors for desktops are made using 14nm process technology. The new chips are more power efficient than existing Core i7 and Core i5 “Haswell” microprocessors, but their overclocking potential is unknown. The family of desktop-class “Broadwell Unlocked” CPUs will include only two models: the Core i7-5775C (4 cores/8 threads, 3.30GHz/3.80GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP) and the Core i5-5675C (4 cores/4 threads, 3.10GHz/3.60GHz base/turbo frequency, 4MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP).

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If system makers already list “Broadwell”-based PCs, it is pretty clear that the world’s largest maker of CPUs will introduce its new chips in the coming weeks.

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Intel roadmap confirms launch timeframes for ‘Broadwell’, ‘Skylake’ CPUs https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/leaked-intel-roadmap-confirms-launch-timeframes-for-broadwell-and-skylake-chips/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/leaked-intel-roadmap-confirms-launch-timeframes-for-broadwell-and-skylake-chips/#comments Tue, 05 May 2015 01:35:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=247984 A newly published roadmap of Intel Corp. confirms that the company is on track to release its code-named “Broadwell” and “Skylake-S” microprocessors this year as well as “Broadwell-E” chips early in 2016. PCOnline has published a slide from Intel’s roadmap, which reveals model numbers of Intel’s upcoming central processing units. As expected, Intel is about …

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A newly published roadmap of Intel Corp. confirms that the company is on track to release its code-named “Broadwell” and “Skylake-S” microprocessors this year as well as “Broadwell-E” chips early in 2016.

PCOnline has published a slide from Intel’s roadmap, which reveals model numbers of Intel’s upcoming central processing units. As expected, Intel is about to introduce “Broadwell Unlocked” processors – the Core i7-5775C (4 cores/8 threads, 3.30GHz/3.80GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP) and the Core i5-5675C (4 cores/4 threads, 3.10GHz/3.60GHz base/turbo frequency, 4MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP). The lineup of “Broadwell” chips in LGA packaging will be limited to only two models.

intel_roadmap_may_2015

Sometimes in the third quarter of this year Intel intends to launch its “Skylake-S” microprocessors, including high-end Core i7-6700K (4 cores/8 threads, 4.0GHz/4.20GHz base/turbo frequency, 8MB cache, integrated graphics core, 95W TDP) and Core i5-6600K (4 cores/4 threads, 3.50GHz/3.90GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, integrated graphics core, 95W TDP) models. The chips will come with unlocked multiplier and will substitute Intel’s current-generation “Devil’s Canyon” products.

In the first quarter of 2016 the world’s largest maker of microprocessors plans to unveil its “Broadwell-E” chips for high-end desktops. The new central processing units will be made using 14nm process technology and are expected to feature up to eight cores along with relatively high clock-rates.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It looks like after rather significant delays, Intel’s 14nm product lineup is about to hit the desktop PC market. Hopefully, Intel will make enough processors and there will be no shortages.

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Gigabyte adds ‘Broadwell’ CPU support to Intel Z97, H97 platforms https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/gigabyte-adds-broadwell-cpu-support-to-intel-z97-h97-platforms/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/gigabyte-adds-broadwell-cpu-support-to-intel-z97-h97-platforms/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:18:50 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=247484 Gigabyte Technology on Thursday said that it had released new BIOS versions for all of its latest LGA1150 mainboards that add support for Intel Corp.’s upcoming Core i-series 5000-sequence “Broadwell” microprocessors. The move confirms imminent introduction of Intel’s new central processing units. From now on, all Gigabyte mainboards based on the Intel Z97 and H97 …

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Gigabyte Technology on Thursday said that it had released new BIOS versions for all of its latest LGA1150 mainboards that add support for Intel Corp.’s upcoming Core i-series 5000-sequence “Broadwell” microprocessors. The move confirms imminent introduction of Intel’s new central processing units.

From now on, all Gigabyte mainboards based on the Intel Z97 and H97 core-logic sets will support Intel Core i-series 5000-family processors made using 14nm process technology and known as “Broadwell”. In a bid to add support for Intel’s latest CPUs to their platforms, end-users will need to flash their mainboards with the latest BIOS version. Updating the firmware using Gigabyte’s @BIOS utility is an easy one-click process.

