The first CPU from Intel to be based on the company's 14nm manufacturing process will be the Atom Z2580, SemiWiki reported recently. Production is likely to begin early in 2013, and the chip will fill an as-yet-untapped market necessity. The Z2580 will support 4G LTE networks but be very energy-efficient, making it ideal for use in tablets and smartphones.
Exactly how much less energy the 14nm tri-gate process will use remains to be seen, however. At a roadmap reveal during the Mobile World Congress show this past February, Intel showed a slide that had the Airmont-codenamed 14nm Atom chips will arrive in 2014. A story from last year also supports this timeline. And late last year, Intel said it already had 14nm chips running in its labs.
IBM and Samsung have also promised to bring out 14nm wafers.
