Haswell, Broadwell, Skylake.. what do this ''codenames'' stand for?

[lol1290]

There are a lot of threads on this forum, mentioning these 3 ''code names'' or whatever it's called...

 

But what do they actually mean? :huh:

 

The only 2 things I know, is that i5 4690k has ''haswell'' architecture and that ''skylake'' will be released soon. An explanation is welcome

[niofalpha]

Because people are stupid and need dumbed down names.

[Glenwing]

It's just Intel's name for the specific design of the CPU. Each name represents a different design. Haswell is the current generation of LGA 1150 processors (i7-4790K, etc.) while Broadwell is essentially the same as Haswell but using different transistors (with a 14nm gate, while Haswell uses a 22nm gate). Skylake is the generation after Broadwell, with a different CPU core design.

[IMPERIUS]

Different generations/ architectures and variations e.g. "haswell refresh"- all cpus get 0.1ghz boost over their haswell counterparts. 

[Grrizz]

They are code names for each generation of processor whether it be an architecture change or die shrink.

I.e. sandy bridge (new architecture) -> ivy bridge (die shrink) -> haswell (new architecture) -> broadwell (die shrink) -> skylake (new architecture) -> canon lake (die shrink)

[Senzelian]

Like you said, it's just the name for an architecture.

Haswell are all current 4th generation (i3-4xxx, i5-4xxx and i7-x4xxx) CPUs from Intel.
Broadwell has for example better integrated graphics, but therefor overall lower CPU performance.
Skylake is practially replacing Haswell with a new chipset and socket.

There are also a few exceptions like the 4690/k and the 4790/k which are actually called Devil's Canyon and are based on Haswell. They simply use a different TIM (thermal interface material) and are higher clocked. They are also known as Haswell Refresh and are based on the 4670/k and 4770/k.

[lol1290]

It's just Intel's name for the specific design of the CPU. Each name represents a different design. Haswell is the current generation of LGA 1150 processors (i7-4790K, etc.) while Broadwell is essentially the same as Haswell but using different transistors (with a 14nm gate, while Haswell uses a 22nm gate). Skylake is the generation after Broadwell, with a different CPU core design.

 

Ok, thx, so after reading other people's posts, saying that they are waiting for ''skylake'' to come out, does that mean skylake will be better then haswell?

 

And does bigger transistors mean better performance?

[lol1290]

Like you said, it's just the name for an architecture.

Haswell are all current 4th generation (i3-4xxx, i5-4xxx and i7-x4xxx) CPUs from Intel.

Broadwell has for example better integrated graphics, but therefor overall lower CPU performance.

Skylake is practially replacing Haswell with a new chipset and socket.

There are also a few exceptions like the 4690/k and the 4790/k which are actually called Devil's Canyon and are based on Haswell. They simply use a different TIM (thermal interface material) and are higher clocked. They are also known as Haswell Refresh and are based on the 4670/k and 4770/k.

 

 

Ok, thx, so after reading other people's posts, saying that they are waiting for ''skylake'' to come out, does that mean skylake will be better then haswell?

 

And does bigger transistors mean better performance?

This /\

[lol1290]

They are code names for each generation of processor whether it be an architecture change or die shrink.

I.e. sandy bridge (new architecture) -> ivy bridge (die shrink) -> haswell (new architecture) -> broadwell (die shrink) -> skylake (new architecture) -> canon lake (die shrink)

 

what do you mean by ''die shrink''?

[MegaDave91]

A simple way to group different architectures/cpus/potatoes. 

[Grrizz]

what do you mean by ''die shrink''?

Shrinking the minimum feature size that can be used on the silicon wafer, basically shrinking the transistors making them more efficient. Although the names given to the sizes (45nm, 32nm, 22nm, 14nm, etc.) aren't the actual sizes these days, they are a relativistic rating.

[Glenwing]

Ok, thx, so after reading other people's posts, saying that they are waiting for ''skylake'' to come out, does that mean skylake will be better then haswell?

And does bigger transistors mean better performance?

Transistor size doesn't affect performance directly, but smaller transistors take less power. Smaller transistors also means you can fit more of them in the same amount of space, which can potentially give you better performance for the same cost (as you don't use any more silicon)

what do you mean by ''die shrink''?

Die shrink means smaller transistors.

[Guest]

One guy had a well, you know, with water.

 

One guy still has a well, but it is a big one, a broad one.

 

And apparently there is a lake in the sky.

 

Apparently there also was a bridge made of sand and one of ivy.

[flibberdipper]

Literally just Intel's way of referring to different generations of their chips. Same for AMD.

[Thony]

They are just names. 

When Linus talked to the one of the Intel guys (it was a specific livestream just for 1on1)  he asked about the naming scheme and as far as i remember there wasnt a specific route they followed when naming a chip. It was just some ideas on the board and they picked the one they liked the most.  The "Devil's Cannyon (Haswell refresh) was named that way because one of the people were on holidays or their office is near the Grand Cnnyon or something like that.

It was over an year ago, around offical Haswell refresh release so take my comment with a grain of salt

[lol1290]

A simple way to group different architectures/cpus/potatoes. 

