IDF 2012: Intel Haswell 2013 Ultrabooks: Need to Know
We take a look at what Intel plans to include in its 2013 range of Ultrabooks.
Intel has officially taken the wraps of its 4th Generation processor, codenamed Haswell, at IDF.
The chipset will be found in everything from from tablets to servers, and devices are expected to start shipping in mid-2013.
We take a look at what users can expect from Ultrabooks running the next-generation processor.
Processor
Intel's 4th generation Core processor is codenamed Haswell. It will be based on 22nm architecture and come in dual and quad-core varieties.
Although clock speeds are expected to be the same as Ivy Bridge, the improved power efficiency and enhancements made to the GPU will make Haswell faster.
Battery life
Haswell-based devices are expected to provide all-day battery life, and 10 hours of performance is a realistic target. Karen Regis, director of Ultrabook product marketing told IT Pro rather enthusiastically that Haswell boasts battery life enhancements seen “once in a decade”.
Efficiency and performance
Intel has worked hard on the power efficiency of Haswell. Kirk Skaugen, corporate VP and GM of Intel's PC Client Group introduced a 10 watt chip during his keynote speech, which uses half the power of Ivy Bridge.
Haswell has been designed so that it more efficiently switches off parts of the processor which are not being used.
Whereas Ivy Bridge chips have two states - active or sleep, engineers have added a 3rd low power state known as Active Idle to Haswell. This will help give at least 20x power consumption improvement over Ivy Bridge and provide faster resume times.
Haswell will also have double the graphical capabilities of Ivy Bridge.
Display
Screen sizes are expected to continue to be between 13.3in to 15ins.
Intel will offer Ultrabooks with touch screen capabilities, which makes sense as Windows 8 is optimised for touch. However, Regis noted that Intel has not decided whether to make touch screen displays a requirement for OEMs. It is unlikely to be mandatory in time for the release of Haswell as the price of touch screen displays are still too high.
The Haswell chipset will also support 4K (4096 x 3072 resolution) playback, and up to three monitors, making it ideal for use in office environments.
Memory
SSDs will be recommended by Intel, with 128GB expected to be base level. However, hybrid hard drive/SSD models are likely to be offered to help keep costs down.
Extras
NFC for mobile payments and voice commands powered by Nuance Dragon technology were confirmed for inclusion by Dadi Perlmutter, executive vice president and general manager of Intel. Other key features expected to be included are a 720p camera, wireless display and 3D camera attachments. Built-in virus protection could also make an appearance.
Price point
Devices are expected to have similar prices to today’s Ultrabooks. A high-end device is expected to cost between £800 and £1000.
