Next year Intel will introduce its 22nm Haswell architecture, this new chip will reportedly target ultrabooks with a new one-chip design (aka system-on-chip or SoC) with a TDP of just 10W. This new chip will enable new ultrabook designs with thinner form factors or with more battery capacity due to the space PC makers will be able to save on heatsinks, heatpipes and fans.
At present, ultrabooks use a ultra-low-voltage Ivy Bridge chip with a 17W TDP, while standard laptops feature a 35W TDP processor.
Mind you, a 10W TDP probably still might not be enough to build fanless Haswell tablet designs quite as thin as the latest crop of Android slates, because most ARM chips are more efficient still, but it could bridge the gap between Intel's Atom and more capable processors. Still, Intel reps seemed to suggest that we shouldn't expect the full capabilities of a 17W Ivy Bridge chip at the 10W level, so we're curious to see how Haswell will perform.
