‘Accelerating Innovation in the Desktop"

Rob Crooke: ‘Accelerating Innovation in the Desktop’

High-end gaming systems, all-in-ones and nettops are examples of accelerated innovation in today’s desktop market. Today at Computex, Rob Crooke, vice president and general manager of Intel Corporation’s Business Client Group, described how new advancements in Intel silicon provide a foundation for industry innovation and create new growth opportunities.

• End of the Beige Box – The worldwide desktop market is moving from one high-volume market model to four distinct evolving segments.
o Corporate – This market has a focus on productivity, manageability and security.
o Nettops – Cost-effective Internet access.
o Lifestyle and Small Form Factor (SFF) – Stylish, media-orientated and energy efficient.
o Enthusiast – High performance for great gaming and media creation. Larger enclosures are often used for expandability. Some adventurous users even like to overclock and tune their systems for even higher performance.

• Intel Announces Two Intel Core i7 Processors – Intel announced two Intel Core i7 processor SKUs: model number 975 at 3.33GHz and 950 at 3.06GHz. The Intel Core i7 processor is acknowledged by the industry as the most advanced and highest-performing enthusiast processor on the planet.

• Nehalem Going Mainstream – The upcoming Lynnfield and Intel P55 Express Chipset platform brings Intel’s Nehalem microarchitecture to the mainstream. Lynnfield, in production in 2H ’09, is a new eight-thread, four-core Nehalem-based processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology. Lynnfield features an intelligent architecture that delivers faster multi-tasking, digital media creation and gaming performance. The Intel P55 Express Chipset will be the first Intel 5 Series desktop chipset to support Lynnfield, and is a single chip solution designed for high performance and lower power via higher integration. Expect 40 percent better SPECint* rate_base 2006 performance with the Lynnfield-based platform1, compared to last year’s Penryn-based mainstream solutions (Intel Core Q9650 processor-based platform).

• Richard Malinowski Discusses Chipset Trends – Richard Malinowski, vice president, Intel Mobility Group and general manager of Client Components Group, took the stage to discuss system platform evolution. The Intel 5 Series Chipset family is Intel’s first single-chip chipset solution. Intel chipsets have evolved from simply connecting components to providing a whole range of innovation and capabilities. The transition from three chips to two chips results in smaller form factor systems and less power usage.

• Move to Smaller Form Factors – Intel foresees the move to stylish energy-efficient desktops that don’t give up on performance. IDC estimates that 35 percent of worldwide desktop PC TAM in 2009 will be driven by small form factor (SFF), ultra small form factor (uSFF), tiny, and all-in-one designs. In addition, 25 percent of Intel boards worldwide are shipped today on the mini-ITX form factor, supporting the trend in the desktop market to go smaller. Intel also is working with the display industry to bring more all-in-one form factors to market.

• 2010 Platform on Track – Clarkdale, a Nehalem-based processor with an integrated graphics die within the processor package, on track to begin production in Q4 ’09. Clarkdale is built on Intel’s second-generation 32nm Hi-K process technology. Clarkdale will be supported by the Intel 5 Series chipset platform and will include new capabilities, such as a flash-based caching technology called Braidwood. Braidwood will improve disk access performance, depending on usage, and is scheduled to be featured on mainstream motherboards in 2010.

• Nettops and Pine Trail Platform – Nettops are the desktop equivalent of netbooks, being Atom-based small form factor systems primarily for Internet use. Nettops are designed to deliver affordable computing solutions around the world and cross the digital divide. The major attributes of nettops are (1) basic computing and internet access, (2) affordable, space-saving and energy efficient, and (3) trusted Intel technology known for quality and reliability. Pine Trail-D, an innovative 2 chip Atom solution, will be at the heart of nettops and is scheduled for production in Q4 ’09.
###

1Performance tests and ratings are measured using specific systems and/or components and reflect approximate performance of Intel products as measured by those tests. Any difference in system hardware, software or configuration may affect actual performance. Buyers should consult other sources of information to evaluate performance of systems or components they are considering purchasing. For more information on performance tests and performance of Intel products, visit www.intel.com/performance/resources/limits.htm.

* Other brand and names are the property of their respective owners

ends

© Scoop Media