Intel has just announced a new reference PC design that uses its upcoming Broadwell
chipset. Usually, that wouldn’t get us excited — but this concept ushers in the prospect of silent ultrabooks and MacBook Airs.
The new design uses 14 nanometre processing to create a slab of PC-grade silicon — this is the next iteration in Intel’s Core range, to be called the Core M — that doesn’t require cooling. Indeed, it’s Intel’s most energy efficient Core processor yet, which means that the reference design — a 12.5-inch tablet that’s just 7.2mm thick — requires no fan to keep it cool. Sure, tablets already don’t need cooling, but remember that this chip is actually designed to power PCs; it’s more powerful than anything you’d find in a mobile device.
So, while Intel’s 670g design features a detachable keyboard, strictly making it a 2-in-1, there’s no reason, as The Verge suggests, that OEMs couldn’t use the silicon to power the next generation of ultrabooks and MacBook Airs. Think of it as blurring the lines between mobile and desktop: enough grunt to keep up with the demands of real work, enough efficiency to need no noisy cooling system. Tranquility could soon arrive on your lap. [Intel via The Verge]
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