Intel says Ivy Bridge delays are due to process, not lack of demand

[IntelUser2000]

www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c3c3c2b6-602f-11e1-8de4-00144feabdc0.html
http://eetimes.com/electronics-news/4236944/Intel-s-Ivy-Bridge-delayed-says-senior-executive

Xeon(E3?)/Desktop/Mobile Quad: Moved from April 8 to April 29
Dual core i5/i7 mobile: Moved from May 13 to June 3
Core i3: Unchanged at June 24

Some of you remember I have a rule of my own saying delayed products disappoint. I think the minute clock speed increase and delays are very related.

 

[Idontcare]

This is AMD's big chance

 

[frostedflakes]

Wouldn't think you'd release your quad core mobile chips before your dual core ones if there were serious process issues.

 

[frozentundra123456]

This is AMD's big chance

Big chance to do what? I dont see any major difference if IVB is delayed a few weeks. The bigger question is how well what AMD is bringing to market competes with IVB.

It might give a chance for Trinity to get a better foothold, but I only see an opportunity for AMD if the 22nm process is seriously flawed and IVB faces continual delays and disappoints when it does come out (much like Bulldozer).

 

[IntelUser2000]

Wouldn't think you'd release your quad core mobile chips before your dual core ones if there were serious process issues.

No, because dual core volumes are far higher than quad core ones. Intel puts quite a focus on volume manufacturing and high yields. You would be correct if dual cores were shipping in similar volumes.

 

[Ferzerp]

Big chance to do what? I dont see any major difference if IVB is delayed a few weeks. The bigger question is how well what AMD is bringing to market competes with IVB.

It might give a chance for Trinity to get a better foothold, but I only see an opportunity for AMD if the 22nm process is seriously flawed and IVB faces continual delays and disappoints when it does come out (much like Bulldozer).

He was being sarcastic.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Is something going on with process technologies in general? It looks like everyone is having significant problems moving to next generation, so much so that the whole industry just shifted 4-6 months.

 

[IlllI]

i'm hoping these are just laptop parts.

 

[SickBeast]

IMO this is all nonsense from Intel.

They have too much inventory on their current CPUs due to lack of sales. That is why they're delaying Ivy Bridge.

 

[Smartazz]

Is something going on with process technologies in general? It looks like everyone is having significant problems moving to next generation, so much so that the whole industry just shifted 4-6 months.

Heh, AMD had issues with 65nm Athlon X2, TSMC has major issues with 40nm, 32nm and apparently 28nm yields aren't great as well. Makes sense as from an engineering standpoint I think things are getting more difficult. Didn't Intel mention possibly switching to a 3 year lifecycle. I'm curious if the problems faced in semiconductor processes upgrades are going to affect RAM and magnetic storage density that we have also seen double regularly.

 

[grkM3]

ivy bridge went into mass production in oct.They have been making cpus since then.This delay is nothing more than to clear old supply's of sandy bridge.

If you think for a second that they are waiting to fix the process and expect them to start in 4-8 weeks and then somehow make 20 million cpus and get them to there oems in time then I dont know what to tell ya.

These have been in full production for months now,just go read the stock press releases.

here is something the CEO of intel had to say about there problems with there 22nm process.


CEO Paul Otellini confirmed that Ivy Bridge 22 nm processor volume production has already begun, which is a rather significant achievement as there have been apparently no major hiccups in the implementation of its 3D transistor technology. There has always been the question how Intel defines "volume", but vice president Mooly Eden told me years ago that Intel would only consider a production process volume production if it affects "millions" of processors

 

[janas19]

ivy bridge went into mass production in oct.They have been making cpus since then.This delay is nothing more than to clear old supply's of sandy bridge.

If you think for a second that they are waiting to fix the process and expect them to start in 4-8 weeks and then somehow make 20 million cpus and get them to there oems in time then I dont know what to tell ya.

These have been in full production for months now,just go read the stock press releases.

Makes sense, but what is 3 weeks going to do in moving inventory?

 

[grkM3]

Makes sense, but what is 3 weeks going to do in moving inventory?

its not intel,its them being fair to there oems that need to clear out there old stocks.

Intel also made a 2550 cpu with no igp support and im willing to bet its just failed gpus that they shut off and relabled.

 

[StinkyPinky]

Ivy Bridge for laptops looks interesting. For desktops....meh.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Ivy Bridge for laptops looks interesting. For desktops....meh.

This, CPU speed is already really good. Gamers still don't need anything more then an i5 2500k and a decent cooler and this is unchanged from a year ago. Even quad gpu setups don't need more CPU power, the only reason they go to SB-E is due to PCI-E limitations.

On the laptop side, anything that improves performance and battery life is a good thing.

