X-bit labs

Intel Remains Tight-Lipped Over Next-Generation Chips Code-Names.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 05/09/2004 | 11:46 PM ]

Intel confirmed Friday the cancellation of the Tejas and Jayhawk processors, but did not unveil any code-names or other details concerning its microprocessors due to launch in 2005.

Intel’s Roadmap Vague

The information about future projects is typically held under-wraps and is not widely discussed publicly. However, some portions of details about the upcoming microprocessors are frequently unveiled at variety of events like Intel Developer Forum to prepare the industry and the general public for the future of technology. Additionally, quite a lot of information is leaked by sources close to the companies, which is sometimes done intentionally by the firms themselves so that to learn the reaction of the market. While the code-names for the Pentium 4 derivatives, such as Prescott, Northwood, Tejas, Cedar Mill, etc, as well as some of their technical specifications have been known years before the products were meant to arrive, today Intel does not unveil any details about the microprocessors that will come to replace the existing products in desktop and 2P server platforms.

The absence of the information about future products may be a sign of an ongoing dispute within Intel about the next-generation technology. The latter may mean that the roadmap of the company is not totally formed up in the way it may be presented to or discussed with partners. Intel does not talk about micro-architecture and whether the dual-core chips scheduled for 2005 introduction have been taped out or not.

Intel tends to bring new technologies into the market in the first half or the year. Generally, the company needs to finalize product specifications and possibly tape the chip out about 10 to 12 months prior to the commercial product launch, several sources said. In case there is no information about the next-year’s chips right now, this may represent some shifts of introduction towards the second half of 2005. According to the current plans, the current Pentium 4 “Prescott” will cease to evolve in the Q1 2005. The Tejas and Jayhawk were designated to arrive in the Q2 and the Q3 2005 respectively.

There is a clear confirmation that the dual-core processor for MP servers internally called Tulsa is shelved, but Intel stressed Friday that the next-gen chip for multiprocessor servers code-named Potomac is still in plans, despite of earlier assumptions.

The Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker will hardly produce the new chips using 65nm process technology, as it is scheduled to begin the ramp only in the very late 2005 or even early 2006. Therefore, we may be almost sure that the timetables for the new fabrication process and dual-core chips’ introduction are not aligned.

Investors Happy with the Move?

Despite of indefinite roadmaps, Intel’s shares rose $0.49 to $26.47 on Nasdaq after the news about the cancellation of Pentium 4 successor code-named Tejas and the next incarnation of server chip Xeon code-named Jayhawk.

This may indicate that investors felt a relief for the company’s future, as Intel has had various problems with delivering of both of its NetBurst-based 90nm chips Prescott (Pentium 4) and Nocona (Xeon). On the other hand, the rise may be connected with Monday’s introduction of the Dothan processor – an improved version of Intel Pentium M chip that is the base of the company’s extremely successful Centrino platform.

NetBurst or P6?

Intel’s spokesperson said that “2005 will be a great year for Intel” because dual-core chips “are great for customers”. Intel is emphasizing that the idea to come up with dual-core chips in 2005 goes from the discovery that the company is able to deliver such products earlier than it thought originally. What the company also stresses is that the new dual-core chips will have the same platform requirements as cancelled Tejas – this is important for mainboard makers and system integrators, who will not have to change their existing designs and spend additional R&D money.

The real questions about Intel’s vision of the future come when we remember about the technologies the Tejas was expected to bring according to various sources: Vanderpool – a technology that splits personal computer into several virtual parts that work independently and use the same resources of the PC, LaGrande – a universal security feature that protects confidential information on the PC. While there might be more capabilities to enter with the Tejas, the Vanderpool, LaGrande and 64-bit capability that is available on Prescott were the most important to come to life with the Tejas, some unofficial sources noted.

While quite some sources believe that Intel will go Pentium M route after the abandon of Tejas, it is not clear whether Pentium M-based future products really had all the mentioned capabilities built-in from the ground-up or Intel will have to redesign the cores. Furthermore, there were NetBurst-based dual-core microprocessors in plans that really should have Vanderpool, LaGrande and EM64T enabled. Today it is not clear whether Intel accelerated dual-core NetBurst or dual-core P6 plans, and that is the most significant intrigue here because of the lack for official information.

What We Do Know Just Now

Before Intel finally officially unveils its visions of the future, let us summarize once again what we do know from unofficial sources about the next-generation desktop microprocessors from Intel:

• Dual-core;
• Compatible with the Tejas on the platform level;
• Uses Quad Pumped Bus;
• Possibly comes-in LGA775 packaging;
• Platforms (e.g. Lakeport) to feature dual-channel DDR2 667MHz memory and sport PCI Express interconnections;
• Platforms to support FB-DIMM.

On the platform-side everything is pretty clear – in case microprocessors use similar bus, it makes no problems to switch from architecture to architecture provided that there are no special design tweaks in the platform core-logic to bolster performance on processors with one particular micro-architecture. But what about the insides of Intel’s future central processing units that will be the base for next-year’s 2P servers and 1P desktops?