Dylan McGrath, EETimes
5/10/2011 2:13 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO—Intel Corp.'s recently announced 22-nm tri-gate transistor technology gives the world's No. 1 chip vendor the microprocessor ammunition it needs to make headway in the smartphone and media tablet market while simultaneously fighting off a potential incursion into the PC business from devices based on the architecture of ARM Holdings plc, according to a new report by market research firm IHS iSuppli.
Intel (Santa Clara, Calif.) last week rolled out its 22-nm process, featuring a twist— Intel's long-awaited 3-D transistor design, known as tri-gate. According to Intel, chips based on this technology will consume less than half the power of devices using 32-nm technology and conventional planar transistors, while delivering the same level of performance.