Graphics
Smaller transistors require less switching power, reduced further by the Tri-Gate design, which manifests itself as a lower power consumption. Using the Core i7-2700K as an example again, its TDP (Thermal Design Power) is 95W, which the i7-3770K, at the same clock frequency, knocks down to 77W.
While lowering the power consumption for the desktop chip is good, it’s really going to make a real difference in mobile, battery powered platforms.
Shreddies style chips: Intel's 22nm transistors
The most significant change within Ivy Bridge's architecture is its integrated graphics processor (IGP). Probably the most important upgrade: the IGP now supports DirectX 11. Yes, it’s been a long time coming, but it’s here at last, allowing Intel's graphics to deliver the features defined by the latest incarnation of Microsoft's Windows gaming sub-system.
There are two versions of the IGP. First, there's the HD 4000, which will feature in the high-end Ivy Bridge chips. It has 16 shader units and a core speed of up to 1.15GHz. Although the core is capable of running at 1.35GHz, this higher speed will only be available to mobile CPUs.
The second Ivy Bridge IGP is the HD 2500, aimed at the mainstream market. It has a core speed of 1.15GHz too, but with just six shader units.
Both IGPs are set to run at 650MHz, but can reach the higher speeds if the need arises. Again, this is all in the name of energy preservation.
Intel has also added is hardware tessellation to the IGP, which speeds the process of breaking large areas of an image into small ones which can be textured, lit and, where possible, duplicated. It all helps the IGPs push out more pixels per second.
Intel's Wireless Display technology - think using Wi-Fi in place of an HDMI cable - is now at version 3.0, which has lower latency than before and supports two screens, thanks to the IGP's pixel-processing capabilities. The new IGP also is able to support three displays instead of two through wired links.
Intel has taken the opportunity to enhance its processors' security adding a Digital Random Number Generator (DRNG), a high speed number generator to churn out cryptographic keys quickly and less predictably than basic, pseudo-random number generators in software.
Next page: Chips and chipsets
COMMENTS
Re: Ivybridge
I'm absolutely holding out for Stoneybridge.
It's near the Yetts of Muckhart.
Re: power consumption
Granted it would be nice but the main problem with reviews is that nearly every setup is going to be different and that makes it particularly hard for MB manufacturers to guestimate. Should they use a baseline with 4 GB ram? Do we assume all ram chips are created equal, 1066/1300/etc? What about video cards, how many usb devices, hard drives, etc. We haven't even gotten to the biggest elephant in the room which is the power supply where the efficiency changes, sometimes greatly, depending on how hard it's being hit. Sure, the manufacturers could slap together a base config and measure the DC power but we all know everyone will have a different base config.
To top it all off, here in the US some tool will get all the exact same parts, put it together, plug it into the shoddy wiring in the shed, kick off some automated test program to measure the power with a $10 meter rated at 1800 watts with +/-10% full scale accuracy while he goes and uses a stick welder to make up a sparkly new case, on the same circuit of course, and comes back to find it drew 22 watts more than was "advertised by the manufacturer". Naturally, he decides he should sue claiming false advertising, hurt feelings and loss of welding rod while his lawyer figures this should play out nicely as a class action gig worth at least a meeellion dollars.
Re: power consumption
If you google 'review' together with the name of the component you are thinking of buying, on the first page of results you will usually find several very indepth reviews of the component with a whole page dedicated to power consumption. It's really not that hard.
Re: power consumption
"If you google 'review' together with the name of the component ... you will usually find several very indepth reviews of the component with a whole page dedicated to power consumption."
Have you actually read any of those pages? The estimates that are made for the power consumption of motherboards are the result handwaving and guesswork, and comparison with boards with other chipsets or made by other manufacturers.
It would be nice to have actual data, and it would be nice to see manufacturers competing on running costs and greenness, rather than just on speed and shininess for once.
If you want to do serious gaming with the latest games at high resolutions, then you will still need a graphics card
