Intel Updates Mainstream, Performance, and Extreme CPU Roadmap

[btarunr]

Intel issued a confidential roadmap for CPU product releases that looks as far as Q3 2010, leaked to sections of the Chinese media. The roadmap covers prominent Intel processors in their designated market segments drawn out by Intel, covering three grades of mainstream, one each of performance and extreme. The roadmap marks a definite transition of architectures from Intel's Core (penryn) to next-generation Nehalem, and the advent of Intel's first 32 nm based Westmere CPUs.

To begin with, there three models of Intel's first LGA-1156 processors scheduled for Q3 2009, the quad-core "Lynnfield" based Core i7 870 (2.93 GHz, HTT) in Performance, Core i7 860 (2.80 GHz, HTT) in MS3/upper-mainstream, and Core i5 750 (2.66 GHz, no HTT) in MS2/middle-mainstream. The HTT-enabled Core i7 800 processors were earlier believed to have been scheduled for Q1 2010, but are combined with the Core i5 750 for a grand platform launch. The Core i7 800 models will remain seated in their segments for the better part of 2010.

Next up, are Intel's "Clarkdale" dual-core processors scheduled for early Q1 2010. These are Intel's first 32 nm technology-based processors, and mark the introduction of Intel's Westmere architecture. Three models, clocked at 3.20 GHz, 3.33 GHz, and 3.46 GHz, will be placed in MS1, MS2, and MS3 segments respectively.

The Core i7 960 (3.20 GHz, non-XE) succeeds the i7 950 model in Q4 2009, in the Performance segment.

Finally, there's the king of the hill, the 6-core Gulftown processor. Until now believed to have been slated for Q1 2010, it is pushed back to Q2, where it will succeed the Core i7 975 Extreme Edition. So the i7 975 XE will rule the roost for at least another 7 months.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[toyo]

So i7 920 will be sold for another 7 months? That's the only good thing I can see in that roadmap, as I plan on buying one and build a new system once the prices on the new DX 11 architecture reach 200$-ish. Maybe ddr3 will also get cheaper by then and who knows, maybe even LGA 1366
In other thoughts, the Nehalem architecture don't seem such an improvement (in many real world apps) over Core as I look back now... and the leaked dual/quad i5 benchies also seem unimpressive. As a comparison, I feel that the evolution from NetBurst to Core was much bigger.

 

[HossHuge]

After reading a couple of sources on the net it seams that AMD won't have their 32nm processors out until late 2010 or early 2011. AMD’s new PII’s stack up well against Intel’s line of CPU’s right now but are they always going to play catch-up now?

 

[lococol]

core i7 are not much faster than core2 in games, so how can these possibly be much better ? my e8500@4ghz is better than i7@stock in a lot of games so im happy for a while yet , cpu progress seams to have slowed down , as for the hexacore chip im sure that would be great if it was programed for , but i bet it would be rubbish for overclocking , the one that caught my eye was the 3.46Ghz dual core , i would love to see what the overclocking community can do with these babies

 

[Vithren]

AMD should have in Q4'10/Q2'11 32nm new Bulldozer architecture. [and I hope that they will do K10.5 in 32nm before that].
GF would like to present 22nm in the same time as Intel, but this is, of course, post-2011.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I thought i7 was supposed to mean performance? According to that, one third of the Core i7s are considered mainstream.


That list is pretty vague too. Except for Gulftown, it really doesn't show much for the next year and there hasn't been much in the past year either. How odd.

 

[mtosev]

i like intel for not killing off the i7 920 before i can buy one

 

[Homeless]

I think I'll be holding on to my Q9550 till 2011 according to that roadmap

 

[Weer]

So Gulftown is really going to be an only-extreme chip? Bites.

 

[hat]

I wonder if there will be big price cuts on the e8400 since it's on the low-end of the mainstream market...