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Intel Looks to Billion-Transistor Processors

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the runs-almost-as-hot-as-the-athlon dept.

Weedstock writes: "EE Times has an article about Intel's next decade roadmap. It explains what are the current issues with the actual "plastic bumped organic land grid array" packaging technology and how it will be modified into a "bumpless package with built-up layers" to accomodate billion-transistor processors."

1 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Heating a problem? by PM4RK5 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe I'm wrong, and if I am, I'll just crawl back in to my hole and shut up.
    But the article claims that the new technology will allow them to *embed* the
    processor(s) inside the casing material, unlike today where the core actually
    sticks out above the packaging.

    But the advantage, as I see it, to having the core *above* the packaging, is
    that heatsinks, thermal grease, etc... all have direct (or extremely close
    to direct) contact with the core - which is what generates the heat. Mabye
    in reducing voltage, heat output will drop significantly, but I digress.
    With the core embedded in the casing, it would seem hard to help cool the core
    when a heatsink doesn't have direct contact.

    I may be wrong, and in that case just ignore this comment, but I don't know
    how Intel would plan on dealing with that as a problem (if it in fact is one).