Share This Article
PowerVia technology to help Intel outperform competitors
US company Intel has unveiled a new processor performance technology. PowerVia will make chips smaller and more energy efficient. The improved processors are due to go into production in 2024.
The essence of PowerVia is that the power buses are placed at the bottom of the chip. This allows power to be delivered directly to the most needed components. This approach eliminates the need for additional power areas on the sides of the processor.
As chips have evolved, power lines have been placed in different parts of the chip. As a result, their arrangement became rather chaotic. Placing these lines required a larger processor footprint and resulted in reduced power bus bandwidth. PowerVia technology allows the chip to be smaller, making the whole system more efficient. Numerous tests have confirmed this. The Blue Sky Creek processor, which is a prototype, uses a more sophisticated design. This chip is based on the core for the next generation of processors that the company will be releasing soon. According to Intel, power and signal transfer can be significantly improved thanks to PowerVia. Tests have shown a 6% increase in performance with a 30% reduction in power consumption. The technology will be used for 20A chips, although the company has previously discussed 18A.
PowerVia technology drawback
While this innovative technology will help reduce costs and improve chip productivity, it has one drawback. This approach requires changes to manufacturing processes. Among other things, it requires improvements in heat dissipation mechanisms. Moreover, it is still unknown how the technology will affect the longevity of chips. Intel is now looking at these issues and trying to minimise the risks. To do this, the manufacturer uses separate modules combined into a system. Each of them has its own characteristics and gets tested to help select the most reliable. Cooling systems are of particular importance. In this case, they use a side of the chip not previously designed for this purpose.
The manufacturer hopes that PowerVia will increase the company’s competitiveness in the market to catch up with AMD and TSMC, which have significantly weakened Intel’s position in recent years. It’s worth noting that other companies are also working on improving chip performance and testing their methods to increase product efficiency. However, experts argue that Intel will be one step ahead of its competitors when the production of new processors begins in 2024. In addition to its own chip production, the company plans to make the technology available to other manufacturers.