![](http://investorshub.advfn.com/images/default_ih_profile2_4848.jpg?cb=0)
Friday, August 15, 2014 1:18:34 AM
-------------
Intel Just Put Mobile Processor Competitors On Notice, Broadwell Is No Joke
In cased you missed it, earlier this week, Intel INTC -0.44% let slip with new details on their forthcoming low power mobile processor, code named Broadwell-Y and now known as Intel’s new Core M family. To give you the quick-take view, based on Intel’s new low power 14nm process technology (a chip manufacturing process significantly smaller and lower-power than virtually any manufacturer in the world currently), Intel has taken their mainstream notebook processor microarchitecture and shrunk it down (a die shrink) to address tablets and ultra-light 2-in-1 designs. Where previously only Intel’s Atom architecture could compete in “fanless” tablet designs, Core M and Broadwell-Y can now mount a serious attack on this high growth market. Intel’s Broadwell and Core M family are a very big deal for the company and will allow Intel to compete with the full force of their strong suit CPU architecture, in designs they could not address in the past, due to power consumption and heat.
First, let’s discuss the architecture and then we’ll discuss what impact it will have on the market and retail products slated to arrive as early as this coming holiday shopping season. Broadwell is the follow-on to Intel’s Haswell line of 4th generation Core series processors. It shares the same chip architecture but with Intel’s migration from a 22nm manufacturing process technology, to their new bleeding-edge 14nm process node, Broadwell and specifically the “Broadwell-Y” variant, will have much lower power consumption but at better performance overall with additional graphics processing resources. Again, historically, Haswell and Intel’s low power Core series processors have only really played in notebooks and larger 2-in-1 hybrids like Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, at best. Standard tablets and the lightest, fanless designs were traditionally not an option for Intel’s successful Core series architecture, that is until Broadwell-Y came along.
Broadwell-HighLevel
A couple of the intrinsic benefits of a die shrink are lower power consumption and faster transistor switching speeds. The above slide depicts a number of benefits with Intel’s move from it’s 22nm 3D Tri-Gate technology to its second generation 14nm 3D Tri-Gate technology. In short, Intel has been able to reduce idle power consumption of their processor (when the system isn’t under load) by 60 percent and also has reduced the total TDP or Thermal Design Power by more than 2X. Couple the power savings with a few silicon tweaks to things like their FIVR (Full Integrated Voltage Regulator), increased L2 buffer cache and a few additional graphics cores, (because they have the extra silicon real estate at 14nm), and you’re left with combined, net CPU and graphics performance gains. And all of this was achieved while enabling a chip that was previously relegated to much larger devices, but is now able to sip power at low enough levels that it can function in a tablet form factor.
Broadwell-Board-Area-800
Broadwell is on the right in this shot; Haswell, Intel’s previous generation for notebooks, is on the left. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand of what I bang out every day on the keyboard. Size matters. Okay, I’ll ease up on the cliche's. What’s impressive here is that Intel is claiming that the little guy on the right offers, in general, a 5 percent boost in CPU performance and 20 percent more graphics horsepower. To reiterate, this is over and above what they previous achieved in a notebook-targeted processor, but now can achieve this in a fanless tablet design.
Intel's "Llama Mountain" 12-inch Tablet Reference Design
Intel’s “Llama Mountain” 12-inch Tablet Reference Design
Intel wasn’t specific about the price points they can hit with Broadwell-Y and their Core M series of processors, beyond noting that, for tablets and 2-in-1 hybrids, it would target the higher-end of the mid range or premium segments. I pried more for detail and they were pretty tight-lipped but my gut tells me we’ll see this in devices at the high-end of the tablet market, at say $499 and up. Think iPad Air kind of thin, but with high resolution displays and more features. Core M-powered devices won’t compete with low-end 7 – 10-inch Android slates but in the premium tablet segment (devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, iPad Air etc.) Intel could really make inroads.
The real question is timing. Technically, Intel is late with Broadwell and other manufacturers like NVIDIA with their Tegra K1 family have caught up. Forbes contributor and industry analyst Patrick Moorhead notes, “There are two ways to look at this. Glass half full says that 22nm was the best yielding process in recent history so anything close to it is good. Glass half empty says that they are behind and product should have been here in volume by now. Only Intel knows for sure. What we do know is that 14nm Broadwell is “healthy,” and the process and Broadwell is in volume production.”
Personally, I think the indicators are aligning well for Intel and Q4 will mark a continuance of the company’s surge in sales and revenues. We’ve already heard rumblings from major OEMs like ASUS, Lenovo and others that are planning Broadwell-Y Core M 2-in-1 devices and tablets. My opinion is that Intel’s 14nm process hitting volume production finally signals the next round for the company in the tablet and ultralight arena, and they’re coming out fired-up and swinging.
Intel’s 14nm Broadwell is a game-changer and they’ve put their competition officially on notice.
