Nehalem is not just a refinement of an existing microarchitecture like Penryn is to Core. Nehalem is a new microarchitecture. In addition, it’s a different system architecture. Intel does not call the new system CSI, rather Nehalem system architecture.
Intel does not expect anyone else to do high-k/metal gate transistors at 45-nm line widths. In fact, others will be challenged to do it at even 32-nanometer.
Industry observers will have noted that AMD and others appear to be catching up with Intel in process manufacturing, with AMD scheduled to introduce 45-nm transistors in the middle of next year. That’s less than a year apart. An Intel senior vice president countered that Intel’s advantage is not just in time, but that the characteristics of the high k/metal gate process also offer an advantage.
By the time the Xeon 7300 series ships in the third quarter, it will have been over a year since the debut of the Core microarchitecture in the DP server, desktop, and mobile spaces. The Xeon 7300 family brings the Core microarchitecture, for the first time, to the MP server segment.
You are currently browsing the Ask About Computers Blog weblog archives for May, 2007.
