Intel 4 process might enable 20 percent higher clock speeds with identical power consumption

[Tudor Cibean]

Something to look forward to: A new leak indicates that the upcoming Intel 4 process node might feature over 20 percent higher clock speeds while drawing the same amount of power as the current Intel 7 node. If this figure applies to high frequencies, too, it could enable desktop CPUs to breach the 6 GHz mark.

A Twitter user leaked a few slides from Intel's upcoming presentation at the IEEE VLSI Symposium 2022 before deleting them a few hours later. The slides detail the new Intel 4 process node and contain a die shot of an unreleased Meteor Lake-P processor. As a reminder, Intel expects to release its 14th-gen Meteor Lake CPUs in late 2023, following the release of Raptor Lake this year.

Intel 4

-1.8-2.0x HP scaling
-40-50% less power, +12% peak perf (@davidbepo)
-4:3 fin depopulation
-2nd gen contact over gate
-2nd gen single dummy gate
-eCu = Ta/Co barrier + pure Cu
-2x MIM cap scaling (10x vs 14nm)
-18 layers (+1)
-EUV: -20% masks, -5% total steps (vs. 7) pic.twitter.com/325HwQEKug

— witeken (@witeken) June 11, 2022

The Intel 4 node will reportedly make extensive use of EUV lithography. The chipmaker also claims that it can achieve almost twice the high-performance library area scaling compared to the Intel 7 process used in current Alder Lake processors. The new node will also be compatible with the company's EMIB and Foveros packaging technologies, with the latter being used for Meteor Lake to enable a tiled design. Most notably, Intel is aiming for at least 20 percent higher clock rates at the same power consumption as Intel 7, meaning we could see high-end desktop CPUs reaching 6 GHz.

Meteor Lake 6+8 pic.twitter.com/c1JwWuCJRu

— witeken (@witeken) June 11, 2022

The leaked die shot is of the compute tile of a 14th-gen Meteor Lake-P mobile chip. It features 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores, and it utilizes the previously mentioned Intel 4 node. The CPU will also feature an I/O tile, SOC tile, and graphics tile, with the latter expected to use TSMC's N3 process. Previous rumors indicate the desktop CPUs will require a new LGA 1851 socket, not LGA 2551.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/94915-intel-4-process-might-enable-20-percent-higher.html

 

[hahahanoobs]

Intel has barely touched on 10nm after squeezing 14nm for so long. The gap is certainly widening. They've definitely done impressively well in such little time. If they keep this up, we should see consistent double digit gains from AMD and Intel going forward.

 

[Vulcanproject]

The 10GHz Pentium dream is real

 

[Puiu]

They need to do massive changes to the performance cores to lower power draw.

 

[nodfor]

Assuming the rumors above are true.
20% higher clocks on same wattage doesn't mean 6 Ghz, since it is not specified if it will apply to the entire frequency curve

If it holds true for a part of the frequency curve, then it can be used on a marketing slide.

 

[dragosmp]

Assuming the rumors above are true.
20% higher clocks on same wattage doesn't mean 6 Ghz, since it is not specified if it will apply to the entire frequency curve

If it holds true for a part of the frequency curve, then it can be used on a marketing slide.

Exactly

It just means that at a given power draw, anywhere on the power curve that looks good, one can push performance up by 20%. Which is amazing, don't get me wrong, but it more likely means they can achieve more performance at low TDP. This will be great for laptops, if true, but of dubious benefit for high end PCs

 

[yRaz]

The 10GHz Pentium dream is real

I came here to post this

 

[FreezingPC]

400w CPU when ?

 

[MasterMace]

Is this a fancy new technology, or just another security hole Intel is creating to drum up sales, only to close it a few years later?

 

[kiwigraeme]

With TSMC , AI design , Chiplets , 3D stacking etc - will 10 years be near the end for major silicon advancements for the Home user - will home users need humongous CPU - 512 cores etc .
I think 15 years out there will still be ongoing improvements , new features , support for faster ram, dram, SSD , BT, Wifi and lan etc .
But my take we will need new uses, software etc - Most CPUs are overkill at the moment for 90% of home users - Browsing, FB, casual gaming etc .
All these chip makers will need to come up with something new technology - many people have no reason to update PC or phones at moment - except some scary security boogie man .
Maybe PCs will become a less market as opposed to cars , robots , drones etc .
Yes GPU I can see ongoing - people want real time naturalistic rendering +CPUs will need to do a lot of grunt work in infinite possibility outcome games - but in 10 years CPUs will be stupidly powerful.
I think one software feature coming more important is minecraft/sim and world creation - make your own animation - with infinite voices etc . MMOs on better engines

 

[Watzupken]

I am highly cautious about the word “might” used. I have no idea what Intel 4 really is, but 20% less power may be when the processor is running at or below it’s sweet spot clock speed. What we have observed with Intel is how aggressive they are when it comes to pushing clock speed with each new generation of CPU. Once it goes beyond a limit, power draw will start to increase exponentially. I am skeptical that the claim here is based on such a scenario. We can wait and see, but with competition pushing power boundaries in response to Intel’s method, there is little chance that Intel can choose to take it easy since they are always looking for the performance crown on their head.

 

[Dimitrios]

Jim Keller must be working overtime ;-)

 

[Puiu]

With TSMC , AI design , Chiplets , 3D stacking etc - will 10 years be near the end for major silicon advancements for the Home user - will home users need humongous CPU - 512 cores etc .
I think 15 years out there will still be ongoing improvements , new features , support for faster ram, dram, SSD , BT, Wifi and lan etc .
But my take we will need new uses, software etc - Most CPUs are overkill at the moment for 90% of home users - Browsing, FB, casual gaming etc .
All these chip makers will need to come up with something new technology - many people have no reason to update PC or phones at moment - except some scary security boogie man .
Maybe PCs will become a less market as opposed to cars , robots , drones etc .
Yes GPU I can see ongoing - people want real time naturalistic rendering +CPUs will need to do a lot of grunt work in infinite possibility outcome games - but in 10 years CPUs will be stupidly powerful.
I think one software feature coming more important is minecraft/sim and world creation - make your own animation - with infinite voices etc . MMOs on better engines

We are indeed in a transition period. Chiplet and 3d stacking designs will explode in the next decade.

 

[zamroni111]

Intel 4= fake 7nm

 

[zamroni111]

Intel should remove their pride and simply use tsmc for making their cpu.
then use in house foundry for consumer gpu, which is the least profitable in cpu/gpu market.

 

[Hodor]

A rumor has surfaced that next Intel CPU series will be called "Megawatt"

 

[punctualturn]

Yes, lets all keep giving money to intel and once AMD dies, they will go back to their customers abuse, move all of us back to 4 cores and charge us US$1K for those "magnificent" 4 cores because we dared buying AMD.

 

[comnut]

The 10GHz Pentium dream is real

yes, but what size bank account do ya need for it... shall I get that luxury yacht, or this new CPU and all the hardware needed to support it???

 

[Crinkles]

Intel should remove their pride and simply use tsmc for making their cpu.
then use in house foundry for consumer gpu, which is the least profitable in cpu/gpu market.

This is really mixed up.

Yes, lets all keep giving money to intel and once AMD dies, they will go back to their customers abuse, move all of us back to 4 cores and charge us US$1K for those "magnificent" 4 cores because we dared buying AMD.

That level of vindictiveness is legendary, starting with AMD dies. In a shovel market only those who make really bad shovels go out of the shovel-making business.