Intel gave a brief presentation of teh Ivy Bridge pltform
at CeBIT. The platform includes the Intel 7 series
Express chipset, which will also compatible with the
currently available Sandy Bridge CPUs and will integrate
USB 3.0.
As it has been widely reported, Ivy Bridge will be
Intel's first 22nm processor family due to be released in
H1 2012. According to Intel, the successor to the Sandy
Bridge design boast significant improvements in on-board
graphics, overall performance and a handful of advances
in power management and security.
Intel has spent effort to create the die of the Ivy
Bridge chip modular, in order to easy create different
flavors of it. The chip's largest die includes four x86
cores and a large graphics block. It can be chopped using
automated generation tools to create versions with two
cores or a smaller graphics block.
The company plans to release at least four major variants
of the chip which packs 1.4 billion transistors into
160-mm-square in its largest version.
The first Ivy Bridge chip targets a range of desktop,
notebook, embedded, and single-socket server systems with
up to 8 Mbytes cache. It also integrates a memory controller and graphics, now upgraded to support DDR3L DRAMs and Microsoft DirectX 11.0 graphics APIs. The
processor also packs 20 channels of PCI Express Gen 3
interconnect and a Displayport controller. The Displayport block supports three simultaneous displays including one 1.6 GHz and two 2.7 GHz links with four
lanes each. Ivy Bridge is Intel's first client chip to support low power 1.35V DDR3L and DDR power gating in standby mode. It handles up to 1,600 MTransfers/s as well
as 1.5V DDR3.
Other features of the built-in visuals available on the
new processors include faster transcoding HD to HD
through Intel Quick Sync Video, improved 3D graphics
performance powered by the InTru 3D technology, clear
visuals with the Intel Clear VideoHD, support for Intel
Wireless Display and Intel Insider for secure downloading
of 1080p movies. The graphics chip also features enhances
AVX with float 16.
In the description at CeBIT 2012, Intel made it clear
that the Ivy Bridge processors for desktops will be
backwards compatible with currently available Intel 6
series Express chipsets (Z and H series) through a BIOS
update and also that the existing Sandy Bridge CPUs will
work with the new Intel series 7 Express chipset.
The Sandy processors (socket rPGA988B, BGA1023) for
mobile devices will be also compatible with the Intel
series 7 Express chipset.
Intel also revealed that its 3rd generation platform (Ivy
Bridge CPu and Panther Point chip) will support
connectivity features including high-bandwidth Intel
wireless, integrated USB 3.0 and Intel Thunderbolt
Technology.
Other features include the Intel Identity Protection
Technology, Intel RapidStart technology for fast resumes
from hibernation (5-8 sec), Intel SmartConnect technology
for always updated applications through the cloud and
Intel SmartResponse technology for caching frequently
used files in an attached SSD and enjoy faster system
performance.
Intel also talked about the Ultrabook concept. Currently
at the second generation based on the Ivy Bridge
platform,Intel's "baseline" requirements for 2012's
Ultrabooks include devices that will be security-ready
(Intel Anto-theft and Identify Protection technologies through BIOS update),
will have more than 5 hours battery life and will start up in less than 7 seconds. Limitatons also apply to the
physical dimensions of 2012's ultrabooks, with a 21mm max
thickness for systems with displays bigger than 14 inches
and a 18mm max thickness for systems with displays
smaller that 14 inches. Intel's recommended specs are
even stricter, with mandatory security features built in
and more than 8 hours battery life required.