[WCCF] Intel Skylake 2015 Platform Details Revealed

[Fjodor2001]

Broadwell was the same. AMD and Intel have both kept quiet up until their product launches.

Yeah, I guess. But previously we at least had some leaks. Now they seem to have been silenced too...

 

[Fjodor2001]

Also, it feels very strange that Skylake will be released so close in time. We were just served Broadwell U at CES less than 2 weeks ago... !

It will be interesting to see how Intel will spin this to the public.

 

[Phynaz]

Why would this need spinning? Why would the public even care?

 

[Fjodor2001]

Why would this need spinning? Why would the public even care?

I just wonder how they'll promote Broadwell when Skylake is released. I think there can be a resistance among the public to buy a Broadwell CPU when Skylake is available, even if they do not have overlapping SKUs across all market segments. It's like buying a 2014 car model when the 2015 model is out, even if they just changed the tail lights...

Obviously Intel will promote Skylake as being better. But then where does that leave Broadwell? Do the OEMs want to put their Broadwell computer models on discount only 4 months after having been released?

 

[Arachnotronic]

I just wonder how they'll promote Broadwell when Skylake is released. I think there can be a resistance among the public to buy a Broadwell CPU when Skylake is available, even if they do not have overlapping SKUs across all market segments. It's like buying a 2014 car model when the 2015 model is out, even if they just changed the tail lights...

Obviously Intel will promote Skylake as being better. But then where does that leave Broadwell? Do the OEMs want to put their Broadwell computer models on discount only 4 months after having been released?

Skylake will go into production and be on the shelves in 2H 2015. Think holiday season.

Broadwell will be the chip that handles most of 2014, including the back to school season.

 

[Phynaz]

First, if I understand correctly Broadwell is intended primarily as a mobile cpu, hence no k series. Skylake k series is shipping first I beleive.

Second, stop thinking retail. Think corporate where a company wants to buy the same systems for three years.

Third, so what if there's resistance against Broadwell! Intel gets the money if they buy Skylake.

 

[Arachnotronic]

First, if I understand correctly Broadwell is intended primarily as a mobile cpu, hence no k series. Skylake k series is shipping first I beleive.

Second, stop thinking retail. Think corporate where a company wants to buy the same systems for three years.

Third, so what if there's resistance against Broadwell! Intel gets the money if they buy Skylake.

Phynaz

Good points, but Broadwell-K is planned. Public roadmaps don't say much about Skylake-K timing.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Skylake will go into production and be on the shelves in 2H 2015. Think holiday season.

Broadwell will be the chip that handles most of 2014, including the back to school season.

Skylake-S is supposed to be on the shelves 2015Q2 last I heard...

 

[jpiniero]

Skylake-S is supposed to be on the shelves 2015Q2 last I heard...

Nope. OEMs asked Intel to delay it.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Nope. OEMs asked Intel to delay it.

Interesting! Do you have confirmation that OEMs explicitly asked to delay? This makes sense , though.

 

[witeken]

Interesting! Do you have confirmation that OEMs explicitly asked to delay? This makes sense , though.

He's talking about Skylake for laptops which will be announced at IDF. Skylake-S should launch at Computex.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Nope. OEMs asked Intel to delay it.

Source on that Skylake-S is delayed and will not release in 2015Q2?

 

[mikk]

Skylake is just ~3-4 months away if we're to believe the latest info, and still nearly no details are known about it. No uarch or iGPU details from Intel at all. Not even any leaks about SKUs. What's up with that?

Because you are wrong. Skylake isn't coming before Q3 2015.

 

[Ajay]

It's a Tock, so there will be lots of CPU and GPU architectural changes to provide new functionality, features, power and performance improvements, but that doesn't tell anything about how those changes will affect benchmarks, though.

I do think eDRAM will become a bit more mainstream with Skylake.

Not sure about eDRAM, unless Intel has worked (perhaps w/Micron again) towards a 14nm shrink.

But Skylake should have looser perf/watt constraints, e.g., instead a 1:1 perf/watt improvement Skylake likely has a ratio lower than 1. For example, the performance could be 10% higher than BDW, but with a 15% higher TDP. Skylake is being designed by Intel's Israeli core team - an they are a clever bunch for sure - I think dropping the FIVR is geared toward a less power efficient/higher performance CPU (though still more efficient than Haswell and with higher throughput).

Interesting times. It's a bit sad that we don't have more info - but once BDW-K is out we should get a hint at how well a 14nm desktop part can perform and overclock.

