Intel invites PC vendors to discuss Haswell development

Monica Chen, Joseph Tsai, 26 July 2012

Intel, seeing its 22nm Ivy Bridge platform is having difficulty raising consumer demand, is now placing its hopes on the next-generation platform, Haswell, which is set to release in 2013, and is hoping the new architecture's strong performance can significantly increase its advantages. The company has invited six major PC brand vendors to discuss its plans, according to sources from PC players.

Due to the related technologies for the Haswell architecture being rather complicated, Intel is inviting six vendors including Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, Dell and Acer, to discuss their development plans for the new platform, the sources noted.

The sources pointed out that the R&D teams of the six vendors are already prepared to conduct tests for the transition between the platforms, as Intel wants to ensure that Haswell-based processors and 8-series chipsets will be fully prepared by April 2013 to boost the market.

Haswell processors are expected to see enhancements in power consumption and performance to help Intel catch up with ARM-based processors. In addition to tablet PC and smartphone markets, Intel also aims to have third-generation ultrabooks help it prevent ARM from entering the notebook market, the sources noted.