After many months of Ivy Bridge talk and still another month or so to go before its supposed launch date, it's been discovered that there doesn't appear to be any Core i3 models coming out for notebooks; rather, Ivy Bridge mobile parts will be confined to Intel's Core i7, Core i5 or Celeron series; at least at launch.

When looking at the lowest end of the mobile Ivy Bridge spectrum, being ULV 17W parts and shifting all the way up through standard voltage and performance 35W, 45W and 55W parts, none of these enter the Core i3 family with the leading 17W ultra-low voltage part being the Core i7 3667U with a 2.0GHz core clock rate (3.2GHz Turbo), 4MB cache, four threads and HD 4000 graphics.

Maintaining focus on Intel's latest roadmap for its ULV Ivy Bridge mobile lineup, you also have the 17W Core i5 3427M nestled in the middle; a 1.8GHz running part (2.8GHz Turbo) with four threads, 3MB cache and Intel HD 4000 graphics. The Celeron 877 comes next with a 1.5GHz core clock, two cores/two threads, 2MB cache, Intel HD graphics and DDR3 1333 support, also with a 17W TDP rating.

The same holds true for the standard voltage and performance roadmaps with no Core i3 processor(s) in sight.

KitGuru says: The end for Core i3-powered notebooks? Doubtful, but possible. For whatever reason Intel has refrained at launch, but we'll likely be seeing Core i3 branded Ivy Bridge variants in the months to come.

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