Intel Mobile Road Map
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This is a guide to the Intel mobile road map as it stands in mid 2009.
Contents |
Basics
There are two components to the motherboard, the CPU and the Motherboard Chipset. The CPUs will only work in certain chipsets but there is overlap between them. Also, the chipset is based on the microarchitecture. The current microarchitecture (for the last few years) has been "Core" (Core 2) microarchitecture. Nehalem (Core i7) is the next generation microarchitecture, and Sandy Bridge is the microarchitecture successor to Nehalem.
Note: Nehalem is an exception in the naming scheme in that it refers to both a processor (Clarksfield, Auburnsdale), a chipset (Calpella), and a microarchitecture (Nehalem). Most people refer to it's chipset properties though when mentioning it.
Second Note: To be extremely accurate, what are usually called chipsets are actually platforms - ie. Santa Rosa platform, Montevina platform, Calpella platform, etc. A platform has three components - the CPU, the motherboard chipset, and the wireless network interface. But for layman's usage of these terms most people use the motherboard chipset name (Cantiga) as the platform name (Montevina), which while not technically correct is the way it is used on these forums so the same thing has been done here. The confusion arises when discussing future platforms (of which there may be one large one - notably Calpella, which is based on Nehalem processors), but which may have multiple motherboard chipsets (currently unknown names of future chipsets but there are likely others coming in the future).
Intel's roadmap alternates between die shrinks and new microarchitectures, one of which happens roughly every year. This is called "tick-tock," and each "tick" is a die shrink and each "tock" is a new microarchitecture.
Currently Apple uses 17 W CPUs for the MacBook Air line, 25 W CPUs for the Mac mini, MacBook, and MacBook Pro lines, and 35 W CPUs for the MacBook Pro line. The iMac uses custom 55 W mobile CPUs.
MacBook Air: 1.87 GHz, 2.13 GHz
Mac mini: 2.0 GHz, 2.27 GHz
MacBook: 2.13 GHz
13" MacBook Pro: 2.27 GHz, 2.53 GHz
15" MacBook Pro: 2.53 GHz, 2.67 GHz, 2.8 GHz, 3.07 GHz (BTO)
17" MacBook Pro: 2.8 GHz, 3.07 GHz (BTO)
iMac: 2.67 GHz, 2.93 GHz, 3.07 GHz
Penryn (45 nm)
Unless otherwise noted, all CPUs are dual-core, support up to 1067 MHz RAM, and the other specs for the CPUs are as follows:
Quad-core: 12 MB L2 cache — $851, $1038
44 W: $851
35 W: 1067 MHz FSB, 6 MB L2 cache — $316, $530
25 W: 1067 MHz FSB, 3 MB L2 cache — $209, $241
17 W: 1067 MHz FSB, 6 MB L2 cache — $284, $316
Penryn (mid-2008)
44 W: 3.07 GHz
35 W: 2.53 GHz, 2.8 GHz
25 W: 2.0 GHz (OEM), 2.27 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.53 GHz (6 MB L2, $348)
20 W: 1.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz
Penryn (Q3 2008)
44/45 W: 3.07 GHz, 2.27 GHz quad-core, 2.53 GHz quad-core
35 W: 2.53 GHz, 2.8 GHz
25 W: 2.0 GHz (OEM), 2.27 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.53 GHz (6 MB L2, $348)
17 W: 1.6 GHz, 1.87 GHz
Penryn (Turn of the year)
45 W: 2.0 GHz quad-core (6 MB L2), 2.27 GHz quad-core, 2.53 GHz quad-core
35 W: 2.67 GHz, 2.93 GHz
25 W: 2.0 GHz (OEM), 2.13 GHz (OEM), 2.4 GHz, 2.53 GHz, 2.67 GHz (6 MB L2, $348)
17 W: 1.6 GHz, 1.87 GHz
Penryn (Q2 2009) [1]
45 W: 2.0 GHz quad-core (6 MB L2), 2.27 GHz quad-core, 2.53 GHz quad-core
35 W: 2.8 GHz, 3.07 GHz
25 W: 2.0 GHz (OEM) (?), 2.13 GHz (OEM), 2.53 GHz, 2.67 GHz, 2.8 GHz (6 MB L2)
17 W: 1.87 GHz, 2.13 GHz
Nehalem (45 nm)
Nehalem is a new microarchitecture that includes features such as better performance, better power efficiency, simultaneous multithreading, an integrated memory controller, and QuickPath. QuickPath is not available in the mobile variants.
