Goldmont Plus
Enhanced low-power Atom microarchitecture for entry-level desktops and notebooks.
Goldmont Plus is a low-power microarchitecture from Intel, used in Celeron and Pentium Silver processors that are built as systems on a chip (SoCs). It is a second-generation, enhanced out-of-order design derived from the Atom line, aimed at entry-level desktops and notebooks. Manufactured on a 14 nm process, consumer versions support up to four cores.
The architecture improves on its predecessor, Goldmont, with a widened back-end pipeline that allocates and retires four instructions per cycle, while keeping a three-wide fetch and decode stage. It includes a larger branch prediction unit, a 64 KB shared second-level pre-decode cache (up from 16 KB), and bigger reservation station and re-order buffer entries for a wider out-of-order window. The integer execution unit is wider, and a dedicated JEU port speeds up branch redirection. A Radix-1024 floating-point divider handles scalar and packed floating-point division for single, double, and extended precision. AES-NI instructions see improved latency and throughput. Load and store buffers are larger, and store-to-load forwarding latency is reduced. The instruction and data second-level TLB is shared, and paging cache enhancements (PxE/ePxE caches) are included. Up to four cores share a 4 MB L2 cache. A new RDPID instruction is supported.
Technologically, Goldmont Plus uses a 14 nm process with 3D tri-gate transistors and a system-on-chip design. It supports SSE4.2, AES-NI, PCLMUL, RDRAND, RDSEED, SHA extensions, MPX, and SGX. The L2 cache is 4 MB, double that of Goldmont. Graphics are updated Gen9 Intel HD, supporting DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 2.0. Hardware decoding is included for HEVC Main10 and VP9 10-bit Profile2. The integrated display controller supports native HDMI 2.0 (Goldmont only had HDMI 1.4). Desktop processors have a 10 W TDP; mobile processors range from 4.8 to 6.0 W. Storage connects via eMMC 5.1, and connectivity includes USB 3.1, USB-C, and CNVi. Memory support covers DDR4 and LPDDR4.
Goldmont Plus processors are part of the Gemini Lake and Gemini Lake Refresh platforms, launched in December 2017 and November 2019, respectively.
Quick Facts
- Model
- Celeron · Pentium Silver
- Code
- 80680
- Cores
- 2 or 4
- Arch
- x86
- Instructions
- x86-64, Intel 64
- Extensions
- MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, SSE4.1, SSE4.2
- Predecessor
- Goldmont
- Successor
- Tremont
- Produced-Start
- December 11, 2017
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Goldmont Plus was introduced with the Gemini Lake platform on December 11, 2017, and a Gemini Lake Refresh followed on November 4, 2019. It builds on the Goldmont microarchitecture with several enhancements: a widened back-end pipeline to 4-wide allocation and retire, an enhanced branch prediction unit, a 64 KB shared second-level pre-decode cache (up from 16 KB in Goldmont), larger reservation station and re-order buffer entries, a wider integer execution unit, a new dedicated JEU port for faster branch redirection, and a radix-1024 floating point divider. It also includes improved AES-NI instruction latency and throughput, larger load and store buffers, improved store-to-load forwarding, a shared instruction and data second-level TLB, and paging cache enhancements.
The microarchitecture includes Intel Gen9 graphics architecture with improvements from Kaby Lake, supporting DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 2.0. It provides hardware decoding for HEVC Main10 and VP9 10-bit Profile2, and integrates a native HDMI 2.0 display controller. The SoC supports eMMC 5.1, USB 3.1 and USB-C, DDR4 and LPDDR4 memory, and CNVi. It supports SSE4.2, AES-NI, PCLMUL, RDRAND, RDSEED, Intel SHA extensions, Intel MPX, Intel SGX, and the RDPID instruction.
Reader's Guide
Goldmont Plus represents a significant step in Intel's low-power Atom lineage, offering a refined out-of-order execution engine with a wider pipeline and larger caches compared to its predecessor. Its integration of Gen9 graphics with Kaby Lake enhancements and native HDMI 2.0 support improved media capabilities for entry-level systems. The microarchitecture's support for modern instruction set extensions, including SHA and SGX, and its ability to handle HEVC and VP9 hardware decoding, positioned it for basic computing and media consumption tasks. The Gemini Lake Refresh extended the platform's lifespan, while the 10 W desktop and 4.8–6.0 W mobile TDP ranges underscored its focus on energy efficiency. Goldmont Plus processors, branded as Celeron and Pentium Silver, served as the foundation for low-cost desktops and notebooks, balancing performance and power consumption in a compact SoC design.
Did You Know?
- It includes a radix-1024 floating point divider for fast scalar and packed floating point divides.
- The microarchitecture supports the Read Processor ID (RDPID) instruction.
- Goldmont Plus integrates a native HDMI 2.0 display controller, whereas Goldmont only supported HDMI 1.4 natively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Goldmont Plus?
Goldmont Plus is Intel's second-generation low-power microarchitecture that builds on the original Goldmont design. It targets budget desktops and thin-and-light notebooks through Celeron and Pentium Silver SoCs.
How is Goldmont Plus different from the original Goldmont?
The key upgrade is a wider back-end that can allocate and retire four instructions each cycle, compared to Goldmont's narrower execution. It also ships with a bigger branch predictor while still using a three-wide front end for fetching and decoding.
What are the core and cache limits of Goldmont Plus?
Consumer chips built on Goldmont Plus top out at four cores and 4 MB of L2 cache. The whole design is fabricated on Intel's 14 nm process node.
When did Goldmont Plus actually ship?
The first Gemini Lake products carrying Goldmont Plus hit the market in December 2017. A refreshed batch of Gemini Lake SKUs followed in November 2019.
What's the power envelope of Goldmont Plus desktop parts?
Desktop SoCs based on Goldmont Plus are rated at a 10 W thermal design power. This keeps them firmly in the low-power, entry-level tier rather than competing with mainstream core processors.
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