Intel's 32nm Core i7 Coming this Year

On a telephone briefing today, Intel announced that its 32nm processors will begin production later this year, specifically in the 4th quarter of 2009.

Intel is in the process of bringing Core i7 down to a 32nm fabrication process and will release the processor in the second half of 2009. The new 32nm platform is codenamed Westmere and is comprised of two 32nm Core i7 processors and a new chipset called the Intel 5 series chipset. With the move to 32nm, Intel will free up room on the processor to integrate graphics. With Westmere based Core i7 processors, the first series of products will come with 45nm integrated graphics and memory controller, on a separate die, on the same processor.

According to Intel, the following processors will be on their way later this year:

Desktop Performance / Mainstream:
Clarkdale: 2 cores / 4 threads, with integrated graphics/memory controller

Mobile Extreme / Mainstream:
Arrandale: 2 cores /4 threads, with integrated graphics/memory controller

Intel will be utilizing existing graphics technologies, manufacture the integrated graphics die at 45nm and not be using any new graphics technologies--specifically Larrabee.

Prior to the two 32nm Core i7 products above, Intel will release Lynnfield and Clarksfield for the desktop and mobile markets, respectively. Both of which will be 45nm Core i7 processors. All four processors will be running on the Intel 5 series chipset. While Intel did say that 32nm processors will begin production later in the year, Intel hesitated to indicate when products from OEMs will begin to be available on the market.

Once Intel's Westmere platform is on the market, Intel will begin its next transition into a future platform called Sandy Bridge, which will succeed the Nehalem microarchitecture.