在經(jīng)歷了多次的延期后，英特爾終于在近日推出了采用22nm三閘極(tri-gate)技術(shù)的最新一代 Ivy Bridge 處理器，而瞄準(zhǔn)超輕、超薄型筆電的雙核低功耗版還得再等等。分析師表示，該芯片將威脅到其競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手超微(AMD)在處理器繪圖效能方面的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)地位，而且也將為遭受蘋果(Apple) iPad 平板侵蝕的筆電市場(chǎng)注入新活力。 AMD打算推出的下一代處理器，是采用32nm制程的 Trinity 。直到2013年以前，預(yù)計(jì) AMD 都不會(huì)跨入28nm領(lǐng)域。 而屆時(shí)，英特爾將推出其首款在22nm制程上采用全新微架構(gòu)(microarchitecture)的 Haswell 芯片。Insight64的首席市場(chǎng)觀察家Nathan Brookwood指出，在推出每一世代的第一款新芯片時(shí)，英特爾通常會(huì)將性能提高10~20%，就像使用當(dāng)前最新制程的 Ivy Bridge ，它將性能做了最大提升；而下一代的 Haswell 也針對(duì)制程最佳化。 Ivy Bridge 的問世，讓人不禁回想起近年來英特爾和AMD之間的對(duì)峙狀態(tài)，Brookwood說。 “Ivy Bridge 的 x86 核心性能很可能超越 Trinity ，但 Trinity 的繪圖核心性能可能比 Ivy Bridge 強(qiáng)，”他表示。 Ivy Bridge代表著英特爾首款搭載繪圖功能，并支持微軟(Microsoft)最新 DirectX11 繪圖API的芯片；而這正是 AMD 芯片強(qiáng)調(diào)的特性?！艾F(xiàn)在，AMD必須證明其DX11的性能優(yōu)于英特爾，這才是最具說服力的論點(diǎn)，”Brookwood說。 兩家公司的新芯片都將支持BGA封裝，因此都能焊接在沒有插槽的主機(jī)板上，也就是說，它們都能用在 ultrabook 、以及類似蘋果 MacBook Air 的輕薄型筆電。 英特爾為全新的 ultrabook 機(jī)種做了極完整的定義，甚至包括ultrabook的激活時(shí)間、厚度、安全功能等系統(tǒng)規(guī)格，以及其它要求。這些規(guī)格讓ultrabook目前的售價(jià)徘徊在 1,000美元左右，但今年稍晚可能會(huì)下降到700~800美元。英特爾創(chuàng)投砸下了3億美元來支持ultrabook的開發(fā)。 相較之下，AMD并不堅(jiān)持像ultrabook這樣的系統(tǒng)規(guī)格。因此，成本較低的 Trinity芯片可用于較便宜的輕薄型筆電上，這些筆電不必使用ultrabook的名字，但成本會(huì)低于600美元，Brookwook預(yù)估。 大部份時(shí)候，AMD都是以提供更低價(jià)、但功能類似的芯片來與英特爾相抗衡。英特爾最近大力宣傳其新的繪圖設(shè)計(jì)，但表示用于ultrabook的芯片還要再等幾周才會(huì)到位。