 

Best explanation ever, 10/10 IGN

 

 

Shrinking the minimum feature size that can be used on the silicon wafer, basically shrinking the transistors making them more efficient. Although the names given to the sizes (45nm, 32nm, 22nm, 14nm, etc.) aren't the actual sizes these days, they are a relativistic rating.

 

Thx for explaining that.

 

 

One guy had a well, you know, with water.

 

One guy still has a well, but it is a big one, a broad one.

 

And apparently there is a lake in the sky.

 

Apparently there also was a bridge made of sand and one of ivy.

 

had a well??

 

correction: One guy has a well, you know... lol :lol:

 

 

 

Literally just Intel's way of referring to different generations of their chips. Same for AMD.

 

 

I think they could make it a little more simple... don't you?

 

 

They are just names. 

When Linus talked to the one of the Intel guys (it was a specific livestream just for 1on1)  he asked about the naming scheme and as far as i remember there wasnt a specific route they followed when naming a chip. It was just some ideas on the board and they picked the one they liked the most.  The "Devil's Cannyon (Haswell refresh) was named that way because one of the people were on holidays or their office is near the Grand Cnnyon or something like that.

It was over an year ago, around offical Haswell refresh release so take my comment with a grain of salt

 

I haven't watched that livestream... but anyway, thx explaining that Grand Canyon thing...

[flibberdipper]

Best explanation ever, 10/10 IGN

 

 

 

Thx for explaining that.

 

 

 

had a well??

 

correction: One guy has a well, you know... lol :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

I think they could make it a little more simple... don't you?

 

 

 

I haven't watched that livestream... but anyway, thx explaining that Grand Canyon thing...

Not really.

[Ketcchup]

They are architectures that work with the Tick-Tock system (Tick -> smaller transistors, Tock -> new architecture)

 

Tock -> Haswell (new architecture)

Tick -> Broadwell june-july (14nm manufacturing, same architecture as haswell but with smaller transistors of 14nanometers)

Tock -> Skylake september 2015 (new architecture, promising as intel doesn't speak a shit about it and AMD will come with Zen next year, which is a new arch that can literally double the performance they have now)

[lol1290]

 

They are architectures that work with the Tick-Tock system (Tick -> smaller transistors, Tock -> new architecture)

 

Tock -> Haswell (new architecture)

Tick -> Broadwell june-july (14nm manufacturing, same architecture as haswell but with smaller transistors of 14nanometers)

Tock -> Skylake september 2015 (new architecture, promising as intel doesn't speak a shit about it and AMD will come with Zen next year, which is a new arch that can literally double the performance they have now)

 

 

ohhhhhhhhhh........right...... finally a simple answear. Thx man.

[Dimwitted]

In the latest Intel nomenclature notice the suffix. How long it holds is unknown but so far, Intel is making it easy to keep it straight. Anything ending in well is basically the same architecture. Anything ending in Lake is the same architecture. Since the "Lake's" are coming after the "Well's" they are a newer chip. How good that is is open to conjecture. The Lake series hasn't debuted yet.  

 

Now, to add to the confusion, the -E series is also available. Well-E are a different slot size, chip size and a different chipset. So a Haswell and a Haswell-E are completely different chips, platforms and pricing. Yet are assumed to be in the same "family". Oh joy.

[lol1290]

In the latest Intel nomenclature notice the suffix. How long it holds is unknown but so far, Intel is making it easy to keep it straight. Anything ending in well is basically the same architecture. Anything ending in Lake is the same architecture. Since the "Lake's" are coming after the "Well's" they are a newer chip. How good that is is open to conjecture. The Lake series hasn't debuted yet.

Now, to add to the confusion, the -E series is also available. Well-E are a different slot size, chip size and a different chipset. So a Haswell and a Haswell-E are completely different chips, platforms and pricing. Yet are assumed to be in the same "family". Oh joy.

Thx for replying and confusing me even more (:

[Godlygamer23]

And does bigger transistors mean better performance?

No. You want small transistors. Computer chips use transistors to process data by switching them on and off - that's literally it. Because of this, big transistors are undesirable while small transistors are ideal. Smaller transistors allow for three things - lower power draw, more transistors crammed into the same space, and faster switching.

[typographie]

Because people are stupid and need dumbed down names.

 

There's some truth to that, but the names they typically give the public are "Intel Xth Generation Core processors." 

 

My understanding was that Haswell/Broadwell/Skylake/etc. are Intel's internal codenames. They make their way to us via mentions in press materials and conventions.

[Nena Trinity]

Just random dumb names made by Intel to help the customers but it backfires...

[Dimwitted]

On the topic of size, it's getting very interesting on die size. It used to be that the die shrink gave power efficiency which was nice for you, but it also meant that there were more chips per die so it got cheaper to manufacture. We're now at the ragged edge in tech for shrinkage. Broadwell was the first mass market 14nm cpu. Copperwall will be the first mass market 10nm chip. The difference between Haswell and Broadwell is not huge. Better TDP but that looks like at a cost of overclocking. There's just no way that those tiny traces will support monster voltages that it takes to get high chip speeds. And just as interesting is where all this extra real estate is going. It looks like the GPU side of things. Iris 6200 looks pretty good and you basically get it for free with every cpu. Zen better be spectacular.