Intel talks ultra-efficient Haswell architecture

[RussianSensation]

- Haswell will be built on a 22nm process using 3D tri-gate transistors
- Expected sometime in 2013
- ultra-efficient chip will reduce platform power by a factor of 20 without compromising computing performance. This will result in what Intel describes as all-day usage and 10 days of network-connected standby battery life in Ultrabooks.

- Intel demoed a system running a chip that was only being powered by a single UV light pointed at a solar cell the size of a postage stamp.

2013 is shaping up to be an exciting year for CPUs.

Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/45459-intel-talks-ultra-efficient-haswell-architecture-ultrabooks.html

 

[Edrick]

I really can not wait for Haswell.

A list of Haswell new instructions can be found here: http://software.intel.com/file/36945

 

[gmaster456]

I was JUST about to post this. Looks good though, but 2013 is a ways off. We still have yet to get through 2011's (as in the year, not the socket) CPU offerings.

 

[Zap]

2013 is shaping up to be an exciting year for CPUs.

Future is always bright.

I still need something to get my by for the next two years. Might be set with my 2600k desktop, but I'll get more grey hairs if I have to use my 1.3GHz CULV for another two years. Good thing I have a habit of frequent upgrades.

 

[Arkadrel]

holy frekking cows.

20,000% improvement in power use? (20x factor).

Talk about a improvement.
Is this for real? is it only in standby mode it works like that?
or does it come with 20,000% improvments at full speeds too?

This will result in what Intel describes as all-day usage and 10 days of network-connected standby battery life in Ultrabooks.

Ahh... 1day of usage, and 10days of standby network-connectivity in battery Life.

So they found some way to drastically improve standby power use.

 

[RussianSensation]

So they found some way to drastically improve standby power use.

Ya, in the picture it shows standby power. I think Haswell will allow most notebooks to become ultrabooks by 2013-2014 and prices for those to fall well under $1k. Right now you have to pay a huge premium to Intel for their ULV CPUs. Haswell should be at least as good as those in non-ULV form.

 

[nsdjoe]

holy frekking cows.

20,000% improvement in power use? (20x factor).

Talk about a improvement.
Is this for real? is it only in standby mode it works like that?
or does it come with 20,000% improvments at full speeds too?




Ahh... 1day of usage, and 10days of standby network-connectivity in battery Life.

So they found some way to drastically improve standby power use.

Think it's 2000% (20 * 100%), but either way it sounds too good to be true. 20 times what exactly?

 

[grimpr]

Looks like a ten ton hammer that will ram everything in its path upon release.

 

[Ken g6]

Hm, I've been waiting until Ivy Bridge to get a laptop for reasons like this. I'm now hoping the "All Day Use" comes with the 22nm transistors, and that it's only the 10-day standby (which I don't care about) that has to wait for Haswell.

 

[BlueBlazer]

More pictures here >> IDF 2011: Intels Shows a PC Running on Solar Power

Anyone found a video of the demonstration yet?

 

[TuxDave]

Hah, nice. I would never have guessed that they would be attempting a solar panel demo with it.

 

[gevorg]

Nice! I'm afraid my upgrade cycle will be shorter next time.

<<==== went from A64 5400+ to 2500K

 

[Tuna-Fish]

I really can not wait for Haswell.

A list of Haswell new instructions can be found here: http://software.intel.com/file/36945

Hilights:
VGATHER(D/Q)(PD/PS/Q/D) -- finally gather in a commodity CPU.

I don't much care about AVX, FMA, or one of the dozen new ways to shuffle around bits in registers. But gather makes new things possible in code that isn't hand-coded. And that counts for more than all the new instructions from SSE2 to today.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

That's truly incredible. Wait a minute, Haswell... sounds like "Roswell". Coincidence?

This was clearly derived from alien technology! :awe:

 

[StrangerGuy]

My crystall ball tells me to achieve that kind of power savings even more stuff on current mobos are going to integrated onto the CPU package. My P67 board already looks so much more barren than a run of the mill P35 board years ago.

