Intel rumored prepping ULV Ivy Bridge for tablets
updated 07:14 am EST, Mon December 3, 2012
Intel said working on special ultra low voltage version of Ivy Bridge die
Intel is rumored to be prepping a version of its Ivy Bridge processor with ultra low voltage capabilities making it more suitable for the current generation of Windows 8 tablets, reports CNET . According to ‘an industry source,’ the new class of Ivy Bridge CPU will draw significantly less power than even the 17-Watt Ivy Bridge chip found in current ultrabooks and the MacBook Air. The new chip is expected to make full-power Windows 8 tablets lighter and more appealing.
Current tablet devices featuring ultrabook Core-series processors are significantly thicker and heavier than Windows RT devices, and even those running Intel’s own Clover Trail-based Atom processors. For example, the Microsoft Windows RT tablet, which is powered by the ARM-based Nvidia Tegra 3 weighs in at 1.5-pounds. The forthcoming Surface Pro, which runs a standard ultrabook Core i5 processor, weighs in at 2 pounds.
While Windows RT tablets like the Surface RT show promise, a common concern is that they can’t run legacy Windows applications as Windows 8 devices can. While Intel Atom-powered devices can run Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro (and legacy applications by default), they still do not offer the processing capabilities that power users demand. The revised ultra low voltage Ivy Bridge processors aren’t expected to ship until Q1 2013.