Ivy Bridge內(nèi)含14億個(gè)用于繪圖功能的晶體管。14Xesmc

本文下一頁：為ultrabooks提升繪圖功能 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載

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{pagination} 英特爾最新的高階、四核心客戶端處理器瞄準(zhǔn)的是之前ultrabook顯然無法顧及到的高階玩家，內(nèi)容創(chuàng)作者和其它應(yīng)用開發(fā)者等領(lǐng)域。該公司計(jì)劃推出低電壓雙核心 Ivy Bridge芯片，主要瞄準(zhǔn) ultrabook 應(yīng)用，將在幾星期內(nèi)問世。 “我們一直在朝ultrabook 所需的處理器設(shè)計(jì)方向轉(zhuǎn)移，而且要確保這些處理器的量產(chǎn)不會(huì)有任何阻礙，”英特爾PC終端系統(tǒng)部門新任主管Kirk Skaugen表示。 Skaugen表示，OEM公司們已經(jīng)推出了21款厚度18mm的ultrabook設(shè)計(jì)，而這些公司在早期規(guī)劃階段計(jì)劃開發(fā)的機(jī)種更多達(dá)100多款。這種“超精密”系統(tǒng)所采用的機(jī)械設(shè)計(jì)，之前從未曾在x86系統(tǒng)中使用過，他說。 對(duì) CPU制造商來說，這是典型的策略，先推出一個(gè)完整的設(shè)計(jì)，而后再推出內(nèi)含較少核心的“切碎”版本，Linley Group資深分析師Kevin Krewell說。不過，他也對(duì)英特爾并未‘剪裁’其四核心芯片，以便讓它們可以用在或許稍厚一些的ultrabook設(shè)計(jì)上。 英特爾表示，包含14億個(gè)晶體管的新晶粒是其3D繪圖核心專用，主要目的是達(dá)到英特爾現(xiàn)有 Sandy Bridge 繪圖核心的性能的兩倍。但目前英特爾面臨的一大問題，是AMD是否會(huì)如期在幾星期內(nèi)推出32nm Trinity處理器，如果成真，這將使AMD在繪圖性能領(lǐng)域領(lǐng)先英特爾，Krewell表示。 英特爾的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手以非?？斓乃俣龋瞥鰧槠淅L圖設(shè)計(jì)最佳化的軟件，這是獲得更好GPU性能的關(guān)鍵，他說。 “通常，AMD和Nvidia每隔幾個(gè)月都會(huì)針對(duì)新的游戲提供新的繪圖驅(qū)動(dòng)程序，”Krewell表示。“英特爾從Sandy Bridge開始強(qiáng)化其對(duì)繪圖驅(qū)動(dòng)程序的關(guān)注程度，但并沒有趕上競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手，”他說。 在硬件方面，英特爾在其設(shè)計(jì)中將繪圖執(zhí)行引擎數(shù)量從12個(gè)增加到16個(gè)。此舉是英特爾重新設(shè)計(jì)繪圖核心的一部份，目的是為了與AMD競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。這也打破了英特爾不同時(shí)改變制程技術(shù)和芯片設(shè)計(jì)的傳統(tǒng)。 英特爾正準(zhǔn)備為下一代全新微架構(gòu)、針對(duì)22nm制程最佳化的 Haswell 處理器提供更優(yōu)良的繪圖性能。Skaugen表示， Haswell 預(yù)計(jì)2013年問世。 而在Haswell之后，英特爾則計(jì)劃回到 tick-tock 模式，即在一個(gè)處理器世代更新制程；下一代處理器再更新芯片設(shè)計(jì)。而針對(duì)此次同時(shí)采用全新繪圖架構(gòu)和22nm制程的做法，Skaugen將之稱為英特爾“可承擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)”中的一部份。 Ivy Bridge和其相關(guān)的I/O芯片現(xiàn)在也支持 PCI Express 3.0、 USB 3.0和Thunderbolt(選項(xiàng))。 Thunderbolt 是基于 PCI Express 2.0的高速互連接口標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，Skaugen表示，目前市場(chǎng)上已經(jīng)有21款產(chǎn)品采用 Thunderbolt 技術(shù)，預(yù)計(jì)今年底該數(shù)字將突破100個(gè)，2013年還將增加到數(shù)百種。 “Thunderbolt 正在從蘋果平臺(tái)朝Windows和多種其它PC平臺(tái)轉(zhuǎn)移，”他說。 該芯片還嵌入一些新的安全功能，包括Intel Insider，Skaugen表示，這是一種基于硬件的視訊版權(quán)保護(hù)技術(shù)，可望獲得當(dāng)前的電影院支持。它將被用于在一個(gè)新的英特爾Wi-Di低延遲技術(shù)上傳送電影串流，Wi-Di是短距離視訊鏈接的Wi-Fi變種版本。 此次英特爾共推出十三款四核心 Ivy Bridge 處理器；十款相關(guān)的I/O芯片和五款迅馳(Centrino)無線裝置。這些CPU包含帶有6或8MB L3高速緩存的單或雙執(zhí) 緒版本，其功耗從35到77W不等，價(jià)格則在174至1,096美元之間。

Kirk Skaugen表示，ultrabook專用的Ivy Bridge芯片將在兩個(gè)月以內(nèi)問世。14Xesmc

編譯： Joy Teng 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文： Update: Ivy Bridge narrows AMD’s graphics lead ，by Rick Merritt

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• 英特爾智能手機(jī)上市，叫聲ARM提防提防！14Xesmc

