Intel Arc G3 interview transcript — Intel's Senior Product Director talks new handheld chips, Arrow Lake Refresh, and RTX Spark
That initiative has never taken off, so eventually Intel kicked off its SoFIA ( Smart or Feature Phone on Intel Architecture ) joint SoC development program that enabled third parties to use Intel Atom cores and modem technology (implemented using TSMC's 28nm node) in their application processors for handsets. While both Rockchip and Spreadtrum eventually came up with their SoFIA 3G and SoFIA 4G SoCs based on Airmont cores and made on TSMC's 28nm technology, both processors were released in 2015, had to compete against SoCs made on Samsung's 14nm-class node or TSMC's 16FFC node, and never got popular. Ultimately, Intel produced an eight-core Spreadtrum SoC at its fabs using its 14nm manufacturing technology, but that processor also failed on the market.
As a result, Intel licensing a CPU core to a third party is a very rare occurrence these days and the first in this decade. The reasons behind the move are completely unclear because the RosaicLabs startup is two months old, it cannot pay Intel cash, and its commercial prospects are completely unclear. While one may argue that now that Rosaic has access to x86 cores, it is not going to pursue Arm or RISC-V cores, keeping in mind that hundreds of startups choose Arm or RISC-V every year, addressing one startup does not enable Intel to expand its x86 share compared to Arm or RISC-V tangibly.
In any case, for now, the deal between Intel and RosaicLabs leaves more questions than answers, mainly because all we know about RosaicLabs is that it is led by an old acquittance of Intel's chief exec, Lip-Bu Tan.
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Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom\u2019s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-25/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Anton Shilov Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.
usertests That's intriguing and it could be a great ploy to get more customers at Intel Foundry. It will be interesting to learn how new the core is, and how it's being used. It could be a fairly new core if Intel wants to use up spare newer fab capacity (since they still lack customers). And they could do something like take a Darkmont core and clock it like a Quark. Reply
JRStern Good history of Intel's utterly failed efforts to exploit the low end, and if they can't do it, why not license it out with some kind of royalty fee and have a nice day. Of course Intel's biggest enemy was itself. Anyone who managed to make a simple core performant was stealing sales from some upmarket chip and marking shut it down. If LBT can get Intel to stop stomping on its own toes he should get a medal. Reply
samopa I wish they released a single/dual core SoC version with 2-5 watts energy consumption in a microboard, like Raspberry Pi or Pico. Reply
usertests samopa said: I wish they released a single/dual core SoC version with 2-5 watts energy consumption in a microboard, like Raspberry Pi or Pico. You want a return of Cherry Trail. They were used in a few Pi-like SBCs, Compute Sticks, etc. Reply
samopa usertests said: You want a return of Cherry Trail. There were used in a few Pi-like SBCs, Compute Sticks, etc. Yes, with a Darkmont core and a bunch of I/O lines, it can easily be developed into an IoT device with a bunch of sensors and/or actuators. And with the IP that is so popular that it can be used virtually with any available library/development tools and any OS. Reply
thestryker Crestmont is the newest core that has been used in any Atom products if the marketing name ends up being relevant. I have a hard time believing Intel would allow access to a current/near future design (Skymont, Darkmont or Arctic Wolf) without really good reason and iron clad usage guarantees. Reply
TerryLaze My guess is that this is about the atoms used in servers, with the market being as it is there are going to be a lot of customers that want custom solutions but don't need the volume that would make it profitable for intel to do a full run of, but for a small startup it would be enough of a profit to bother with it. Reply
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- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intel-licenses-atom-class-x86-cores-to-startup-firm-reportedly-sharing-rtl-enabling-customer-to-build-its-own-custom-processors-based-on-x86-general-purpose-cores#main
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