 

[TuxDave]

That's truly incredible. Wait a minute, Haswell... sounds like "Roswell". Coincidence?

This was clearly derived from alien technology! :awe:

Tri-gate transistors may as well be alien technology. I still have no idea how they're made

 

[BlueBlazer]

That's truly incredible. Wait a minute, Haswell... sounds like "Roswell". Coincidence?

This was clearly derived from alien technology! :awe:

You mean back-engineered? It also happens to be a coincidence that the first transistor appeared later that year (not long after Roswell in 1947).

 

[Ancalagon44]

I wonder if AMD has something similar up its sleeve? If not, they will be screwed when Haswell comes out.

 

[Riek]

I wonder if AMD has something similar up its sleeve? If not, they will be screwed when Haswell comes out.

I think you should wait on the real tests and numbers first. Those 20x statements are always the bomb, but 99.99&#37; of the times those statements are made of thinner air than vacum space.

That said its look promosing for the portable industry. Hopefully the industry makes a big step towards lower power consumptions for their displays, so we at least see benifit from having a low power cpu.

 

[Dresdenboy]

Haswells features sound very interesting. The new instructions announced for it (e.g. gather and finally FMA) made clear that it will be very different to Intel's existing architectures. Patents might reveal some details. Intel even described a similar architecture as BD in some patents (using clusters) - but working a bit differently. But that's not the only described architecture.

I wonder if AMD has something similar up its sleeve? If not, they will be screwed when Haswell comes out.

IIRC FinFETs (TriGate equivalent) might be available in 2014 at GF, together with ETSOI.
Until 2013/14 we should see "enhanced Bulldozer" (likely Piledriver), "Bulldozer NG" (Steamroller?), "enhanced Bobcat" (Jaguar?) and "Bobcat NG" (???). How much they will improve remains to be seen. At least I have the impression that they aren't leaning back and relaxing right now.

 

[psolord]

Hilights:
VGATHER(D/Q)(PD/PS/Q/D) -- finally gather in a commodity CPU.

I don't much care about AVX, FMA, or one of the dozen new ways to shuffle around bits in registers. But gather makes new things possible in code that isn't hand-coded. And that counts for more than all the new instructions from SSE2 to today.

Can you explain it more, in layman's terms sir? I am intrigued!

 

[Dribble]

Very impressive, but that 20* only refers to standby power and only of the processor.

 

[Idontcare]

IIRC FinFETs (TriGate equivalent) might be available in 2014 at GF, together with ETSOI.

Not going to happen. Earliest intersection at this time is the sub-20nm: 16-14nm.

As much as IBM/AMD/GF were unprepared for Intel's headstart into HKMG at 45nm, it still took them nearly 4yrs and a whole extra node to finally get it into production.

Finfet/3D is a whole other ballgame, IBM/GF were even less prepared to be following Intel down this rabbit hole than they were on HKMG and the lead-time necessary to get 3D xtors manufacturing-worthy is even longer.

The industry won't see anyone else but Intel doing 3D xtors in mass manufacturing until circa 2016.

 

[BlueBlazer]

Found a video of the demo >> Solar powered Ultra low voltage Demo at IDF 2011

 

[sonoran]

Not going to happen. Earliest intersection at this time is the sub-20nm: 16-14nm.

As much as IBM/AMD/GF were unprepared for Intel's headstart into HKMG at 45nm, it still took them nearly 4yrs and a whole extra node to finally get it into production.

Finfet/3D is a whole other ballgame, IBM/GF were even less prepared to be following Intel down this rabbit hole than they were on HKMG and the lead-time necessary to get 3D xtors manufacturing-worthy is even longer.

The industry won't see anyone else but Intel doing 3D xtors in mass manufacturing until circa 2016.

You should check out Mark Bohr's IDF presentation on 22nm tri-gate. It includes a timeline of recent transistor developments, as well as his take on where other semiconductor mfrs are relative to developing similar processes. I posted info on how to find it in this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2191594