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Intel Designs Faster, 3D Transistor
lee1 writes "Intel has found a way to keep on the Moore's Law track by making smaller, faster and lower-power computer chips by building 3D transistors. They are already manufacturing microprocessors using this new design, called a FINFET (for fin field-effect transistor), which incorporates a small pillar, or fin, of silicon that sticks up above the surface of the chip. Intel said that it expected to be able to make chips that run as much as 37 percent faster in low-voltage applications and use as much as 50 percent less power. Products based on the new technology may appear some time later this year."
If it uses 50% less power, it will be cooler. The Atom processors generate very little heat compared with the more power-hungry Xeon and Core Duo chipsets.
Intel has become very aware of power usage as well as heat. The days of the room heating CPU are hopefully behind us.
Nope. Because no matter how efficient these processors become, there will always be somebody wanting a faster processor, and hey! The power envelope just got more room, just cram more of 'em in there!