Tech Bytes: Cores, Frequencies, and More

Well, thank you very much. I'm actually very excited about today. And I'm looking forward to our conversation.

Within today's session, I'd love for us to cover topics ranging from why does the 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor only have up to eight cores versus last generation processors, which had up to 10 cores? I'd like to talk a little bit about frequency, the type of workloads we expect our customers to use. And lastly, what do our partners need to know to sell?

We're absolutely focused on providing more performance gen on gen. And so the focus on eight cores is really about improving the performance of those cores. And to that performance, we're expecting double-digit percentage increases in instructions per clock, which means you can get more work done at these higher frequencies gen over gen.

But with our 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor, code named Rocket Lake, by the way, we're taking core and graphics IP design for 10 nanometer transistors and we're porting them back to larger 14 nanometer transistors, which really enables us to take advantage of the core and the graphics IP performance benefits. And it's especially important as all applications scale with frequencies and instructions per clock. So you're going to see Intel continue to drive and lead in high frequency and IPC.

Gotcha. And I don't want to talk too much about IPC because we do have another full Intel Tech Bytes video highlighting this topic. But it is great to talk about it now when also talking about cores. But I'd love for you to elaborate on the frequency and that optimal balance. Is that what our customers are looking for?

When we think about balance we think about balance in the context of applications that can take advantage of the many elements in a platform. CPU frequency, instructions per clock; the number of cores; the type of graphics you have and the capabilities there; memory and storage capabilities; number of PCIe lanes because that goes to the add-in card and storage capabilities you can add to the platform. Think about this from a communications perspective. Wi-Fi 6E, or 2.5 gig ethernet, or even accelerators like artificial intelligence.

And we really need to avoid that any of these become bottlenecks to really smooth, responsive performance of the applications that people demand. It means especially for high performance needs, like gaming, and content creation, or collaboration engineering and analytics workloads, you really need to address performance across the entire platform.

Gotcha. OK. Now I've heard the term single-threaded, multi-threaded often. In a simple definition, what do these mean and how does Intel think differently about these workloads when we're developing our products?

So single-threaded processes or applications really means it contains the execution of instructions in a single sequence. So in other words, one command is processed at a time. And in single-threaded applications as well as multi-threaded applications, it's important to also think about instructions per clock. From a multi-threaded process perspective, it allows the execution of multiple parts or multiple threads of a program at the same time. And the brunt of the applications in the market today is between four and eight cores.

So in our 11th Generation Intel Core Desktop Processor, we have up to eight cores and 16 threads. And more importantly, we are having double-digit IPC gains instruction per clock gains over our previous generation. On top of that, we've got our new Xe graphics architecture that's 50% higher in performance than the previous generation. And we've increased DDR4 to 3,200 megahertz for improved memory support and responsiveness. And we've improved the PCIe lanes, number of PCIe lanes on the CPU, which is directly attributed to more performance on those products that snap into those add-in current spaces.

Got it. OK. Now all of that was great. I love hearing about the platform and Intel focusing on the bigger picture and not just the processor. Now if I was to put myself in our partners' shoes, what do they need to really know to combat this core conversation?

We've talked about a lot. But when they're talking to their customer at the end of the day, what should they be talking about to encourage that purchase for the 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processors?

Not all cores are created equal, first of all. And secondly, more cores on its own doesn't mean better performance for the applications and uses that most people have every day. You need to look at the entire platform capabilities and how they run those applications, which is why we produce realistic user guides that show performance of applications and not just benchmark scores.

In the 11th Generation Intel Core Desktop Processors with the new core and the graphics architecture and the platform capabilities, it really gives you the power to perform, and compete, and excel, and probably your greatest contributions on the applications that are most important to you.

All right. Thank you so much, Frank. And thanks again for this insight. Now before wrapping all of this up, if I was to drop all of this into a flash card in my mind, what would be the most important topic or part that you would want to emphasize the most?

It comes down to the 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor family that really puts you, the user, in control of your compute experience. This platform delivers the ability to unlock performance across the entire platform. What it means is the 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor, you have everything you need for fast-paced professional work, elite gaming, inspired creativity, and extreme tuning. It means the extreme tuning goes right to the core of what we're doing with overclocking capabilities on our platform for users that need the highest performance capability that's in their control.

Got it. Well, thanks, Frank. And thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us on our very first Intel Tech Bytes video.

You bet. It was a lot of fun for me. Thanks.

And as a reminder for all of watching this, if you're looking for more information on this topic on cores and just 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processors as a whole, check out your Resource Portal. Thanks for tuning in to Intel Tech Bytes. And keep a lookout for more videos on the new 11th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor.

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