 

[IntelUser2000]

ivy bridge went into mass production in oct.They have been making cpus since then.This delay is nothing more than to clear old supply's of sandy bridge.

"Millions" is nothing to Intel. They ship that much every single day! If in those 6 months they couldn't ramp up enough volume, then delay is justified.

Of course they can't work on fundamental issues 6 months before launch, but like bringing new CPU revisions are very much possible. Remember how Bulldozer and Barcelona went through multiple revisions before launch to improve clocks and yields. If intial IVB samples couldn't meet their expectations, they wait for a new stepping/revision to try again.

 

[grkM3]

"Millions" is nothing to Intel. They ship that much every single day! If in those 6 months they couldn't ramp up enough volume, then delay is justified.

Of course they can't work on fundamental issues 6 months before launch, but like bringing new CPU revisions are very much possible. Remember how Bulldozer and Barcelona went through multiple revisions before launch to improve clocks and yields. If intial IVB samples couldn't meet their expectations, they wait for a new stepping/revision to try again.

the delay is for mobil cpus,that is there biggest oem market right now.Pretend for a min that you own intel.

You sold millions of sandys to your faithfull oems and then had a huge halt with the sata chipset bug and told them to stop selling them and made them recall all sold boards with them.

Now you just killed 2-3 months of your oems time to sell.The right thinkg to do is let them bleed off there left overs and hold back ivy for a bit.

Please show me a link to where intel can make and ship millions of ivys in one day.There is nothing wrong with the process as we have es chips hitting 7ghz on dry ice and this all makes sence to delay ivys becasue of the sata bug.

ivy production went full force on oct 20 2011

 

[Khato]

Eh, I'll believe it when I hear it from a different source? No question that the 22nm ramp on Ivy Bridge wasn't quite so smooth as it should have been, but it wasn't really due to the manufacturing process. Those issues have been resolved for about half a year though. That's not to say that they couldn't be having issues with obtaining production quality yields, but I sure haven't heard of any other indications of such.

 

[GammaLaser]

This is some disappointing news indeed.

Eh, I'll believe it when I hear it from a different source?

EETimes is generally quite a respectable site. Or you want another person from Intel to confirm it? It would be unusual for them to change their reasoning behind the delay, but I guess anything is possible

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Big chance to do what? I dont see any major difference if IVB is delayed a few weeks. The bigger question is how well what AMD is bringing to market competes with IVB.

It might give a chance for Trinity to get a better foothold, but I only see an opportunity for AMD if the 22nm process is seriously flawed and IVB faces continual delays and disappoints when it does come out (much like Bulldozer).

he was being sarcastic

the way things have been going for Intel and AMD respectively, Intel would have to be set back a solid year if not two (ie pretty much impossible) in order for AMD to catch up

This bump in the road for Ivy will only be a few weeks, and even then once Ivy does come out, it will propel Intel even further into the lead. A half step back, two steps forward.

 

[Khato]

EETimes is generally quite a respectable site. Or you want another person from Intel to confirm it? It would be unusual for them to change their reasoning behind the delay, but I guess anything is possible

No question there, save for the fact that EETimes' source is the Financial Times article. I'm not really doubting Financial Times either... But I do question whether either the question or response on that subject was misinterpreted. Especially considering that this would appear to have likely been obtained during the course of a general interview posted a few hours earlier - http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8a0d...nies_asia-pacific/feed//product#axzz1nYk3UX9w

 

[nyker96]

I think Ivy can honestly be delayed a year and still hold its own.

 

[Arkadrel]

IMO this is all nonsense from Intel.

They have too much inventory on their current CPUs due to lack of sales. That is why they're delaying Ivy Bridge.

Intel:
Price drops to drive up sales? nah... why bother....AMD isnt giveing us competition enough.
We ll just let them stockpile and slow down production, overall we make more money that way.

 

[greenhawk]

Now you just killed 2-3 months of your oems time to sell.The right thinkg to do is let them bleed off there left overs and hold back ivy for a bit.

Personally, getting a little sick of this reasoning. The 2-3 months put the cpu back from q1 to q2, now they are pusing back more?

I need a better reason than one that has been going around since the sata bug was fixed.

 

[Riek]

Please show me a link to where intel can make and ship millions of ivys in one day.There is nothing wrong with the process as we have es chips hitting 7ghz on dry ice and this all makes sence to delay ivys becasue of the sata bug.

Just want to point to bulldozer... great overclocks on ES, highest overclock ever... bad yields, bad clocks, ...
Most of us included me were fooled in thinking the process was fine because of those overclocks... yeah well i learned from it.. Thus i'm holding my horse on saying 22nm is fine for intel.