Tra gli eventi più rilevanti del Consumer Electronics Show 2011 di Las Vegas una posizione di primo piano è certamente occupata dall'annuncio, da parte di Intel Corporation, della linea di processori Intel Core di seconda generazione, spesso indicati anche con il nome in codice di "Sandy Bridge".

La gamma di processori Core di nuova generazione include sia soluzioni progettate per l'equipaggiamento dei sistemi di tipo desktop che prodotti equivalenti indirizzati all'ambito mobile; più in dettaglio, oltre alle circa 20 nuove cpu di classe Core i7, i5 e i3, in versione per desktop e per notebook, Intel ha anche ufficializzato la linea di chipset con esse compatibile, ovvero la serie 6 (Intel 6 Series, ndr), e nuovi controller Intel Centrino dedicati alla gestione delle connessioni WiFi e WiMAX.

Dal punto di vista tecnologico, i nuovi processori "Sandy Bridge" di Intel sono tutti caratterizzati dalla integrazione sul die, prodotto a 32nm, di processori grafici "Intel HD Graphics" notevolmente migliorati rispetto a quelli della precedente generazione e in grado di assicurare importanti boost delle performance sia nell'ambito della riproduzione HD che in quello del gaming di livello mainstream.

Tra le nuove feature dei processori Core di seconda generazione lo stesso chip maker cita Intel Insider, Intel Quick Sync Video e una versione rinnovata di Intel Wireless Display (WiDi), che permette la condivisione e la fruizione di contenuti in HD sui televisori compatibili usando come sorgente un PC portatile e un collegamento wireless.

E ancora, i processori Core di seconda generazione portano con se una gestione migliorata del consumo di potenza, il che equivale, nell'ambito mobile, a una maggiore durata della batteria; in tutti i casi, infine, le piattaforme "Sandy Bridge" consentono la realizzazione di sistemi più compatti dal punto di vista fisico.

Dettaglio di un wafer Sandy Bridge

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CPU Sandy Bridge Desktop

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CPU Sandy Bridge Mobile

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With more than 1 million computers selling each day, Intel Corporation introduced its game-changing 2nd Generation Intel Core processor family today at a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show. Intel highlighted several surprising new features, services and partnerships that combine to deliver an entirely new visual experience with processor graphics built in. More than 500 desktop and laptop PCs are expected from all major OEMs worldwide throughout the next year.

New features include Intel Inside

, Intel Quick Sync Video, and a new version of the company's award-winning Intel Wireless Display (WiDi), which now adds 1080p HD and content protection for those wishing to beam premium HD content from their laptop screen to their TV. The company also revealed working with CinemaNow*, Dixons Retail plc*, Hungama* Digital Media Entertainment, Image Entertainment*, Sonic Solutions*, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment*, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution*.

"The new 2nd Generation Intel Core processors represent the biggest advance in computing performance and capabilities over any other previous generation," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager, PC Client Group, Intel. "The built-in visual capabilities enabled by these new processors are stunning. This, combined with improved adaptive performance, will revolutionize the PC experience in a way that is obvious for every user to see and appreciate – visibly smarter performance."

New Visual Experience for Today's Lifestyles

The 2nd Generation Intel Core processor family is the first "visibly smart" microarchitecture to combine visual and 3-D graphics technology with performance-leading microprocessors on a single chip. Incorporating the newly architected Intel HD Graphics on each 32nm die enables significant graphics performance improvements over previous-generation graphics for both HD media processing and mainstream gaming. The chips improve performance and yet still offer great battery life and the ability to design thinner, lighter and more innovative laptops and all-in-one PCs.

New processor graphics technology will focus on the areas where most people are computing today: high-definition (HD) video, photos, mainstream gaming, multi-tasking and online socializing and multimedia. Enhanced visual technologies such as next-generation Intel HD graphics are built into every 2nd Generation Intel Core processor. For consumers, this means a dramatically improved PC experience, with better overall power management, greater efficiency and great battery life.

Additionally, a surprise new feature of the next-generation PC and laptop processors, Intel Inside

, will give consumers access to movies on their PCs in full high-definition that were not available before. To explain the importance of this feature, Eden invited Kevin Tsujihara, Warner Home Entertainment Group president on stage.

Tsujihara explained, "Warner Bros. sees the PC as one of the most broadly available and versatile platforms for delivering premium digital entertainment, and now that Intel has made it more secure, we're able to provide new releases and popular catalog titles in full HD to the PC through our WBShop* storefront and from partners like CinemaNow* on the same day as DVD and Blu-ray* releases."

Eden used a clip from the feature film "Inception"* from Warner Bros.* and demonstrated how easy it would be to get the movie from CinemaNow* and watch it in full HD on a laptop.

In collaboration with Hollywood and Bollywood studios along with leading content distributors such as CinemaNow*, Dixons Retail plc*, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment*, Image Entertainment*, Sonic Solutions*, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment*, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution* and others, Intel creates a protected environment for the distribution, storage and playback of premium content. This enables content owners and video services to release more movies in high definition. Commercial distribution of HD premium content using the Intel Inside

technology is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2011.

Building upon this Intel Inside

innovation, Eden then showed how consumers can now also use Intel WiDi 2.0 to beam content such as the "Inception" film to their big- screen HDTVs. Additional Intel WiDi 2.0 improvements include support for 1080pHD as well as protected content either streaming from the Internet or played locally from a Blu-ray or DVD player³.

Another unique element of the visual experience built into the 2nd Generation Intel Core processor family is Intel Quick Sync Video. This built-in hardware acceleration takes the wait out of editing and sharing videos with astonishing performance that completes in minutes what used to take hours. Now faster than ever, consumers can edit, convert and share videos with friends and family. Intel estimated that a 4-minute HD video that used to take 4 minutes to convert to play on an iPod* would now take just 16 seconds².

The power of the 2nd Generation Intel Core processors for immersive mainstream gaming was demonstrated with a teaser from Valve's* Portal 2*, one of the most anticipated game releases of 2011. Eden did the demonstration with precision Hydra motion controllers from Razer* using Sixense* MotionTouch* technology.

Smart Performance, Energy Efficiency and Intelligence Merge

The Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors also include the enhanced Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. This feature automatically reallocates processor core and processor graphics resources to accelerate performance, giving users an immediate performance boost when and where it's needed.

Other new chip features include Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), Intel InTru 3-D, and Intel Clear Video Technology HD. Intel InTru 3-D enables immersive stereoscopic 3-D to 3-D-capable HDTVs or monitors via HDMI 1.4, making movie excitement almost come out of the screen.

Intel AVX increases performance for such demanding visual applications as audio processing and professional video image editing such as stitching together multiple photographs. Intel Clear Video improves the visual quality and color fidelity during video playback for a spectacular screen experience.

To make it easy for users to find a 2nd Generation Intel Core-based system that is just right for their particular needs, Intel is also announcing a wide array of SKUs including Intel vPro-enabled processors.

The chips are made on Intel's 32nm manufacturing process on the company's second-generation high-k metal gate transistors. These unique advantages further boost performance; reduce power consumption for better battery life and smaller designs, and lower overall manufacturing costs.

Intel announced more than 20 processors, wireless adapters and chipsets, including new Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 processors, Intel 6 Series Chipsets, and Intel Centrino WiFi and WiMAX adapters. More than 500 laptop and desktop PC platform designs are expected from all major computer makers worldwide based on these products.

The quad-core-based systems (four processors inside one chip) will be available on Jan. 9 with additional dual-core versions in February. Video, benchmarks, photos and more details are available at www.intel.com/newsroom/CES.

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