After IBM failed to produce enough code-named “NV40” graphics processing units for Nvidia Corp. back in 2004, the latter decided to make Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. its strategic manufacturing partner. Since then, virtually all of Nvidia GPUs have been produced by TSMC with one or two exceptions. Apparently, Nvidia wants …
Read More »Intel: Our lead over the rest of the industry is extending
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 …
Read More »Intel: First full-custom Xeon CPUs are due next year
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 …
Read More »Intel vows to ship 10nm chips in early 2017, retracts its promise
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 …
Read More »Samsung to produce chips for Nvidia, Qualcomm – analyst
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 …
Read More »Specifications of Intel’s ‘Skylake’ 100-series chipsets unveiled
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 …
Read More »Intel to offer unlocked ‘Skylake’ processors for overclockers in Q3 2015
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 …
Read More »Intel to offer unlocked ‘Broadwell’ processors with 65W TDP
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 …
Read More »AMD to unify platforms for high-end FX chips, mainstream APUs
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 …
Read More »AMD develops ‘Arctic Islands’ family of graphics processing units
Advanced Micro Devices yet has to reveal its new families of graphics processing units this year, but already now the code-name of AMD’s 2016 graphics products lineup is known. Apparently, the company will continue to use names of islands to call its next-generation chips. AMD’s next-generation family of Radeon GPUs …
Read More »AMD readies Zen-based ‘Summit Ridge’ microprocessors
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 …
Read More »Intel to delay Skylake processors for desktops to third quarter
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 …
Read More »Intel unveils WiGig-powered 7Gb/s wireless docking tech for mobile PCs
Intel Corp. has formally unveiled its wireless docking technology first announced last year. The new tech will be supported by laptops, tablets and 2-in-1 hybrid systems powered by the company’s next-generation microprocessors code-named “Skylake”. The new tech will rely on WiGig technology and will eventually be accompanied by Rezence, a …
Read More »AMD: We are actively designing 14nm FinFET chips
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 …
Read More »Intel boosts tablet SoC shipments targets for 2015
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 …
Read More »Intel: We will not delay ‘Skylake’ microprocessors
Although Intel Corp. had to delay introduction of its code-named “Broadwell” central processing units by about a year because of poor yields, the world’s largest chipmaker has no plans to delay launch of its next-generation “Skylake” chips or slow-down its ramp up. The company will start volume shipments of its …
Read More »Intel’s partners to offer 12.5” 2-in-1 devices for $349 – $399
In a bid to speed up development of new personal computers, promote new technologies and boost sales of its chips, Intel Corp. provides its partners reference designs for systems powered by its microprocessors. Recently the chipmaker introduced a new reference design for low-cost 12.5” hybrid 2-in-1 devices that will be …
Read More »Intel begins to ship Atom ‘Cherry Trail’ SoCs for tablets
Intel Corp. said it had begun to ship a new breed of system-on-chips for tablets. The new application processors promise to boost performance and cut-down power consumption of Intel’s chips for slates thanks to a new x86 micro-architecture, a new graphics processing unit as well as 14nm fabrication process. The …
Read More »Lenovo sells 100 millionth ThinkPad, introduces third-gen X1 Carbon
Lenovo Group this week said that it had sold its 100 millionth ThinkPad notebook. To celebrate the milestone for the legendary brand, Lenovo introduced its third-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop, the world’s lightest high-performance 14” laptop. “Since the original ThinkPad 700, ThinkPad engineers have continued to drive innovation by making …
Read More »Performance of next-generation Intel ‘Broadwell’ Gen8 graphics revealed
A technology enthusiast has conducted the first benchmarks of Intel Core i7-5500U “Broadwell” processor’s integrated graphics engine and compared it to that of Intel Core i7-4510U “Haswell” processor. While the results are promising, they do not demonstrate any radical performance boosts. Intel Corp. has been gradually improving performance and capabilities …
Read More »GlobalFoundries denies problems with 14nm: everything is as planned
GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract manufacturer of chips, late on Tuesday denied existence of problems with the ramp up of production using 14nm fabrication process. According to the foundry, it specifically stockpiles manufacturing equipment at a warehouse so that to install it once the fab 8 facility becomes compatible …
Read More »GlobalFoudries stops installations of 14nm tools, could delay production
Although GlobalFoundries has licensed 14nm FinFET manufacturing technology from Samsung Electronics back in May, 2014, it looks like the company may have to delay mass production using the fabrication process. According to a media report, the company has stopped installation of equipment required to make chips using 14nm FinFET technology. …
Read More »Intel: Half of Xeon chips for cloud datacenters will be custom in 2015
It is a well-known fact that owners of large datacenters, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corp. and other, have very diverse requirements for servers and microprocessors inside their servers. In the recent years both Intel Corp. and AMD offered custom central processing units to large clients in order to …
Read More »GlobalFoundries: Customized and SOI process technologies gain importance
While non-standard fabrication processes are sometimes challenging and make it harder to re-use intellectual property across different product lineups, they are just what the doctor ordered when one needs to achieve certain goals. According to GlobalFoundries, the No. 2 contract maker of chips, many customized process technologies are gaining importance …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to produce 14nm chips in the first half of 2015
GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract maker of semiconductors, plans to start volume production of chips using 14nm fabrication process in the first half of 2015, a little later than Samsung Electronics, but, possibly, earlier than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The company does not reveal who will be the first …
Read More »Intel publishes pictures of next-gen NUC 2.0 ‘Broadwell’-based systems
Intel Corp. has published images of its forthcoming new-generation NUC (next unit of computing) small form-factor personal computers based in the Core i-series “Broadwell” microprocessors. The upcoming SFF PCs will be slightly smaller than existing NUCs and will support optional technologies that are not available today. Pictures of Intel’s new …
Read More »Samsung has already begun producing Apple’s next iPhone processor
Reports are coming in suggesting that Apple has once again partnered up with Samsung for its next iPhone chip, the A9, which will power next year's iPhones and iPads. Additionally, the A9 processors are already in production at Samsung's plant. Korea's Electronic Times reported today that the new A9 SoCs …
Read More »Samsung begins mass production of chips using 14nm FinFET process tech
Samsung Electronics has begun volume production of semiconductors using 14nm FinFET fabrication process in accordance with its plans outlined earlier this year. The company does not disclose which chips it produces using its 14LPE (low-power early) manufacturing technology and for which companies. Kim Ki-nam, president of Samsung's semiconductor business and …
Read More »AMD may roll-out GCN successor in 2016
Advanced Micro Devices may introduce its all-new graphics architecture in late 2015 and then ramp it up in 2016. At least, Mark Papermaster, chief technology officer of AMD, implied on such scenario this week. Graphics architectures from ATI Technologies and Advanced Micro Devices live active life for about four years …
Read More »AMD could power yet another gaming device – chief financial officer
An accelerated processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices could power yet another gaming device, chief financial officer of the company implied this week. The high-ranking executive did not provide any details, but given the revenue opportunities the company outlined with the deal several weeks ago, we are talking about a …
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