Intel plans to reduce performance of next-generation CPUs

[JDG1980]

Looks like Cannonlake/Tigerlake may be a performance pinnacle never to be surpassed.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...on-chips-will-sacrifice-speed-to-reduce-power

Now, Intel has acknowledged that the future of semiconductors may rely on technologies that reduce absolute performance in exchange for improved power consumption. William Holt, head of Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group, made the announcement at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) this past week, when discussing some of the options Intel is evaluating. These technologies aren’t coming next year or the year after — all of the tech in question would be introduced after 2021.

“We’re going to see major transitions,” said Holt. “The new technology will be fundamentally different. The best pure technology improvements we can make will bring improvements in power consumption but will reduce speed.”

This is why all enthusiasts should hope that Zen is a success, even if you prefer Intel processors.

 

[mysticjbyrd]

That's some really bad news.... Then again, maybe it will force game developers to us more threads, so it's not the end of the world, but it's still bad.

 

[superstition]

I believe The Stilt suggested in a post elsewhere that Zen may be hamstrung by a low power process. If that's the case then, at least initially, Zen will likely trail Intel's performance due to the limitations of the process. However, if AMD can get access to a high power process that is cost-effective then it could change at some point.

 

[LTC8K6]

Not sure what this has to do with Zen, since it's talking about 5+ years down the road.

Lots of people choose less absolute CPU performance now, for power or price reasons.

 

[superstition]

Not sure what this has to do with Zen, since it's talking about 5+ years down the road.

Zen's success is needed to keep AMD in the CPU business.

AMD may continue to build off the initial Zen architecture.

AMD may not have access to a high performance high power node for several years.

 

[mysticjbyrd]

Not sure what this has to do with Zen, since it's talking about 5+ years down the road.

Lots of people choose less absolute CPU performance now, for power or price reasons.

Because we either need AMD to rebound, and supply the consumer market, or we need it to force Intel to change this philosophy!


Define 'lots'! That statement reeks of hyperbole.

 

[LTC8K6]

Zen's success is needed to keep AMD in the CPU business.

AMD may continue to build off the initial Zen architecture.

AMD may not have access to a high performance high power node for several years.

Zen won't keep AMD in the CPU business 5+ years from now, imo.
Even if it performs very well.

 

[superstition]

Zen won't keep AMD in the CPU business 5+ years from now, imo.
Even if it performs very well.

Such predictions seem less relevant here than Zen as a general topic.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Because we either need AMD to rebound, and supply the consumer market, or we need it to force Intel to change this philosophy!


Define 'lots'! That statement reeks of hyperbole.

Everyone who's not an enthusiast, the majority of users, businesses?

 

[Phynaz]

Not sure the op read the article.

"Particularly as we look at the Internet of things, the focus will move from speed improvements to dramatic reductions in power,”

The sky isn't falling.

 

[Yuriman]

Define 'lots'!

Because we either need AMD to rebound, and supply the consumer market, or we need it to force Intel to change this philosophy!

Most? 99%? When my dad goes out to buy a PC, he buys an Intel dual core for price reasons. Even with a generous budget, I probably would still go with an i3 for his uses, and build the system to be as small and quiet as possible. The extra performance does him no good, while smaller and quieter solutions have tangible benefits when you don't have unlimited space in your home.

And laptops? I personally use a Haswell Celeron Chromebook for most everything because it has twice the battery life (12+ hours) of my faster Windows-based laptop, while being lighter and thinner.

 

[LTC8K6]

Because we either need AMD to rebound, and supply the consumer market, or we need it to force Intel to change this philosophy!


Define 'lots'!

AMD can't force Intel to keep producing bleeding edge consumer CPUs if they have decided to go with a more efficient approach and back away from max speed and power in their chips.

AMD can provide some competition at best, which is certainly good, but they can't alter what the OP article is about.

 

[LTC8K6]

Such predictions seem less relevant here than Zen as a general topic.

It's my opinion, not a prediction.

 

[mysticjbyrd]

Everyone who's not an enthusiast, the majority of users, businesses?

We were talking about the average consumers. This change in philosophy is obviously meant to cater to the server market.

What business outside of data centers care about 30w tdp? Most small businesses only have a handful of computers.

AMD can't force Intel to keep producing bleeding edge consumer CPUs if they have decided to go with a more efficient approach and back away from max speed and power in their chips.

AMD can provide some competition at best, which is certainly good, but they can't alter what the OP article is about.

If intel ignores the pc market, then AMD will take it.

 

[jpiniero]

I saw this a couple days ago... Intel basically doesn't think that viable (?) Post-Silicon transistors will be able to hit the clock speeds that pure silicon can.

 

[MrTeal]

We were talking about the average consumers. This change in philosophy is obviously meant to cater to the server market.

What business outside of data centers care about 30w tdp? Most small businesses only have a handful of computers.



If intel ignores the pc market, then AMD will take it.

That's the vast majority of consumers as well. What percentage of people do you think buy the 6700k or 5960X?

 

[superstition]

It's my opinion, not a prediction.

It's something you speculate will happen in the future. That's the definition of a prediction.

 

[mysticjbyrd]

That's the vast majority of consumers as well. What percentage of people do you think buy the 6700k or 5960X?

Do you think this decision only affects the high end pc cpus?

 

[Phynaz]

Do you think this decision only affects the high end pc cpus?

If you would have bothered to read the article you would have found out it doesn't affect high-end PC CPUs.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Not sure what this has to do with Zen, since it's talking about 5+ years down the road.

Lots of people choose less absolute CPU performance now, for power or price reasons.

Yea, the op going off topic in his own thread, dont see that every day. The more of this kind of desperation I see, the more skeptical i become of zen. Plus the thread title is misleading. I would not really equate some vague prediction with "planning to reduce the performance of next gen."

 

[dark zero]

AMD can't force Intel to keep producing bleeding edge consumer CPUs if they have decided to go with a more efficient approach and back away from max speed and power in their chips.

AMD can provide some competition at best, which is certainly good, but they can't alter what the OP article is about.

So... we are seeing that now they are about to screw performance? That move from Intel is totally against the VR movement.... Is a totally suicidal move.... Maybe is another Netburst/Itanium move?

 

[VirtualLarry]

AMD: "We're no longer going to compete with Intel and the high-end / performance end of the spectrum."

Intel: "What a relief. Neither are we going to compete at the high-end of performance anymore..."

 

[ArizonaSteve]

Nice, basically means I can get Skylake-E when it comes out and never have to upgrade the CPU again.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Reading comprehension fail among many of the Intel haters here.


insulting other members is not allowed
Markfw900

 

[Exophase]

The wording in the article is confusing.. when the author refers to "the future of semiconductors" and when Intel says "We're going to see major transitions" it suggests that they're talking about a change that impacts their entire product line. But practically speaking there's no way they would start using a manufacturing technology that reduces performance by this much in desktops, laptops, or even tablets and phones. It's probably going to be relevant exclusively in microcontroller class hardware that is meant to stay powered off of a small battery for a very long time.