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  • Intel's New Amazingly Thin Chip
Technology Articles > Hardware > Processors > Intel's New Amazingly Thin Chip

Intel has always had a standout reputation for creating processors that rock. The latest crop of processors to come from the company are the Haswell sort. Thus far, Intel's Haswell processors have been widely noted for long battery life and efficient power. Today, Intel has announced a new breed of Haswell processors that really set the bar high.

Intel's New Chip

Intel announced a new chip today that can fit inside of very thin devices. Devices so thin that they don't come with any kind of cooling fan. Devices like the tablet sans fan that Intel hinted at during the Computex 2013 conference. What tablet? In case you missed this bit of news, here's what Intel is working on when it comes to revolutionary tablets.

The Intel fanless tablet will be thin, won't require a fan, and will (in all likelihood) be armed with the new chip that Intel is now marketing. Intel simply teased press with the promise of the new fanless device, but this tease was enough to stir the pot. Could fanless devices be in the very near future? Might Intel have found a way to create a chip that can fit inside the smallest and lightest device design? It seems that way.

More About the New Chip

How might this new chip work? Intel has stated that the chip has a SDP of 4.5 watts (scenario design point). Essentially, this means that the chip isn't particularly fast, and it can work well in a device that's been created to cool around 4.5 watts of heat. Intel has designed the chip to provide developers with enough flexibility to allow the processor to neatly fit inside of small devices.

Why does fanless matter at all? It boils down to size, really. Most tablets on the market are bulky because of fans that must be included in order for those tablets not to overheat. Getting rid of a fan means creating a slimmer tablet, and that's something that most consumers want. Plus, a tablet without a fan means less cost as far as manufacturing goes, and that savings might (might) be passed onto consumers.

Arrival Time

When will the new Intel chip arrive? Intel hasn't set a launch date yet, but the new chip seems ready to roll. Otherwise, the company would not have released so much data about the chip. There's just one drawback to this new technology, though. The newest chip to come from Intel probably won't be cheap. This means that manufacturers may have to pay significantly more for Intel's new technology.

Right now, most tablet manufacturers use ARM processors that are not terribly expensive. Switching to Intel's new chip could mean more cost for manufacturers, and that might boost the price of tablets - fan or no fan. Intel might have a tough sell ahead, but the prospect of the newest Haswell chip is exciting enough. You can check out more about Intel's newest chip on the Intel homepage, though the company isn't letting too much information go at the moment.