Intel may move up Ivy Bridge launch to April 23
updated 12:00 am EDT, Thu April 12, 2012
Intel may be upbeat on Ivy Bridge deployment
Intel may move up the launch of its Ivy Bridge processors by nearly a week. Notebook builders claimed early Thursday to Digitimes that the formal release would occur April 23, six days earlier than widely leaked. Why wasn't mentioned, but it would imply better supply than anticipated.
While they wouldn't need to wait for the later date, Acer, ASUS, HP, and Lenovo were all said to be preparing ultrabooks based on new low voltage processors.
The claims couldn't be immediately corroborated. However, they would be indirectly supported by talk of dwindling MacBook Pro supply, which could be a sign of a refresh in the weeks ahead. Other companies would likely be ready to ship for the earlier date, as Intel often prefers 'hard' launches where real products are on shelves the same day.
Ivy Bridge is Intel's first 22-nanometer architecture and uses a 3D transistor design that keeps it energy efficient. Most processors in the family will run at only slightly higher clock speeds but will typically be faster at the same clock rate. Graphics may be the largest boost for lower-end systems, as Intel's HD 4000 is known to be much faster than the 3000 it replaces.
