FPSLabs : Intel Switches Gears

Intel completely reworks its microarchitecture to produce desktop processors that cater more to gamers.

By now, we all know that “AMD is better than Intel in games”. Whether or not we know why this is the case usually is not relevant in a community where technical know-how and decisions are derived more from word of mouth than in-depth research or experience. However, since this statistic is so widely accepted in the gaming scene, it seems almost counter-intuitive to see Intel being the head sponsor of teams like SK and 3D, as well as the title sponsor of gaming’s marquee event, the CPL.

For years, the CPL has been a showcase not only of gaming prowess, but also of cutting-edge hardware, to provide competitors with the highest possible performance in games where FPS is all too essential for success. So why are they sponsored by Intel rather than AMD? Well I am sure the answer has everything to do with business relationships and sponsorship perks, rather than what is truly the best hardware for the job. But nobody is complaining; Intel is doing a service to the gaming community that far outweighs any kind of shortcomings on the part of the processors it supplies to these events. And it’s about to get even better.

At this year’s fall Intel Developer Forum, Intel rolled out the red carpet for their next generation processors. What they revealed about their new architecture is what I would call a promising, to say the least, step towards incredible performance in all branches of computing, including what we consider most important: gaming.

What Intel has done with their new core is take the bus speeds and 64-bit capabilities of Pentium 4’s NetBurst Microarchitecture and combined it with the power saving qualities of the Dothan (Pentium M) core. It also uses the pipeline structure of the Penitum M, which is only known to be somewhere between 10 and 20 stages, with a short 14-stage pipeline. This means that there are less incorrectly placed calculations in applications like gaming, and those that end up being wrong don’t have to go another 31 stages (as in the Pentium 4) to end up in the right place. The shorter pipeline, thrown in with a more advanced branch predictor, means that lost calculations are kept at a minimum. Taking the best of both worlds, so to speak, and applying a wider 4-issue core to increase clock cycle effectiveness makes this a truly remarkable architecture.

65nm: All of Intel’s new chips will be manufactured on a revolutionary new 65nm process. This is half the the size of the 130nm parts that were present a few years ago. What is meant by 65nm is that the smallest pieces in the part are 65 nanometers wide. To put this into perspective, a human hair is 80,000 nanometers wide. So these small pieces on a CPU, referred to as pathways, transmit electrons throughout the various parts of the processor’s core, including transistors. When the pathways are this small, the insulation around the gates of the transistors is also very small, which creates problems when electrons jump through the insulation, which is called leakage. Leakage results in higher power consumption and higher heat output. To solve this problem Intel is using strained silicon on insulator (SOI) technology, which is just stretched out and manipulated silicon that allows electrons to move %70 faster, allowing for greater switching rates. The advantages of a 65nm core with minimal leakage are lower power consumption and less heat output.

The three names you need to know: Yonah, Conroe, Merom. No, they are not new Pokémon, they are the names of Intel’s next 3 cores that are designed for or capable of being put in a desktop. Yonah, due out first, is a dual core variant of the current Dothan core and does not utilize the new architecture, but a dual core Pentium-M at 65nm is guaranteed to be no slouch in gaming. Conroe, the mainstream processor that will debut the new architecture, is also a dual core CPU with scalable cache and many improved features over anything currently on the market. Merom, the mobile version of Conroe, takes efficiency to the next level with some remarkable power consumption figures, which brings me to the last and perhaps most important aspect of Intel’s new lineup of desktop chips.

Each and every new Intel chip, whether for laptop, desktop, or server use, features amazingly optimized Integer Performance per Watt ratios, meaning that they provide awesome performance on very low power levels. This is exciting on three fronts: Power Supplies, LAN events, and the multi-core future. Not only will these processors reduce strain on any power supply and reduce the amount of power you are using and thus paying for, it very well might also change the current features of a power supply to provide for even more emphasis on the video card and other important components. Lower power consumption also means less heat generated, reducing the need for monster cases with huge heat sinks, large fans, and empty spaces for air flow. Watch for these characteristics to allow for increased use of Small Form Factor systems like Shuttles at major LAN events, and also for gamers to increase participation in BYOC LAN events. These new chips have the potential to drastically morph the entire gaming scene. Though games are not yet designed to make use of a second core, we will probably start seeing such games on the market in the next couple of years. A lower power consumption and smaller manufacturing process not only brings dual core technology to the mainstream consumer market, it also creates the possibility of even more cores, like four or eight.

The 975X and Broadwater chipsets that will run these new processors are expected to be backwards compatible with most of the current LGA775 processors and the Presler core, a 65nm variation of the current Pentium D. A motherboard that runs Merom should also be able to run Yonah (Yonah is the successor of Dothan, Merom will replace Yonah), while a motherboard that runs Conroe should also be able to run Presler. Although not set in stone, this aspect of the new Intel line is very attractive as far as a budget conscious gamer is concerned.

So now not only will Intel be actively sponsoring various constituents of the gaming scene, they will also be providing the monster gaming performance that has for so long been synonymous with AMD. Coming 2006.

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