Intel announces technology roadmaps and key milestones

On February 18, at the 2022 Investor Conference, Intel announced the product and process technology roadmap and important nodes.

Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence

Intel's Data Center and Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) Business Unit has announced a roadmap for next-generation Intel Xeon products to be released between 2022 and 2024. Intel's data center program will not only enable it to gain a new share in fast-growing markets such as artificial intelligence, networking, and system encryption, but also increase data center revenue with industry-leading Xeon products.

Intel Xeon Product Roadmap Update — Intel's next-generation Xeon product roadmap includes:

Sapphire Rapids – Starting in the first quarter of 2022, Intel will deliver sapphire Rapids processors manufactured on intel 7 process and bring to market Intel's most feature-rich Xeon processor to date. Sapphire Rapids will improve performance for a wide range of workloads, achieving up to 30x performance gains in AI alone.

Emerald Rapids – Emerald Rapids, scheduled to hit the market in 2023, is the next generation of Xeon processors manufactured on intel 7 process processes that will enhance performance while further enhancing the memory and security benefits of existing platforms.

New architectural strategy – Future generations of Xeon will have a dual-track product roadmap based on both the P-core and the E-core to integrate the two optimized platforms into a common, industry-defining platform. This new architectural strategy will maximize the performance per watt and segmentation capabilities of the product.

oSierra Forest – In 2024, Intel will introduce the revolutionary new Energy Efficient Core Xeon processor Sierra Forest, a high-density and ultra-energy-efficient product based on the Intel 3 process.

oGranite Rapids – Intel announced that it will upgrade the process of the Granite Rapids processor from Intel 4 to Intel 3. This next-generation Xeon performance core processor product will be available in 2024.

Client-side computing

Intel Client Computing Division (CCG) provides an overview of the client products to be introduced in the coming years. In 2021, Intel shipped more than 340 million PC worldwide, up 27% from 2019. Intel expects the PC market demand to remain strong and continue to grow, mainly due to the growing demand for new customers and the increase in PC ownership and penetration rates worldwide.

Client Computing Division Roadmap Updates — Building on the current lead products, Intel's next-generation client product roadmap includes:

Raptor Lake – Raptor Lake, which is expected to go public in the second half of 2022, will deliver a 2-digit performance boost and enhanced overclocking capabilities compared to Alder Lake. Raptor Lake configurations will be upgraded to up to 24 cores and 32 threads, using Intel 7 process and a high-performance hybrid architecture. Raptor Lake will be compatible with the sockets of the Alder Lake system.

Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake – Meteor Lake will use the Intel 4 process. Arrow Lake will be the first to be built with intel 20A wafers, as well as chips manufactured using an external manufacturing process. Meteor Lake will be available in 2023, followed by Arrow Lake in 2024.

Lunar Lake and more—To advance the IDM 2.0 strategy, Intel will develop products using both internal and external process nodes.

Accelerate computing systems and graphics

Three sub-divisions of the Accelerated Computing Systems & Graphics Division (AXG) are shipping products as planned and are expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue for the company in fiscal 2022. The three sub-divisions of the Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics division are expected to generate nearly $10 billion in revenue by 2026.

Visual Computing Product Roadmap and Strategic Planning

Intel Iris Graphics Timing Nodes and Roadmap Updates - Accelerated Computing Systems & Graphics is expected to ship more than 4 million discrete GPUs by 2022. OEMs will release laptops configured with Intel Iris Graphics (codenamed Alchemist) in the first quarter of 2022. Intel will ship discrete graphics for desktops in the second quarter and discrete graphics for workstations in the third quarter. In addition, the development of Celestial's architecture for the super enthusiast market has now officially begun.

Endgame Projects – Through endgame project services, users can directly read Intel Iris graphics information for a ready-to-access, low-latency computing experience. The Endgame project will officially go live later this year.

Supercomputing Product Roadmap and Strategic Planning – Today, more than 85% of the world's supercomputers use Intel Xeon processors. On this basis, the Accelerated Computing Systems & Graphics division will further enable higher computing power and memory bandwidth, and deliver CPU and GPU product roadmaps. To date, Intel expects to receive more than 35 HPC-AI designs from leading OEMs and cloud service providers (CSPs). In addition, the Accelerated Computing Systems & Graphics Division has developed a technical path to Z-level computing by 2027.

Sapphire Rapids with built-in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) – Sapphire Rapids with built-in high-bandwidth memory deliver up to 4x the memory bandwidth for applications, delivering up to 2.8x performance improvements compared to 3rd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

Ponte Vecchio – Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics will deliver Ponte Vecchio GPUs for the Aurora supercomputer project later this year.

Arctic Sound-M – Arctic Sound-M is Intel's first GPU equipped with a hardware AV1 encoder, which delivers a 30% increase in bandwidth based on it, as well as an open source media solution. Arctic Sound-M is now available for customer sampling and is expected to ship in mid-2022.

Falcon Shores – Falcon Shores is a new architecture that integrates x86 with Xe graphics cards in the same slot. This architecture is scheduled to be available in 2024.

Custom Computing Division – The Custom Computing Division, part of the Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Division, will develop custom products for many emerging workloads, including blockchain, edge supercomputing, high-end in-vehicle infotainment systems, and immersive displays.

Intel Foundry Services

Intel Foundry Services (IFS) is assembling a dedicated automotive team to provide automakers with complete solutions focused on three areas:

Open central computing architecture, Intel Foundry Services (IFS), will develop a high-performance, open automotive computing platform. This open computing architecture will leverage chiplet-based building blocks, as well as Intel's packaging technology.

Automotive-Grade Foundry Platforms—Intel Foundry Services (IFS) aims to combine advanced process and technology optimization with advanced packaging for microcontrollers and unique automotive needs to help customers design multiple types of automotive semiconductors.

Enabling the Transition to Advanced Technologies – Intel Foundry Services (IFS) will provide design services and Intel's IP to automakers, enabling them to leverage Intel's expertise from chip to system design.