Ivy Bridge (microarchitecture)
Intel's 22 nm tick with FinFET transistors and improved graphics.
Ivy Bridge is a 2012 CPU microarchitecture developed by Intel, used for third-generation Core and Xeon v2-branded processors. It is a 22 nm die shrink of its 32 nm predecessor, Sandy Bridge, and is the first Intel product to feature FinFET transistors. Ivy Bridge represents the 'tick' in Intel's tick–tock model, and is manufactured mainly as multi-core processors with core counts ranging from 1 to up to 15.
Quick Facts
- Produced-Start
- 2012-04-29
- Produced-End
- 2015-06-05 (for desktop and mobile units) / 2016-01-08 (for servers and workstations)
- Soldby
- Intel
- Cores
- 2–4 (mainstream, mobile) · 1-4 (embedded) · 2–15 (Xeon)
- Transistors
- 634 million to 2.104 billion
- Clock
- 1.4 to 4.1GHz
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Ivy Bridge was developed primarily by Intel's Israel branch in Haifa, Israel. Volume production began in the third quarter of 2011. Quad-core and dual-core mobile models launched on April 29, 2012 and May 31, 2012 respectively, while Core i3 desktop processors and the first 22 nm Pentium were announced in the first week of September 2012. The microarchitecture is a shrink from Sandy Bridge and remains largely unchanged, with notable improvements including a new 22 nm Tri-gate transistor technology offering up to 50% reduction in power consumption at the same performance level compared to Intel's 32 nm process, and a new pseudorandom number generator with the RDRAND instruction (codenamed Bull Mountain).
Ivy Bridge processors are backward compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform but may require a firmware (BIOS) update depending on the motherboard vendor. Intel released the 7-series Panther Point chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0 in 2011 to complement Ivy Bridge. The microarchitecture is the last Intel platform on which Windows older than Windows 7 and Windows Server older than Windows Server 2008 R2 are officially supported by Microsoft, and it is the earliest Intel microarchitecture to officially support Windows 10 64-bit.
Ivy Bridge's temperatures are reportedly 10°C higher compared to Sandy Bridge when overclocked, even at default voltage. Experiments confirmed this is because Intel used a poor-quality thermal interface material (thermal paste) between the chip and heat spreader instead of the fluxless solder of previous generations. Mobile Ivy Bridge processors are not affected as they do not use a heat spreader. Socket 2011 Ivy Bridge processors continue to use solder. Intel claims the smaller die and increased thermal density are expected to result in higher temperatures when overclocked.
Reader's Guide
Ivy Bridge's significance lies in being Intel's first commercial use of FinFET (Tri-gate) transistors, which enabled a substantial reduction in power consumption at the same performance level. It served as the 'tick' in Intel's tick–tock model, refining the Sandy Bridge architecture on a smaller process node. The microarchitecture introduced features such as the RDRAND instruction, F16C extensions, and configurable TDP for mobile processors, while the integrated GPU saw a significant increase in execution units and support for DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.0, and OpenCL 1.2 on Windows. Ivy Bridge also brought PCI Express 3.0 support (omitted on some lower-end models) and RAM support up to 2800 MT/s.
Its legacy includes being the last Intel platform to support older Windows versions and the first to support Windows 10 64-bit. Production continued even after the release of Haswell in June 2013, with new models introduced up to March 2014. Discontinuation occurred in June 2015 for desktop and mobile units and January 2016 for server and workstation units. The thermal interface material controversy surrounding desktop Ivy Bridge processors became a notable point of discussion among enthusiasts, with some speculating it was by design to encourage sales of prior processors, though Intel attributed the higher temperatures to the smaller die and increased thermal density.
Did You Know?
- The microarchitecture includes a new pseudorandom number generator and the RDRAND instruction, codenamed Bull Mountain.
- Ivy Bridge's temperatures are reportedly 10°C higher than Sandy Bridge when overclocked due to the use of thermal paste instead of solder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ivy Bridge?
Ivy Bridge is a CPU microarchitecture that Intel shipped in 2012, underpinning the third-generation Core i3/i5/i7 lineup and the Xeon E5-2600 v2 server family. In simple terms, it is the same Sandy Bridge design re-implemented on a smaller, more advanced process node.
What made Ivy Bridge's manufacturing process a first for Intel?
It was the very first Intel silicon to be built with 3D FinFET transistors, replacing the older planar-gate structure. This 22 nm node was the "tick" step in Intel's tick-tock cadence, meaning the focus was on shrinking the process rather than redesigning the core from scratch.
How does Ivy Bridge connect to Sandy Bridge?
Sandy Bridge (32 nm) is the direct predecessor, and Ivy Bridge is essentially that same core architecture re-taped-out at 22 nm. The result was better power efficiency and a modest uplift in integrated-graphics performance without a full architectural overhaul.
What core counts did Ivy Bridge cover?
Depending on the product tier, Ivy Bridge parts ranged from a single core in embedded or low-power chips all the way up to 15 cores in high-end Xeon server SKUs. The quad-core mobile variants, for example, hit the market on April 29, 2012.
Why do enthusiasts still talk about Ivy Bridge?
It proved that Intel could keep scaling performance by moving to FinFET without waiting for a brand-new microarchitecture, setting the template for the Haswell and Broadwell generations that followed. For many PC builders of that era, it also delivered the last "buy-and-forget" CPU upgrade path before the platform shifted to LGA 1150.
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