On August 21st, Intel is anticipated to introduce its array of 8th-generation Core processors. Based on Intel’s third-generation 14nm technology (14nm++), the Coffee Lake lineup will use the same LGA1151 socket as the current-generation Kaby Lake (14nm+) and previous-generation Skylake (14nm) lineups. The range will be known as Coffee Lake. The first-generation 10nm CPUs, code-named Cannon Lake, are anticipated to ship for desktops and laptops in the first few months of 2019. However, Intel has already made plans public for what is anticipated to be the company’s 9th generation Core architecture, codenamed Ice Lake, even before Coffee Lake or Cannon Lake has been formally announced.
What is Intel s Ice Lake Microarchitecture?
As was already stated, Intel’s codename for its rumoured 9th-generation Core processor family is Ice Lake. The 10nm+ chip fabrication method is what makes Ice Lake, which is formally referred to as the 8th-generation Core processor family’s replacement, Intel’s second-generation 10nm lineup following Cannon Lake. The business has previously stated that, like it is doing with its 14nm chips, it aims to introduce three generations of its 10nm technology: 10nm, 10nm+, and 10nm++. Courtesy of Intel
Intel Ice Lake vs Kaby Lake?
Information about Intel’s alleged 9th-gen CPUs is scarce because the Ice Lake lineup is not anticipated to debut until next year. The newly announced line will be produced on the second generation of Intel’s 10nm node (10nm+), which is anticipated to replace Cannon Lake next year. This will be the biggest difference between the two processor generations. It is also commonly anticipated that Ice Lake CPUs will be compatible with Intel’s 500-series chipsets, which will be a shift from the current-generation Kaby Lake processors that are paired with 200-series chipsets. Also rumoured, although as of yet unofficially unconfirmed, is the inclusion of Ice Lake processors with Intel’s 11th-generation integrated GPU chips.
10nm vs 14nm Chips: Power Efficiency and Performance Enhancements
The performance of Intel’s first-generation 10nm chips, which will be introduced next year, will be much worse than the third-gen 14nm chips (Coffee Lake), which are going to be introduced this month, according to the roadmap the company revealed earlier this year. The gap between the company’s 10nm and 14nm chips’ performance is only anticipated to begin narrowing slightly with the Ice Lake chips next year, but it will still fall short of the 14nm++ chips in terms of transistor performance, which means these chips’ peak frequencies will be significantly reduced. The lower capacitance of the 10nm devices, which will result in less power usage, will be one of their main advantages. Courtesy of Intel
Although the 10nm devices’ transistor performance will be less than that of the 14nm components, the smaller transistors should enable Intel to pack more of them into each chip, enhancing performance while containing costs. The graph below demonstrates that as we move from 14nm to 10nm, the logic transistor density is likely to grow by approximately a factor of 3.
When Are Ice Lake Chips Likely to Hit the Market?
When it comes to the release date of its 9th-generation chips, Intel is coy, but if the company’s prior product release schedule is any indication, Ice Lake CPUs could be unveiled in late 2018 or perhaps early 2019. In either case, you’ll probably have to wait until the middle or end of 2019 to acquire them.
| Microarchitecture | Core Generation | Process Node | Release Year |
| Sandy Bridge | 2nd | 32nm | 2011 |
| Ivy Bridge | 3rd | 22nm | 2012 |
| Haswell | 4th | 22nm | 2013 |
| Broadwell | 5th | 14nm | 2014 |
| Skylake | 6th | 14nm | 2015 |
| Kaby Lake | 7th | 14nm+ | 2016 |
| Coffee Lake | 8th | 14nm++ | 2017 |
| Cannon Lake | 8th/9th | 10nm | 2018 |
| Ice Lake | 9th/10th | 10nm+ | 2018/2019 |
It’s important to note that the first-generation 10nm chips (Cannon Lake) were initially scheduled to launch last year, but that plan was scrapped when the business encountered numerous problems with their 14nm process. With the third and last generation of 14nm chips (Coffee Lake, 14nm++) about to be released, the 10nm components are anticipated to start appearing starting in 2019.
View Related Article: Intel Kaby Lake vs. Skylake: What Does the 7th Gen Processor Offer?
Ice Lake and the Future of Intel
Intel is fully aware that it must step up its game if it wants to avoid being supplanted by its old rival as the leading manufacturer of x86 chips by AMD, whose new Ryzen lineup is consuming the news cycles. It will be intriguing to see what Intel’s 10nm processors have to offer, but the company could do without the controversy that has surrounded Ice Lake chips in the past and is currently roiling Coffee Lake. If you’re not aware, it appears that those who wish to upgrade to Intel’s future 8th-generation Core platform will need to purchase new 300-series motherboards because Coffee Lake CPUs reportedly won’t be compatible with the more outdated 200-series chipsets. It remains to be seen whether this is just an Intel marketing gimmick or whether there is actually a compatibility problem, but the revelation couldn’t have come at a worse time for Intel considering that the business is already under attack from AMD’s Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs.
What do you think of Intel’s Ice Lake Processors now that you have an overview of them? Are you thinking about moving to the future Coffee Lake or are you going to wait till you have more information on Ice Lake? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below.