Recent INTC News
- ASML Rises 7% on Export Waiver; Intel Plans Layoffs, HSBC $3B Buyback Announced, and More • IH Market News • 07/31/2024 09:55:50 AM
- Form SC 13G/A - Statement of Beneficial Ownership by Certain Investors: [Amend] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 07/25/2024 08:55:22 PM
- Intel Names Naga Chandrasekaran to Lead Foundry Manufacturing and Supply Chain • Business Wire • 07/25/2024 03:00:00 PM
- From Athletes to GenAI Developers: Intel Tackles Real-World Challenges with AI Systems • Business Wire • 07/18/2024 03:00:00 PM
- Darden Acquires Chuy’s for $605M, BYND Drops 14% Amid Debt Restructuring, Petco Appoints Ex-Five Below CEO • IH Market News • 07/18/2024 09:59:44 AM
- Intel Launches Its First US Apprenticeship for Manufacturing Facility Technicians • Business Wire • 07/15/2024 06:00:00 PM
- Ericsson Reports 14% Profit Increase, UBS Downgrades Tesla Shares, Ozempic Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk • IH Market News • 07/12/2024 10:28:11 AM
- Intel to Report Second-Quarter 2024 Financial Results • Business Wire • 07/10/2024 08:30:00 PM
- Microsoft and Apple Exit OpenAI Board, TSMC Exceeds Forecasts with Record Revenue, and Other Key Updates • IH Market News • 07/10/2024 10:42:17 AM
- BP Slashes Profit Forecast by $700 Million; Morgan Stanley Predicts S&P 500 10% Drop, and More News • IH Market News • 07/09/2024 10:54:32 AM
- Intel Corporation Incorporated Sued for Securities Law Violations - Contact the DJS Law Group to Discuss Your Rights - INTC • PR Newswire (US) • 07/01/2024 07:25:00 PM
- Intel Corporation Sued for Securities Law Violations - Investors Should Contact The Gross Law Firm for More Information - INTC • PR Newswire (US) • 06/28/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Intel Demonstrates First Fully Integrated Optical I/O Chiplet • Business Wire • 06/26/2024 03:00:00 PM
- Class Action Filed Against Intel Corporation (INTC) - July 2, 2024 Deadline to Join - Contact The Gross Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 06/25/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Intel Corporation Sued for Securities Law Violations - Investors Should Contact The Gross Law Firm for More Information - INTC • PR Newswire (US) • 06/20/2024 09:50:00 AM
- Intel Corporation Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Pending: Contact The Gross Law Firm Before July 2, 2024 to Discuss Your Rights - INTC • PR Newswire (US) • 06/17/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/14/2024 09:17:08 PM
- Form 11-K - Annual report of employee stock purchase, savings and similar plans • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/13/2024 09:11:27 PM
- FDA Panel Supports Eli Lilly’s Donanemab, Rio Tinto Expands Stake in Boyne Smelters, and More News • IH Market News • 06/11/2024 11:11:40 AM
- July 2, 2024 Deadline: Contact The Gross Law Firm to Join Class Action Suit Against INTC • PR Newswire (US) • 06/10/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Apollo Buys 49% of Intel’s Irish Plant for $11bn, BlackRock and Citadel to Create Texas Exchange, and More News • IH Market News • 06/05/2024 11:41:36 AM
- Class Action Filed Against Intel Corporation (INTC) - July 2, 2024 Deadline to Join - Contact The Gross Law Firm • PR Newswire (US) • 06/05/2024 09:45:00 AM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 06/04/2024 08:07:51 PM
- Intel and Apollo Agree to Joint Venture Related to Intel’s Fab 34 in Ireland • Business Wire • 06/04/2024 08:05:00 PM
- Intel Accelerates AI Everywhere at Computex 2024; Redefines Compute Power, Performance and Affordability with new Xeon 6, Gaudi Accelerators and Lunar Lake Architecture to Grow AI PC Leadership • Business Wire • 06/04/2024 03:00:00 AM
Duane Forrester Joins INDEXR as SVP of Search • MONI • Jul 31, 2024 11:46 AM
Lingerie Fighting Championships Help Fulfill Death-Bed Promise With First Major Motion Picture • BOTY • Jul 31, 2024 9:00 AM
Kona Gold Beverage Significantly Reduces Debt from Multiple Holders • KGKG • Jul 31, 2024 9:00 AM
Avant Technologies Opens Equity Line with GHS Investments as Company Explores Expansion into Additional Technologies • AVAI • Jul 30, 2024 8:00 AM
ELEMENT79 GOLD CORP PROVIDES UPDATE ON CHACHAS COMMUNITY CHARTER AND REVENUE GENERATION, M&A ACTIVITIES • ELMGF • Jul 30, 2024 8:00 AM
INDEXR AI Merges With Moon Equity Holdings Corp. (MONI), Creating a Leading-edge Technology Company • MONI • Jul 29, 2024 9:59 AM