{pagination} Update: Ivy Bridge narrows AMD’s graphics lead Rick Merritt SAN FRANCISCO – Intel rolled out today a family of Ivy Bridge CPUs, its first processors using its 22nm tri-gate technology and aimed at ultra thin and light notebooks. Analysts said the chips will narrow archrival AMD’s lead in graphics performance and inject new life into the notebook market under attack from tablets such as the Apple iPad. AMD is said to be on the cusp of rolling out its next-generation CPUs, called Trinity. The chips are built in a 32nm process. AMD is not expected to field chips using the still scarce 28nm process until 2013. By that time Intel will be moving on to Haswell, its first new microarchitecture to use its 22nm process. Intel typically gains a 10-20 percent performance advantage with the first chips, such as Ivy Bridge, to use a new process and a bigger performance boost for a new design, such as Haswell, optimized for that process, said Nathan Brookwood, principal of market watcher Insight64 (Saratoga, Calif.). Ivy Bridge “will be very reminiscent of the state of play between Intel and AMD in recent years,” said Brookwood. “The x86 cores in Ivy Bridge will likely outperform those of Trinity, but Trinity’s graphics cores will probably outperform those in Ivy Bridge,” he said. Ivy Bridge marks Intel’s first chips with graphics that support Microsoft’s latest DirectX 11 graphics APIs, an edge AMD used to claim for itself. “Now AMD has to make an argument its implementation of DX11 is superior to Intel’s and that’s a tougher argument to make,” Brookwood said. Both companies will support BGA packages with their new chips so processors can be soldered on to a motherboard without a socket, enabling the so-called ultrabooks, thin and light notebooks that imitate the Apple MacBook Air. Intel defined the ultrabook category including a range of systems specifications on their start-up time, thickness, security features and other requirements. The specs drives costs for the systems which currently hover around $1,000 but could fall to $700-$800 later this year. Intel Capital created a $300 million fund to support the ultrabook concept. By contrast, AMD is not requiring adherence to an ultrabook system spec. Thus its generally lower cost Trinity chips may be used to power cheaper thin and light notebooks that don’t bear the ultrabook name but cost as little as $600, Brookwood estimated. AMD has typically battled with Intel offering at lower prices chips with roughly similar features and performance. Intel had plenty to saw at the event here about its new graphics design but said chips for ultrabooks are still a few weeks away. More on ultrabooks, graphics Intel focused on high-end, quad-core client processors for gamers, content creation and other apps at the event where the so-called ultrabooks were noticeably absent. The company plans to roll out lower voltage dual-core Ivy Bridge chips geared for ultrabooks in a few weeks. “We have been moving capacity to the ultrabook [processor designs] to make sure the ramp is unconstrained as possible,” said Kirk Skaugen, the newly named head of Intel’s PC client systems group. Skaugen said OEMs have 21 designs in the works for the 18mm thin ultrabooks and as many as 100 more in earlier planning stages. The “ultra-dense” systems use “mechanical [designs] never seen in an x86 system before,” he said. It’s typical for CPU makers to roll out a full design first and a “chopped” version of the SoC with fewer cores later, said Kevin Krewell, senior analyst with the Linley Group (Mountain View, Calif.). Nevertheless, he express some surprise Intel did not tailor any of its quad-core chips for a perhaps slightly thicker ultrabook design. Intel said a third of the 1.4 billion transistors in the new die are dedicated to its 3-D graphics cores, providing twice the performance of the graphics cores in Intel’s existing Sandy Bridge. The big question going forward will be whether AMD’s upcoming 32nm Trinity CPUs, expected within weeks, will maintain a lead over Intel in graphics performance, Krewell said. Intel’s rivals churn out more quickly software drivers optimized for their graphics designs, a key factor in getting good GPU performance, he said. “AMD and Nvidia deliver new graphics drivers every couple months, often with each major new game,” Krewell said. “Intel started increasing its focus on graphics drivers with Sandy Bridge, but it has not caught up with the rivals yet,” he added. In terms of hardware, Intel increased the number of graphics execution engines in its design from 12 to 16. The move was part of a re-architecting of the graphics core to better compete with AMD, breaking with Intel’s tradition of not changing process technology and chip design at the same time. Intel is poised for another leap in graphics performance with its next-generation family called Haswell, a new microarchitecture optimized for the 22nm process. Skaugen said Haswell is on target for 2013. Beyond Haswell, Intel plans to return to a tick-tock model, updating process technology in one generation and design in the next. Skaugen called the move to a new graphics architecture in tandem with the new 22nm process “an educated risk” on Intel’s part. Ivy Bridge and its associated I/O chips now also support PCI Express 3.0, USB 3.0 and, optionally, Thunderbolt, a high speed interconnect based on PCI Express 2.0. Skaugen said 21 Thunderbolt devices are now in the market and predicted there will be 100 by the end of the year and hundreds by the end of 2013. “Thunderbolt is moving from the Apple platform to Windows and multiple PC platforms,” he said. The chips also embed a number of new security features including Intel Insider, a hardware-based video copyright protection technology Skaugen said will be supported by movie services such as Cinema Now. It will be used for streaming movies over a new low latency version of Intel’s Wi-Di, a Wi-Fi variant for short-range video links. In total, Intel rolled out 13 quad-core Ivy Bridge processors, ten associated I/O chips and five Centrino wireless devices. The CPUs include single- and dual-threaded CPUs with 6 or 8 Mbytes L3 cache. They range in power consumption from about 35 to 77W and in price from about $174 to $1,096.