Intel plan to release 10nm CPUs in 2017

Intel plan to release 10nm CPUs in 2017

 

For a very long time Intel has been using a Tick-Tock model for releasing processors, with two generations releasing on a single processing node where the Tick moves to a new processing node, heightens efficiency and makes minor architecture changes/ improvements and the Tock makes some major architectural changes to the CPU.   

This process node generation seems to be the first where Intel seems to be moving away from their traditional Tick Tock model towards a Tick-Tock-Tock model, where each processing node will be used for 3 generations of CPUs, which is primarily due to the difficulties in continuing to make their manufacturing technology smaller and smaller. 

Intel wants to release Cannonlake in 2017, bringing their first 10nm CPU to market, though before then Intel will be releasing their Kaby Lake CPUs, which are expected to come sometime this year. 

 

 

Intel has already made 2 processor architectures on the 14nm processing node, Broadwell and Skylake, with Kaby Lake making up the 3rd CPU generation on this processing node. This will mean that Intel is already breaking their Tick Tock cycle, unless Kaby lake is merely a re-release of Skylake with higher clock speeds like Devils Canyon was for Haswell.

On the 10nm process node current roadmaps suggest that 10nm will be with us until 2020, where we will have Cannonlake in 2017, Icelake in 2018 and Tigerlake in 2019, finally being replaced by an unnamed Intel 5nm CPU on 2020.

For 5nm we will likely be moving to EUV technology, Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, which should allow sub 10nm processing tech to be possible, though right now we cannot be certain exactly how Intel plan on replacing 10nm.

 

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