Intel shows Sandy Bridge specs

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New memory systems and turbo technology for better graphics

Intel has given the first detailed information on the specifications and capabilities of its new range of Sandy Bridge processors.

The new chips have been built with graphics capability directly on the core, enough to power a basic specification computer according to Intel. The line will be aimed at the laptop market initially but will also be used in low end desktops and a dual core server version is planned.

The biggest speed boost for Sandy Bridge over previous chips is a completely redesigned memory controller. The chip now has two load/store ports, allowing two reads and stores per cycle.

“This is one of the biggest performance boosts for Sandy Bridge,” said senior principal engineer and architect for the Sandy Bridge line.

“The industry has been asking for it for a while now.”

Another new feature is a redesigned data channel that allows the graphics processor to take advantage of latency in the central processor to speed up performance while staying within a fixed power envelope.

Graphics capability has also been boosted by using the TurboBoost technology found in older Intel processors. The same CPU boost TurboBoost provides can be used by the graphics processor to give ten to 20 seconds of higher power rendering, which would help for loading graphics-heavy web pages.

The processor cores themselves are reworked Nehalem designs which are built around a modular format that allows Intel a certain amount of flexibility in terms of future build designs.

Other improvements include a doubling of floating point capabilities in the new processor thanks to a new 256-bit instruction set, second generation High-K metal gate connections and Intel's Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) to further speed graphics performance.

The 32nm Sandy Bridge chips represent the last processors to use this manufacturing process and will be upgraded to 22nm, with the first products on the new line code-named Ivy Bridge. The first Sandy Bridge chips will be released early next year.

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