Although Advanced Micro Devices has not revealed any details about its 2015 roadmap this year, the company continues to unveil pieces of the puzzle. Last week the firm implied that it will use 20nm fabrication process for select products, but on Tuesday AMD hinted that products made using 14nm and 16nm …
Read More »AMD downplays 20nm process tech: only ‘certain’ products will use it
Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday implied that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s 20nm fabrication process would only be used for select products, whereas the main focus of the chip designer is on more advanced fabrication processes with FinFET transistors. Unfortunately, AMD did not reveal any actual plans. “From an overall standpoint, today …
Read More »AMD: GlobalFoundries makes APUs, CPUs, GPUs and console chips for us
GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract maker of semiconductors, has leading edge process technologies and advanced fabs. However, in the recent years the company had to significantly alter its plans, which affected its performance and relations with customers. Fortunately, according to AMD, a key client of GF, the problems seem …
Read More »AMD to boost energy efficiency of APUs by 25 times by 2020
Advanced Micro Devices recently set a goal to improve energy efficiency of its accelerated processing units by 25 times by 2020. To achieve this goal, AMD will have to outpace historical energy efficiency trend by over 70 per cent, but the company claims it knows what to do and even …
Read More »Apple asks Samsung to make S1 processors for Apple Watch
Apple has been trying to cut its orders to Samsung Electronics for many years now, but when it comes to making ultra-low-power system-on-chips using a leading-edge process technology, in high volume and with high yield, Samsung is one of a few companies who can do the job. As a result, …
Read More »Intel changes Quark roadmap, preps fully-integrated Quark SoC in 2016
Intel Corp.’s Quark system-on-chips for extreme-ultra-low-power devices provide basic compute capabilities for smart appliances, simple robots and even wearable gadgets, but there are a number of reasons that prevent them from becoming popular. Among the key points of Intel’s concerns about the Quark family is low-performance, limited amount of I/O …
Read More »Invecas to help GlobalFoundries’ clients to migrate to new technologies
GlobalFoundries, a contract maker of semiconductors, has signed a deal with Invecas, a newly formed design services provider. Under the terms of the agreement, Invecas will help customers of GlobalFoundries to design chips to be made using leading-edge semiconductor process technologies. It is not an easy task to design chips …
Read More »Intel speeds-up introduction of unlocked Core i5/i7 ‘Broadwell’ processors
Intel Corp. has pulled-in introduction of its next-generation mainstream enthusiast-class microprocessors code-named “Broadwell-Unlocked” and “Broadwell-K” by several months, according to a slide the chip giant allegedly demonstrated to its partners earlier this week. The slide also confirms that Intel plans to introduce its code-named “Skylake-S” microprocessors for desktops already in …
Read More »Intel Core M processors to power 5% – 10% of notebooks next year – report
Intel Corp.’s Core M microprocessors boast impressively low power consumption and heat dissipation, which will enable new types of low-power/ultra-thin personal computers. Unfortunately, due to limited performance provided by the Core M chips, their adoption will be limited too, according to a media report. Only around 5 – 10 per …
Read More »Intel quietly expands Core M ‘Broadwell’ family of chips
Intel Corp. has quietly added new Core M “Broadwell” microprocessors into its lineup of chips. The new central processing units consume up to 4.5W of energy and are designed for high-performance tablets, hybrid 2-in-1 systems as well as ultra-thin notebooks. The new CPUs can operate at higher frequencies than their …
Read More »Intel rumoured to delay mainstream ‘Skylake’ processors for notebooks
Even though some of Intel’s confidential roadmaps show that the world’s largest manufacturer of microprocessor plans to start shipments of select central processing units based on the code-named “Skylake” micro-architecture as early as in the second quarter of 2015, a new market rumour indicates that Intel plans to postpone introduction …
Read More »Intel preps Broadwell- and Skylake-based Xeon E3 for 1P servers
Intel Corp. plans to release two new generations of Xeon central processing units for uniprocessor (UP) servers and workstations next year. The chips will be based on the code-named “Broadwell” and “Skylake” micro-architectures and are expected to feature improved performance, integrated graphics, power efficiency as well as memory controllers. Intel Xeon …
Read More »Release of Intel’s ‘Skylake-S’ may disrupt motherboard market
Although the release of the code-named “Skylake-S” microprocessors in the second quarter of 2015 could please some users and generate additional demand for personal computers, for makers of mainboards as well as some other computer components it will create a rather huge mess. As reported earlier, Intel Corp.’s “Skylake-S” microprocessors …
Read More »Intel delays Broadwell-E processor for high-end desktops to 2016
Intel Corp. has decided to delay mass production of its next-generation code-named “Broadwell-E” microprocessor to the first quarter of 2016. Exact reasons for the decision are unclear, but probably the issues with the company's 14nm process technology as well as the lack of competition on the market of ultra-high-end desktop platforms …
Read More »Intel begins to ship Skylake-S with disappointing frequencies to partners
Intel Corp. has begun to send samples of its Skylake-S microprocessors to partners. The engineering samples of the next-generation desktop chips feature rather high thermal design power as well as rather low frequencies. Still, a good news is that the new central processing units seem to be on-track for introduction …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to acquire semiconductor business from IBM
