MacBooks Tock-Tick: Haswell-Broadwell

[fac183]

How big of a concern is iVR in regards to the new Haswell rMBPs?

According to multiple sources, the integrated voltage regulator (iVR) is being moved off-die and back onto the motherboard for the Broadwell tick.

Some people go so far as to even claim that Sandy Bridge is faster and more efficient than Haswell when overclocked.

It seems to me that sacrificing CPU performance and temperature in favor of battery life may not be such a favorable trade off.

Sources:

"Intel wouldn't be drawn on the subject, but rumours from some motherboard manufacturers are that the integrated voltage regulator (iVR) is being moved off-die and back onto the motherboard. Some people have claimed that the extra heat generated by shifting the iVR onto the CPU has been responsible for the weaker over clocking performance of Haswell versus Ivy Bridge." -- PC Gamer: Intel reveal new Broadwell CPU technology, due out next year

"Broadwell will adopt the Multi-Chip Package (MCP) design. New layout might be also moving the integrated voltage regulator (iVR) off-die and back onto the motherboards, in an attempt to reduce CPU's heat production." -- Wikipedia: Broadwell (micro architecture)

 

[blackened23]

This will not apply to the BGA models used in portable computers. This is only for LGA desktop processors - the needs of the desktop user is quite different than that of the portable macbook or ultrabook; the iVR inhibited overclocking quite a bit with the LGA (desktop) Haswell. Presumably is trying to rectify this issue by creating a better balanced CPU for LGA - one that doesn't have wildly varying results in terms of overclocking. That's my theory, anyway.

I doubt things will change for BGA variations as the benefits (of fiVR) are needed there. On desktop? It's not needed.

 

[Eug]

Welcome to AnandTech.

Ignoring blackened23's post for the time being... I'll just make a general statement: I don't need killer performance in my portable devices. Current generation i5 is more than enough for me, and in fact, I'm still running Core 2 Duo, waiting for a very slimline (aka uber low power) Retina MacBook to appear, hopefully in 2014, although I believe the ULV part in that machine would be a refreshed Haswell.

P.S. You links are broken. Here is the correct link. The Wiki link isn't that relevant, since it just references the other link.

 

[Bootleg Betty]

When is Broadwell supposed to be here?

I know that there is always something better around the corner with computers, but sometimes there's a huge paradigm shift when things become drastically better in short time.

This already happened with IPS screens on desktops (I helped a friend with a computer year and half ago, and if we waited just few months, he might have have a nice IPS instead of the terrible Samsung TN he has for the same money), and is happening right now with high-PPI screens (though Apple already did it with laptops, it will take years for other companies before the hardware and software is ready).

Is Broadwell something similar, and should the integrated GPU be actually good enough, instead of barely good enough like Haswell or not good enough like older ones? Or is there incremental update like the usual, promising 50 % performance increase when it later turns out that it's more like 40 %, and that's comparing lowest Haswell with highest Broadwell?

I'm not sure.

 

[BrightCandle]

Broadwell has started showing up on Intel's roadmap around the end of 2014, at least in K desktop formats. The focus is again on improving graphics performance not on the CPU performance so at least that much of your wish is valid. We have little data about benefits Broadwell might bring but since its mostly a shift to a lower process technology its probably not going to be particularly exciting performance gains.

 

[amyklai]

Actually, Intel initially talked about shipping Broadwell in Q1/2014, but about a month ago there was talk about a shipping delay which will push that back to Q1/2014.
However, it couuld again be a staggered launch like Haswell this year, with Ultrabook CPUs in spring and normal Desktop CPUs in fall.

Intel showed a demo of Broadwell where it consumed 30% less energy than a Haswell doing the same task, so it looks like there will be another significant decrease in energ consumption.

 

[mkrohn]

Intel showed a demo of Broadwell where it consumed 30% less energy than a Haswell doing the same task, so it looks like there will be another significant decrease in energ consumption.

Right now efficiency is all that matters. CPU performance has reached a point where its crazy fast. The truly intense crunching is offloaded to the GPU now. Everybody is trying to abandon traditional desktops it seems. The cash cows are either multi processor setups or mobile. I've been putting my cash into graphics card and SSD for years now and doing fine with either older Xeon's in the desktop or I5's in the laptop.

 

[Eug]

Actually, Intel initially talked about shipping Broadwell in Q1/2014, but about a month ago there was talk about a shipping delay which will push that back to Q1/2014.

There is a typo somewhere in those dates. Do you mean Q1/2015? If so, that would suck.

However, a brief Google tells me it's second half of 2014, which would be good for a Mac laptop update. Unfortunately, that seems to be for desktop Broadwell. I'm most interested in ULV Broadwell, and some are suggesting maybe 2015 for 15 W Broadwell.