* Note that mobile Nehalem microarchitecture CPU TDPs are about 10 W higher than Penryn CPU TDPs with equivalent heat. For Clarksfield, this is due to the integrated northbridge, and for Arrandale, this is due to the integrated GPU.
Clarksfield (Q3 2009)
Clarksfield replaces the Penryn quad-cores. Supports 1067/1333 MHz DDR3 RAM [2] and Turbo Boost.
Clarksfield will be called Core i7.
Features: 4 cores (8 threads), 8 MB L3 cache
Extreme Edition (55 W): 2.0 (3.2) GHz ($1054)
Regular (45 W): 1.6 (2.8) GHz (6 MB L3) ($364), 1.73 (3.07) GHz ($546)
Westmere (32 nm)
Westmere is the 32 nm shrink of the Nehalem microarchitecture, with other improvements.
Arrandale (Q1 2010)
Arrandale is dual-core, and replaces the Penryn dual-cores. Intel intends to get this to market before the holiday season, however it may not be possible if production does not start early enough. Supports 800/1067 MHz DDR3 RAM. [3]
Arrandale will be called Core i5 or Core i7 depending on the variant.
Features:
Core i7: 2 cores (4 threads), 4 MB L3, DDR3 1067 (except for ULV)
Core i5: 2 cores (4 threads), 3 MB L3, DDR3 1067
Core i7, 35 W: 2.67 (3.33) GHz (replaces the 2.8 GHz 25 W Penryn dual-core)
Core i5, 35 W: 2.4 (2.93) GHz, 2.53 (3.07) GHz (replace the 2.53 GHz and 2.67 GHz 25 W Penryn dual-cores)
Core i7, 25 W: 2 (2.8) GHz, 2.13 (2.93) GHz (that replace the 17 W Penryn low voltage dual-cores)
Core i7, 18 W: 1.07 (2.13) GHz, 1.2 (2.27) GHz (that replace the 10 W Penryn ultra low voltage dual-cores), CPU is about 10 W [4]
The value (except for high-end value) and single-core segments may not have Arrandale successors through 2010.
Performance improvements: 10% higher performance than Core 2 in the SuperPi benchmark. Multithreaded tasks will see a greater improvement.
Integrated GPU: 45 nm, about twice the performance of the previous Intel integrated GPU (about half the performance of the 9400M)
Lynnfield (energy-efficient) (Q1 2010) [5]
Previously there was speculation that the 65 W low-power Penryn desktop quad-cores would end up in the early 2009 iMac model. While this did not eventuate, Lynnfield (95 W at Q3 2009 release) will have lower-power variants in early 2010 which may be low-power enough to fit in the iMac. Recently it has been reported that low-power Lynnfields will be 82 W. [6]
32 nm shrink of Clarksfield (mid-2010)
Lynnfield (desktop version of Clarksfield) may move to 32 nm in mid-2010, if so, Clarksfield would most likely do the same.
Successors
Sandy Bridge (32 nm) is the microarchitecture to succeed Nehalem and features 2-8 cores depending on the segment. It will be introduced in 2011, although low-end and ULV mobile Sandy Bridge may not come in 2011. [7]Its 22 nm shrink is Ivy Bridge, which will see the replacement of entry-level dual-cores with entry-level quad-cores. [8]
Haswell (22 nm) is the microarchitecture to succeed Sandy Bridge, will have fused multiply-add (FMA), and may start at 8 cores.
Other
Notes:
The CPUs listed here are not all the CPUs under the code names, but all the CPUs that are believed to be relevant to Apple's lineups.
Unreleased CPUs are in italics. A price drop is counted as "unreleased."
![[7]](http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2009/0210/kaigai_05l.gif){kind=link}
