Intel Raises Performance Bar With Nehalem Core i7

Intel (NSDQ: INTC)’s new Nehalem (aka Core i7) processors are causing a stir, on the heels of the rave “first look” review on ChannelWeb. The chips are significant because they mark the introduction of an all-new microarchitecture, and, boy, are they powerful.

Indeed, ChannelWeb characterizes the processors as having the performance to “drive current data center-class performance onto the desktop.” The arsenal of chip-level technologies Intel has applied to achieve what’s looking like a significant leap in performance is impressive. It’s reworked so many elements of the design, you need a scorecard to keep track.

First off, the Nehalems will be fabricated in 45-nm technology. This isn’t anything singular to this chip family; Intel has had 45-nm processors for about a year, and AMD will soon release its first such chips. But 45-nm is significant because its finer design rules enable lower-power operation and allow more gates to be packed onto a similarly sized silicon die.

Read more: informationweek.com