IBM and GlobalFoundries on Monday said that they have reached a definitive agreement under which the latter will acquire semiconductor manufacturing business of the former. GlobalFoundries will get intellectual property, world-class technologists and technologies related to IBM Microelectronics. It will also become IBM's exclusive server processor maker for 22nm, 14nm …
Read More »First specifications of Intel Skylake’s graphics cores emerge
As reported several months ago, Intel planned to significantly boost performance of integrated graphics cores inside that belong to the code-named Skylake family. Based on the preliminary specifications published today, it looks like the chipmaker only plans to improve integrated graphics in the premium products, but not in all Skylake …
Read More »Intel begins to sample Skylake microprocessors
Intel Corp. has quietly started to sample its next-generation code-named “Skylake” microprocessors. Availability of samples of upcoming chips means that the company should be on-track with its second-generation offerings made using 14nm process technology and products on their base will arrive on time. According to Zauba.com database, which monitors imports …
Read More »Intel: We will lead the world to 10nm microprocessors
Intel Corp. said on Tuesday that it would be the first company to start volume production of chips using 10nm fabrication technology. The company has already demonstrated the first wafers processed using 10nm tech, now it revealed that it will gradually increase its investments in the forthcoming technology in the coming …
Read More »Intel: We are behind expected yield curve with 14nm process technology
Although Intel Corp. has significantly improved yields of chips made using 14nm process technology, the company is still not completely satisfied with the result. Lower-than-expected yields have already caused Intel to postpone mass production of its code-named “Broadwell” microprocessors and will likely affect the company for several more months. “Overall …
Read More »ARM: 20nm process tech will not be used by mainstream applications
Due to multiple reasons the majority of developers of various system-on-chip devices will skip 20nm process technology of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and will use 14nm and 16nm FinFET fabrication processors of TSMC, GlobalFoundries and Samsung Electronics. Traditionally TSMC and other foundries develop multiple different process technologies for different kinds …
Read More »Lineup of mobile Skylake chips to feature tens of models in 2015
Intel Corp. plans to release a rather broad range of microprocessors based on the Skylake micro-architecture for mobile computers next year, according to a new media report. The upcoming central processing units (CPUs) will address all kinds of mobile devices, including tablets, 2-in-1s, mainstream notebooks as well as high-performance laptops. As expected, …
Read More »Samsung to produce 14nm FinFET chips for AMD, Apple, Qualcomm – report
Samsung Electronics has lost exclusive chip manufacturing contract with Apple, but a new report claims that that the company has managed to land orders from Advanced Micro Devices and Qualcomm. ZDNet reports that Samsung is projected to begin producing application processors (APs) for clients such as Apple, AMD and Qualcomm …
Read More »Intel to introduce new Core i-series ‘Broadwell-U’ processors at CES 2015
Intel Corp. has already started to ship its Core M microprocessors based on the Broadwell micro-architecture for ultra-low-power notebooks, 2-in-1s and tablets. According to a new media report, the company will introduce its Core i3/i5-i7 central processing units made using 14nm process technology for mainstream mobile PCs at the Consumer …
Read More »Intel acquires 20% stake in Chinese mobile SoC developer
Intel Corp. has quietly acquired a 20 per cent stake in a Chinese holding company that controls developers of system-on-chips for smartphones and other mobile devices, according to two media reports. It is expected that the chip designers will develop application processors for mobiles powered by Intel’s x86 cores, which will …
Read More »AMD to use Synopsys IP to design 14nm/16nm, 10nm APU, GPU products
Advanced Micro Devices and Synopsys, a company that helps to implement complex semiconductor devices like APUs, CPUs and GPUs, this week signed a multi-year agreement that gives AMD access to a range of Synopsys DesignWare intellectual property on advanced 16nm/14nm and 10nm FinFET process technologies. In exchange, AMD transfers certain …
Read More »Intel: Hundreds of thousands of wireless recharge stations to be deployed
Earlier this year Intel Corp. announced that reference designs of mobile systems based on its next-generation code-named “Skylake” microprocessors will features Rezence wireless charging technology as well as WiGig ultra-fast wireless interconnection technology. Apparently, the company plans to ensure that not only mobile gadgets feature the new tech, but there …
Read More »Intel reveals detailed specifications of Core M ‘Broadwell’ chips
Intel Corp. has revealed detailed specifications of the first Core M microprocessors based on the “Broadwell” architecture. While the new processors will clearly not be performance champions, they will consume significantly lower amount of energy compared to existing chips and will enable extremely thin tablets, 2-in-1s and laptops. “We've been …
Read More »Intel: Transitions to thinner process tech will get harder
Although Intel Corp. imagines its future many years down the road and has a solid vision, it admits that going forward it will be much harder to achieve certain goals as manufacturing technologies get much more complex. Like other huge companies, Intel Corp. has big plans for the future. Recently …
Read More »Specifications of Intel ‘Braswell’ revealed, but chips to be delayed
Intel Corp.’s code-named “Braswell” microprocessors promise to offer increased performance and improved feature-set to entry-level desktop PCs next year. Unfortunately, actual configurations or performance estimates for the “Braswell” chips have never been released. A good news is that thanks to an unofficial report we now know what to expect from …
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