英特爾推新款3D芯片：移動大戰全面升級
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????全世界約80%的電腦都搭載了英特爾處理器。但在由對手ARM Holdings授權的芯片所主宰的移動設備領域，如智能手機和平板電腦，英特爾公司就落在人后了。 ????不過，如果英特爾能盡快在移動芯片上應用一項前景看好的全新技術，這一局面可能很快就會發生改觀。 ????上周三，英特爾公司在舊金山披露了一項創新的生產技術。公司宣稱，在未來數年內，這項技術可使微芯片上容納更多的晶體管。這一“重大技術突破”是代號為“常青藤之橋”的22納米微處理器，它將是首款運用3D晶體管的大容量芯片。 ????英特爾公司的首席執行官保羅?歐德寧在新聞發布會上表示：“英特爾公司的科學家和工程師再一次革新了晶體管，這一次是應用了三維技術。隨著我們將摩爾定律（Moore's Law）推進到全新領域，這一技術將創造出令人震驚、重塑世界的各種設備來。” ????“常青藤之橋”前景看好——英特爾公司表示，與2D的晶體管相比，全新的晶體管性能提升37%，同時耗電量則不到前者的一半。公司還表示，3D晶體管由于耗電量較少，是小型手持設備的理想之選。不過，這一“重大革新”足以讓英特爾公司在已經落在人后的移動設備競賽中加速趕上嗎？ ????在沒有更多信息的情況下，這一問題是很難回答的——比如，英特爾的全新晶體管到底何時會用于移動設備的處理器——公司拒絕透露這一計劃。不過，英特爾公司倒是為其傳統的產品線制定了生產計劃，它展示了臺式機和筆記本電腦的樣機，并宣布，其用于個人電腦和服務器的全新芯片將于2011年底投產。但是，全新的3D晶體管將何時，以及于哪兒用于移動設備則還是無從了解。 ????因此，盡管“常青藤之橋”將讓英特爾公司拓展摩爾定律的應用，并在傳統的個人電腦處理器市場上讓公司在競爭中再度獲得顯著優勢，但該公司不披露其為移動領域所制訂的詳細計劃，還是讓人頗為失望。 ????市場研究公司In-Stat的首席技術戰略師吉姆?麥克格雷格表示：“英特爾公司正為了躋身移動領域而奮力一戰。他們需要一些東西來超越主導移動領域的競爭對手。” ????譯者：清遠 |
????Intel processors are found in about 80% of the world's computers. But the company lags behind in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, where chips licensed by rival ARM Holdings (ARMH) rule. ????That may soon change, if Intel (INTC) can get a promising new technology onto mobile chips fast enough. ????On Wednesday in San Francisco, the company unveiled an innovative production technology that it says will allow it to cram more transistors onto microchips for years to come. The "major technical breakthrough" is a 22nm microprocessor codenamed Ivy Bridge, which will be the first high-volume chip to use 3-D transistors. ????"Intel's scientists and engineers have once again reinvented the transistor, this time utilizing the third dimension," Intel CEO Paul Otellini said in a press release. "Amazing, world-shaping devices will be created from this capability as we advance Moore's Law into new realms." ????Ivy Bridge is promising -- Intel says its new transistors will provide up to a 37% performance increase and consume less than half the power than their 2-D counterparts. The company also says the 3-D transistors will be ideal for use in small handheld devices since they use less electricity. But is this "radical redesign" enough to get Intel up to speed in the mobile race, where it's flailing behind? ????It's hard to answer that question without a little more information -- like when Intel's new transistors will actually make their way into processors for mobile devices -- which the company declined to disclose. Instead, Intel laid out plans for its more traditional product line, showing off prototype desktops and laptops and announcing that production of its new chips for PCs and servers would start by the end of 2011. But when and where the new 3-D transistors will work their way onto mobile devices remains murky. ????So while Ivy Bridge will help Intel extend Moore's Law and give the company a significant advantage over its competitors in the more traditional PC processors market, it's disappointing that the company isn't offering more details on its game plan for mobile. ????"Intel is fighting for their life to get in to mobile," says Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at In-Stat, a market research firm. "They need something to leapfrog their competitors who dominate mobile." |
