14 nm "Broadwell" A True System-on-Chip (SoC)

[btarunr]

With the 14 nm "Broadwell" architecture, Intel will take a new step towards integration of the platform-controller hub (PCH) with the CPU, by designing it to be a multi-chip module (with the CPU+northbridge in one die, and PCH on the other). This would make "Broadwell" a true System-on-chip (SoC), which allows over 90 percent of the system's I/O to be routed to the processor socket, including memory, PCI-Express, SATA, USB, etc. Although not the first to the industry with single-chip chipsets and integrated memory controllers, Intel rapidly reshaped the arrangement between CPU and core-logic, over the past four years.

It began with transfer of memory controller from northbridge to CPU die (45 nm "Bloomfield"), and transfer of the entire northbridge to the CPU die (45 nm "Lynnfield"). The graphics northbridge transferred a little more gradually, first as multi-chip module with a separate CPU die (32 nm "Clarkdale"), then complete integration with the CPU die (32 nm "Sandy Bridge"). All through, the southbridge, or I/O controller hub (ICH) remained outside the CPU package, with the addition of a display output logic, it transformed into a "platform controller hub" (PCH), which is still just a glorified southbridge. Naturally then, such a drastic relocation of system components will warrant a socket change.



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[btarunr]

Year 2014-'15.

Many Thanks to NHKS for the tip.

 

[Delta6326]

Awesome! Hopefully this will give more room on the motherboard for extra stuff like ram slots, or just make motherboards smaller sense the northbridge will be on chip.

 

[THE_EGG]

dang I was hoping SoC stood for Super Overclock

 

[ensabrenoir]

Another part of the picture

^

See where intel is going with this.....you thought they were the dark empire before. Think theyve finally overcome that achiles heel of theirs.......interesting times ahead.

 

[Ikaruga]

This is just progression and it's happening since I know computers.
As technology advances, they put more and more components into one chip to make it more efficient, but as those components get more and more complex (or when new components are introduced), they have to make them separate, because they get too big.
And the cycle continues...

 

[Drone]

I hope by that time we will have DDR4

 

[Over_Lord]

will the motherboards, now chipless(almost) be any cheaper?

 

[btarunr]

will the motherboards, now chipless(almost) be any cheaper?

Probably, but processors will be costlier.

 

[meirb111]

manufacturing problems in 14 nm are going to be one hell of challenge

 

[NdMk2o1o]

This is just progression and it's happening since I know computers.
As technology advances, they put more and more components into one chip to make it more efficient, but as those components get more and more complex (or when new components are introduced), they have to make them separate, because they get too big.
And the cycle continues...

really? so processors have already gone this way before and then done a 360??

 

[Over_Lord]

Probably, but processors will be costlier.

Lets hope it remains at the SB/IV range

 

[n-ster]

really? so processors have already gone this way before and then done a 360??

pff you've never seen Chuck Norris' CPU have you?

My guess is ~400$ for the midrange enthusiast CPU+mobo is going to be the norm

 

[nikko]

Currently H61 motherboards with 30$ chipset cost 60$ and P67 wth 40$ chipset cost 80$, so motherboard with no chipset will cost 30-40$ an it will overclock depending solely on the CPU, not the motherboard too as it is now with the H61. Chipset on the same package as CPU will be shrinked to 10-20mm2 and that will cost 10-20$ more, so we can expect "K" class cpu with +20$ price point and 20% overclock on 40$ motherboard.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

really? so processors have already gone this way before and then done a 360??

no ,its what the slow evolution of circuitry involves ie they made a cpu then a little later made a seperate maths co pro, then they added it , every step onto die for another piece of circuitry locks down its spec and performance too so its more of a known thing, it does not make sense to try out new systems and circuitry on die initially as any failure becomes expensive to die yields, they dont often take things back off die and new things do often come along ,as well as advancce greatly with older but still used tech being made legacy for a fair few years before one day like isa and pci becomeing redundant, that takes a long time though

 

[Ikaruga]

really? so processors have already gone this way before and then done a 360??

No, I meant something like the "Wheel of Reincarnation", the thing what happened with the Coprocessors, the CPU instruction extensions and with the various controllers, or perhaps what will happen (or already happening?) with the graphics(GPU) or audio chips in the future.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

what are they implieing with that TRUE bit ?? in the opening headline

 

[hellrazor]

Year 2014-'15.

So just about the time we get good monitors? All will be well soon.

 

[AndreiD]

Lets hope it remains at the SB/IV range

It will probably be cheaper, being 14nm. At least cheaper for Intel

 

[faramir]

Wouldn't this imply that motherboards made for LGA1150 (Haswell) would be physically incompatible with Broadwell ?

 

[radrok]

Wouldn't this imply that motherboards made for LGA1150 (Haswell) would be physically incompatible with Broadwell ?

Broadwell should be a tock, so it is a new architecture, not a shrink and like every Intel's tock it won't be compatible with the previous socket.
Haswell (tock) 1150-> Haswell Shrink (tick) 1150 -> Broadwell (tock) unknown socket

 

[Vendor]

one they they will come with 1nm, then .5nm and blah blah blah.. let's just see how small can they keep it!?!

 

[Aquinus]

one they they will come with 1nm, then .5nm and blah blah blah.. let's just see how small can they keep it!?!

They need to figure out the quantum tunneling problem at 16nm and smaller first. You can only make circuits so small...

 

[eidairaman1]

the other issue is integrating so much into the CPU itself will cause comm issues and plus heat

 

[Frick]

the other issue is integrating so much into the CPU itself will cause comm issues and plus heat

People said the same when they started to have multiple cores on each die but that worked out well. I'm not worried about this really. Also it's not like .. anything on a motherboard is prone to issues.