14 DAY TRIAL // In the recent past weeks, there has been a surge of leaked details on Intel's next-generation processors that surfaced on the Internet. The world's leading chip maker is expected to announce several new processors by the end of this year, some of which will be part of new processor families, like Core i5 and Core i3 for mainstream users. However, it now appears that the company is also planning to unveil its very first Core i9 processors, slated to arrive in the first quarter of 2010. According to preliminary details, these new CPUs are based on the 32nm Westmere core and will provide computer users with a 6-core architecture.
In a recent news article, Digitimes cites sources at PC makers that claim Intel has decided to push back the Pine Trail-D platform for nettops, along with the Pine Trail-M for netbooks. The two platforms are now expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2010, alongside the company's much-anticipated Clarkdale-based chips. The decision is part of the chip maker's recently set strategy to push mainstream PCs for the second half of 2009, when sales are expected to pick up, while entry-level products will be introduced in 2010, according to the aforementioned sources.
Intel's Pine Trail-D platform will combine the company's upcoming NM10 chipset with either the dual-core Atom D510 or single-core Atom D410 processor. This new platform should power some of the next-generation nettops, which will surface sometime next year.
In addition to the new nettop and netbook platforms, Chipzilla is also said to be planning the launch of its 32nm-based six-core Core i9 processors, codenamed Gulftown and based on the Westmere core. According to Digitimes' sources, these new processors should be rolled out sometime in the first quarter of 2010, so there's a good chance Intel might be showing them at CES next year.