IDF: Intel shows off first 32nm chip and Nehalem

Intel announced it will show off the first working 32nm chips today at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. The firm says their 32nm technology is on track to be ready for production in 2009.

Otellini also described the near-term advantages computer users will experience with Intel's upcoming 45nm family of Penryn processors, which are based on its revolutionary high-k metal gate transistor technology. The industry's first 45nm processors will be available from Intel in November. The company also demonstrated for the first time the next-generation chip architecture codenamed Nehalem, due out next year.

"Our tick-tock strategy of alternating next generation silicon technology and a new microprocessor architecture -- year after year -- is accelerating the pace of innovation in the industry," said Otellini. "Tick-tock is the engine creating today's most advanced technologies and keeps them coming out at a rapid cadence. Our customers and computer users around the world can count on Intel's innovation engine and manufacturing capability to deliver state-of-the-art performance that rapidly becomes mainstream."

The firm also announced that the 45nm Penryn will arrive in November and that this chip is expected to prove up to a 20% performance boost while improving energy efficiency.

Some details about the Nehalem architecture were also unveiled:

The Nehalem architecture will extend Intel's leadership in performance and performance-per-watt benchmarks, and will be the first Intel processor to use the QuickPath Interconnect system architecture. Quickpath will include integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links between system components to significantly improve overall system performance.

"Nehalem is an entirely new architecture that leverages Intel's Core Microarchitecture, bringing leading-edge performance advantages, power efficiency and important new server features to market just a year after Intel leads the industry to 45nm technology," said Otellini.

The first Nehalem processors are expected in the second half of 2008. By mid-2008 we can also expect new dual-core Penryn processors which use only 25W. Furthermore, Intel also announced that beginning in 2008 the firm's 45nm processors and 65nm chipsets will start using a packaging technology that doesn't use halogen.