Intel’s upcoming “Broadwell” central processing units made using 14nm fabrication technology are expected to reduce power consumption compared to existing “Haswell”, “Haswell Refresh” and “Devil’s Canyon” microprocessors made using 22nm manufacturing process. Intel is expected to release its family of “Broadwell” CPUs for desktops in mid-May.

gigabyte_z97_g1_gaming_650

Earlier this year it was reported that Intel’s lineup of higher-end quad-core “Broadwell” central processing units for desktop computers will be very limited. It will consist of five models in BGA1364 and LGA1150 form-factors designed for all-in-one and desktop PCs. Intel is also projected to introduce dual-core “Broadwell” products for desktops, but no details are available at the moment.

The family of “Broadwell Unlocked” processors designed for overclockers and featuring unlocked multiplier is expected to feature only two models: the Core i7-5775C (4 cores/8 threads, 3.30GHz/3.80GHz base/turbo frequency, 6MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP) and the Core i5-5675C (4 cores/4 threads, 3.10GHz/3.60GHz base/turbo frequency, 4MB cache, Iris Pro 6200 graphics core, 65W TDP).

While “Broadwell” products will introduce several new features as well as will lower power consumption of CPUs compared to 22nm chips, they will not increase performance of desktop systems.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Intel’s “Broadwell” processors are a couple of weeks away. While they may not be performance champs out-of-box, their prices may pleasantly surprise those, who does not like to spend a lot on hardware. But will those chips be successful on the market? Only time will tell.

Are you guys going to upgrade to “Broadwell” (if your current CPUs do not beat them, of course), or are you going to wait for “Skylake”? Share your thoughts in comments or on Facebook.

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Specifications of Intel Core i5/i7 ‘Skylake-S’ desktop processors revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/specifications-of-intel-core-i5i7-skylake-s-desktop-processors-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/specifications-of-intel-core-i5i7-skylake-s-desktop-processors-revealed/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:02:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=246654 A web-site has published what it claims to be specifications of Intel Corp.’s next-generation desktop microprocessors code-named “Skylake-S”. If the information is correct, then the initial “Skylake-S” family will hardly be truly broad and will not impress with high clock-rates. The upcoming Core i5 and Core i7 “Skylake-S” product lineup will consist of 10 microprocessor …

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A web-site has published what it claims to be specifications of Intel Corp.’s next-generation desktop microprocessors code-named “Skylake-S”. If the information is correct, then the initial “Skylake-S” family will hardly be truly broad and will not impress with high clock-rates.

The upcoming Core i5 and Core i7 “Skylake-S” product lineup will consist of 10 microprocessor models, according to data published by China-based BenchLife web-site, which allegedly obtained an Intel document with specifications of the central processing units. Surprisingly, the initial range of “Skylake-S” microprocessors for desktops will not include any Core i3, Pentium or Celeron offerings, which means that Intel will only target premium market segments with its new chips this year.

intel_skylake_processor_photo_unofficial

There will be three types of Intel “Skylake-S” processors for desktops: with 95W, 65W and 35W thermal design power (TDP) aimed at different classes of PCs. The highest-performing tier of “Skylake-S” with 95W TDP will include only two models with unlocked multiplier: Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K. The mainstream “Skylake-S” range with 65W TDP will include four SKUs: Core i7-6700, Core i5-6600, Core i5-6500 and Core i5-6400. The low-power “Skylake-S” family for desktops with 35W TDP will also include four models: Core i7-6700T, Core i5-6600T, Core i5-6500T and Core i5-6400T. Eventually the line of “Skylake-S” products will add more processors, including more affordable Core i3, Pentium and Celeron offerings.

intel_skylake_s_specifications_core

All Intel Core i5 and Core i7 “Skylake-S” processors feature four  x86 cores with or without Hyper-Threading technology, a new integrated graphics processor with improved multimedia capabilities, a dual-channel DDR4/DDR3L memory controller and 6MB or 8MB of last level cache (LLC). The chips will feature LGA1151 form-factor and will be compatible with mainboards based on the Intel 100-series chipsets, including Z170, Z150, Q170, Q150, B150 and H110.

It is noteworthy that despite of the fact that the new “Skylake-S” microprocessors are made using 14nm process technology, their clock-rates are rather low. Sometimes they match frequencies of comparable “Haswell” products available today, sometimes they are a tad lower.

The code-named “Skylake-S” central processing units for desktops are projected to hit the market in October.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We do know that microprocessors based on “Skylake” micro-architecture have higher IPC [instructions per clock] performance than chips powered by “Haswell” technology. Therefore, there are no doubts that new CPUs will be faster than the previous-generation products. But will performance gap be wide enough to stimulate users to upgrade?

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