Intel has offered up details of its 4th-generation Core processor family based on Haswell microarchitecture at its annual developers forum in San Francisco, California.
According to Intel exec David (Dadi) Perlmutter, Santa Clara managed to reduce the platform idle power by more than 20 times over the 2nd generation – all while delivering “outstanding” performance and responsiveness.
Perlmutter also pledged that Intel would add a new line of even lower-power processors based on the same microarchitecture to its roadmap starting in 2013.
“The 4th generation Intel Core processor family and our new line of low-power processors will usher in an era of unprecedented innovation in mobile computing,” said Perlmutter.
“Our focus to deliver even lower power with the great performance that our processors are known for is as fundamentally significant as when we shifted our development focus beyond sheer processor speed in 2001.”
Perlmutter noted that 140 different Ultrabook designs were already in development, a number of which are convertibles, with more than 70 powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors available today.
“[Intel’s] new low-power chips based on ‘Haswell’ microarchitecture will broaden [our] mobile roadmap, initially operating at about 10 watts to enable thinner, lighter Ultrabook, convertible and tablet designs with better performance and battery life,” he added.
And last, but certainly not least, Perlmutter confirmed that Intel’s next-gen 32nm Clover Trail SoC was architected specifically for lightweight tablets and convertibles running Windows 8.
Meanwhile, Mike Magee of TechEye reported that Intel Ultrabooks will be in a “holding pattern” before Haswell hits the streets in 2013.
“Reviewers are not happy with the way the Ultrabook design has turned out so far. Negative media assessment centers on problems like unwieldy size and weight, poor display resolution and quality, chassis stability, attractiveness and trackpad responsiveness,” writes Magee.
”Users will see that many of these features are on the Windows reference tablet, which will have a keyboard. This means that the Ultrabook concept will be two years behind tablet development. While the Ultrabook will have a much faster chip, many analysts think that this particular battle will [actually] be won on battery life, applications and add-on gizmos.”
