Intel's secret plans - 65nm, 45nm, quad-core, eight-core, 12MB L2 cache, ...

THG has seen the latest Intel roadmap and has written a quite long and juicy store about it. Intel is planning to launch about 20 new processor designs over the next eight quarters and this includes the first quad-core processor, codenamed Kentsfield, within one year and the switch to 45nm in 2007 which will enable eight cores and up to 12MB L2 cache (Yorkfield) per CPU.

Last week, Intel held a series of presentations at its Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, whose facilities represent the main pillar of product design and manufacturing. These presentations included a short tour to the top-notch 65 nm production facility Fab D1D whose specifics Intel is currently replicating to other locations. The primary purpose of this show obviously was to convince around 80 analysts and journalists of the substantial health of Intel's 65 nm fabrication leadership, which is outputting new processors in high volume for launching new Pentium 4 6x1, Pentium D 900 and Core branded (known as Yonah) processors in early 2006.

Soon Intel will launch Yonah1 and Yonah2. The Yonah1 is a single-core processor and Yonah2 is a dual-core processor that will also move into the server market carrying the Sossaman name.

Later there's the Conroe, Woodcrest and Merom and two months after the launch of Conroe the company will introduce the Allendale which is a stripped-down dual-core with only 2MB L2 cache along with the Millville which is even more crippled down with only 1MB L2 cache.

By mid-2007 we can expect the first quad-core desktop processor, the Kentsfield. This CPU will also get a server version called Clovertown.

By early 2008 we can expect the first "real" quad-core processor. This will be Whitefield, a CPU for the server market with 8MB or 16MB of L2 cache. A table comparing all of Intel's upcoming 65nm processors can be found over here.

The first 45nm processors will be launched in the second half of 2007. One of them is the Merom-based Penryn which will feature 3MB and 6MB L2 cache for the dual-core versions.

The 45nm Penryn will be the basis for two desktop processors, the Wolfdale and Ridgefield. Wolfdale will feature 3MB L2 cache while Ridgefield will get 6MB cache.

Another pleasant 45nm introduction will be processors with eight cores. The desktop platform will be Yorkfield, while the enterprise market will get the Harpertown. Both feature as much as 12MB L2 cache. A reference table of all planned 45nm processors can be found here.

Head over to Tom's Hardware Guide to read the full article which includes lots more details. Also bear in mind these are Intel's current plans, they are subject to change so it's possible they'll look quite different by next year.