By Emeka Aginam

Leading semiconductor chip manufacturers, Intel Corporation, recently unveiled the Intel Core M processor, which the company says is the first commercially available 14nanometer (nm) processor.

Filed Applications Engineer, Intel Semi Conductor West Africa Ltd, Mr. Oluwatobi Shada, told Hitech that Intel created the new Intel Core M processor in order to “fill a gap in the market place.” According to him, “before the introduction of the Intel Core M processor, there was not a solution that delivered high performance within a thin, fanless form factor. These new processors provide outstanding performance with greater energy efficiency to enable long battery life in cool, quiet fanless designs.”

Continuing, Shada said: “The 14nm process enables the Intel Core M processor by enabling higher performance at lower power levels through 2nd generation 3D transistors, improved scaling, and a version of the process that is targeted at low power processors. The change to 14nm comes with a decrease in power consumption, and these chips will use 30 percent less power than Haswell processors which already suggest a significant improvement over last year’s Haswell processors.

This processor was purposely built to deliver the optimal blend of mobility and performance; the best in class performance for thin, fanless 2 in 1s- a computer that can function as a flat tablet. Intel Core M processor is built on a new architecture known as Broadwell in line with the “Tick Tock” model adopted by Intel. “Intel 5th Generation Processor is the latest generation of processor that will be powering Notebooks, Tablets and 2in1s,” said Shada, “Broadwell is Intel’s codename for the 14 nanometer nm die shrink of its 4th Generation processor codename Haswell microarchitecture.”

Speaking on the tick-tock model, Shada said: “Intel releases new processor families each year since 2007 while adopting the “Tick Tock” model. Using this model, Intel commits to—and has effectively delivered—continued innovations in manufacturing process technology and processor microarchitecture in alternating “tick” and “tock” cycles. The “tick” processors feature improvedperformance and energy efficiency on a smaller, more refined silicon chip, while the “tock” processors usually improve the value of the increased number of transistors existing from the “tick” release and also add the latest technology updates available.”

The company is currently tracking more than 20 designs based on the Core M processor. Those systems are expected to be on shelves in retail stores starting in October 2015.