CPU

In an attempt to lower its dependence on Qualcomm, the world’s largest developer of application processors for mobile devices, Samsung plans to integrate baseband capabilities into its advanced Exynos system-on-chips. Such SoCs will emerge next year and will power devices the company will release in 2016. For years flagship smartphones …

Intel Corp. reiterated plans to release a new generation of Core M microprocessors based on the code-named “Skylake” micro-architecture this year. The new chips will have improved performance and lower power consumption than existing Core M central processing units, which should enable more competitive designs. “As we move into the …

For many years Nvidia has tried to enter the market of system-on-chips for media tablets and smartphones with its Tegra application processors. Even though the company has managed to win a number of contracts, in the recent years competitors like Intel, Qualcomm and MediaTek left Nvidia almost no chances to …

Rumours about takeover of Advanced Micro Devices surface pretty frequently and given the current financial woes of the company, it was only a matter of time before they emerge once again. But while it is unlikely that AMD will be purchased by any other company, it is possible that the …

Intel Corp. had to delay its code-named “Broadwell” microprocessors by about a year because of yield issues with its 14nm manufacturing technology. The move has affected plans of PC makers and will have an impact on PC business this year. However, Intel’s dominant positions will hardly be threatened since the …

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has announced that it will invest NT$500 billion ($15.9 billion) in expansion of its manufacturing capacities in central Taiwan. The company did not outline details of the upgrade plan, but it looks like the company is getting ready to significantly increase its abilities to produce semiconductors …

At present Intel Corp. controls shipments of around 98 microprocessors for servers on the planet. Advanced Micro Devices is no longer a significant competitor for the chip giant, but a crowd of ARM-based chip developers seems to be. Server customers and makers need alternative processors to Intel Xeon, which is …

The needs of modern cloud datacenters require developers of microprocessors to implement certain custom functionality into their products. As reported, Intel Corp. has incorporated multiple special-purpose technologies into its latest Xeon platform and offers optimized versions of CPUs to select customers. However, the company still does not offer chips that …

Allwinner, a Chinese maker of application processors for mobile devices and consumer electronics, recently introduced the world’s cheapest 64-bit application processor. The system-on-chip, which costs just $5, will power high-performance tablets and CE devices with 4K ultra-high-definition displays. The Allwinner A64 SoC integrates four ARM Cortex-A53 general-purpose cores, an unknown …

While Intel Corp. has confirmed development of 10nm fabrication process as well as appropriate microprocessors, the company has never revealed exactly when it plans to introduce chips that will succeed its next-generation code-named “Skylake” CPUs. A couple of weeks ago a representative for Intel finally said that its first 10nm …

Samsung Electronics is expected to significantly improve its contract semiconductor manufacturing business this year thanks to early start of production using 14nm FinFET fabrication process. While Apple, the largest customer of Samsung, now orders chips not only to Samsung, but to TSMC as well, it continues to work with the …

A web-site has published specifications of Intel Corp.’s 100-series core-logic sets designed for the code-named “Skylake” microprocessors due in the third quarter of the year. The new platforms will receive a significant upgrade of PCI Express lanes, which will improve their storage and multi-GPU capabilities. The family of “Skylake”-supporting Intel …

ARM Holdings, a leading developer of mobile processors and solutions, on Tuesday introduced its second-generation high-performance 64-bit core based on the ARMv8-A architecture. While ARM has not revealed a lot of details about its new core, it said that it significantly increases performance compared to existing offerings and is the …

Intel Corp. maintained its position of the top supplier of application processors (APs) for non-Apple tablets in the third quarter of 2014, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics. Thanks to the fact that Intel’s roadmap includes various low-cost chips for mobile devices as well as solutions from Rockchip and …

Although Intel Corp. did not plan to offer central processing units featuring “Skylake” microarchitecture for overclockers along with the first wave of such chips, the company has changed its plans and will release unlocked versions of its “Skylake” CPUs in the third quarter of 2015. As reported last week, Intel …

Intel Corp.’s code-named “Broadwell” central processing units have already reduced power consumption of high-performance mobile processors to unprecedented levels. In the coming months the company's 14nm process technology and the “Broadwell” micro-architecture will apply their magic to chips aimed at overclockers and enthusiasts. Historically, Intel’s advanced microprocessors with overclocking capabilities …

Advanced Micro Devices is expected to introduce new versions of code-named “Kaveri” accelerated processing units (APUs) with a bit higher performance in the first half of the year. In fact, the company is already shipping samples of its “Kaveri Refresh” products also known as “Godovari” to clients, which is why …

At present Advanced Micro Devices, just like Intel Corp., has two desktop platforms: socket FM2+ for mainstream accelerated processing units and socket AM3+ for high-end FX central processing units. When AMD introduces its new chips in 2016, the company will unify the two platforms, a media report claims. AMD’s forthcoming …

Although Advanced Micro Devices does not have plans to bring the code-named “Carrizo” accelerated processing units to the market of traditional desktop computers, it is expected that a similar chip will actually make it into desktops. Unfortunately, this will happen only next year and it is unlikely that it will …

Advanced Micro Devices is working on a new family of microprocessors code-named “Summit Ridge”. The new chips will be based on the new high-performance micro-architecture known as “Zen” and will be made using 14nm fabrication process. At present not a lot of information is known about the new family of …

Micron Technology introduced its Automata programmable processor in late 2013 and said that it would be used for a variety of applications that require a lot of compute performance. Recently the company started to provide its Automata processors to software developers and earlier this week it revealed some additional details …

Just a week ago Intel Corp. said that it would not postpone introduction of its code-named “Skylake” microprocessors in a bid to sell-off the remaining inventory of current-generation chips. However, a source with knowledge of Intel’s plans revealed on Friday that the world’s largest chipmaker will delay commercial launch of its …

Advanced Micro Devices said this week that in the light of changing market environment and dropping revenues it will reprioritize its research and development (R&D) investments. The company will lower spending on creation of computing and graphics (CG) products and will boost funding of enterprise, embedded and semi-custom (EESC) projects. …

Even though Advanced Micro Devices and a number of other chip designers expect ARM architecture to gain a significant part of the server market in the coming years, even AMD itself admits that the good-old x86 will remain the architecture of choice for the vast majority of servers in the …

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday confirmed for the first time that it is actively designing several chips that will be made using 14nm FinFET process technology. The announcement from AMD indicates that the company will manufacture its new chips either at GlobalFoundries or Samsung Electronics, not at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing …

Advanced Micro Devices said on Tuesday that it will release new products that will help it to regain share on the markets of central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) starting in the second quarter 2015 and going into the second half of the year. The comments from …

Advanced Micro Devices said on Tuesday that it pins a lot of hopes on its code-named “Carrizo” accelerated processing units after posting a major decline in sales of microprocessors and graphics adapters for personal computers. According to AMD, the “Carrizo” APUs will finally help it to boost PC chip market …

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has delayed volume production of chips using 16nm FinFET manufacturing technologies by several quarters. As a result, it now has to reconsider plans regarding production of semiconductors using 10nm FinFET fabrication process. Previously it was expected that the company will produce 10nm chips in late 2016, …

Rumour about Apple’s plan to develop its own microprocessors for its Macintosh laptops have been circulating for many years now, but at present Intel Corp.’s microprocessors provide considerably better performance than Apple’s ARM-based chips. Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, believes that the company’s chips will continue to be …

Intel shipped 46 million application processors for tablets last year and became one of the largest suppliers of this kind of system-on-chips in the world. Although the company clearly exceeded its original tablet SoC sales goal in 2014, Intel set a rather cautious target for this year. “We set a …