 

[Idontcare]

I just wonder how they'll promote Broadwell when Skylake is released. I think there can be a resistance among the public to buy a Broadwell CPU when Skylake is available, even if they do not have overlapping SKUs across all market segments. It's like buying a 2014 car model when the 2015 model is out, even if they just changed the tail lights...

Obviously Intel will promote Skylake as being better. But then where does that leave Broadwell? Do the OEMs want to put their Broadwell computer models on discount only 4 months after having been released?

Intel learned long ago, with the creation of their enthusiast -E platform and the staggered release schedules resulting thereafter, that having multiple architectures fielded at the same time does not cause the sort of market consternation or consumer trepidation that you are envisioning.

If technically savvy enthusiasts, about the only portion of consumers that would know an IB from a SB-E SKU, don't care that IB was out while they were busy buying up SB-E chips, then surely Intel has little to be concerned with when they are selling BW chips in laptops and SL chips in desktops to an even less technically literate consumer demographic.

 

[Phynaz]

Phynaz

Good points, but Broadwell-K is planned. Public roadmaps don't say much about Skylake-K timing.

Thanks, I thought BW-K got whacked.

I no longer work in Systems Ops, so my knowledge is quickly becoming out of date.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Because you are wrong. Skylake isn't coming before Q3 2015.

Again, any source on that Skylake-S is not coming until 2015Q3?

 

[mikk]

Again, any source on that Skylake-S is not coming until 2015Q3?

Source: CES @Intel.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Source: CES @Intel.

Ok, I missed that. Does that mean all Skylake SKUs will be released in 2015H2?

Otherwise if we assume this is all that is known, Skylake might as well end up in a Broadwell-type situation. I.e. some very limited SKUs released in late 2015Q4, then a few more in 2016Q1 and the rest in 2016Q2.

 

[jaydee]

Intel learned long ago, with the creation of their enthusiast -E platform and the staggered release schedules resulting thereafter, that having multiple architectures fielded at the same time does not cause the sort of market consternation or consumer trepidation that you are envisioning.

If technically savvy enthusiasts, about the only portion of consumers that would know an IB from a SB-E SKU, don't care that IB was out while they were busy buying up SB-E chips, then surely Intel has little to be concerned with when they are selling BW chips in laptops and SL chips in desktops to an even less technically literate consumer demographic.

Right, I think what Intel is somewhat careful of, is not putting multiple architectures against each other within the same product. I don't see them pitting ~15w TDP BGA Broadwell vs 15W TDP BGA Skylake for instance.

I have a feeling, by Q4, 2015 we will see something like:

LGA unlocked 'K' >80W TDP CPUs - Broadwell
LGA locked CPUs <80W TDP CPUs - Skylake
BGA > 30W TDP CPUs - Broadwell
BGA < 30W TDP CPUs - Broadwell
BGA <5W TDP CPUs - Skylake phasing out Broadwell

I wouldn't think Intel would phase in Skylake until Broadwell's shelf life reaches ~9 months for a particular market. They might not even bother with >30W TDP Broadwell, might just skip ahead to Skylake. Apple seems to be the one pushing Intel the most for new tech, and they don't deal with >30W TDP CPUs anymore. All the OEMs are racing to the bottom price-wise, their probably happy to keep Haswell until Skylake is ready.

 

[witeken]

Ok, I missed that. Does that mean all Skylake SKUs will be released in 2015H2?

Otherwise if we assume this is all that is known, Skylake might as well end up in a Broadwell-type situation. I.e. some very limited SKUs released in late 2015Q4, then a few more in 2016Q1 and the rest in 2016Q2.

Skylake was always targeted towards 2015. Like BK said in earnings call, it's just a new architecture that brings new capabilities, so it only makes sense to release it a soon as possible, which should be mid-'15 at Computex.

 

[Fjodor2001]

Skylake was always targeted towards 2015. Like BK said in earnings call, it's just a new architecture that brings new capabilities, so it only makes sense to release it a soon as possible, which should be mid-'15 at Computex.

And Broadwell was targeted for 2014...

Also, it does not necessarily make sense to release Skylake ASAP, since the sales window for Broadwell will be too narrow.

 

[Arachnotronic]

And Broadwell was targeted for 2014...

Also, it does not necessarily make sense to release Skylake ASAP, since the sales window for Broadwell will be too narrow.

Who cares if Broadwell sales are "too narrow"?

 

[NTMBK]

Who cares if Broadwell sales are "too narrow"?

Presumably OEM partners who built designs around Broadwell?

Though as a customer, can't say I'm too fussed. Bring on the Skylake!

 

[Fjodor2001]

Who cares if Broadwell sales are "too narrow"?

The OEMs and Intel who have invested R&D money in the Broadwell products. They'd like to get ROI on that.