Intel looks to the future with Turbo Cell Technology for chips

SAN JOSE (CALIFORNIA) - After raising the bar with the 18A node, Intel is already looking further ahead and unveiling the first details of 14A, its next-generation semiconductor manufacturing process. The announcement came during Intel's Foundry event in San Jose, where the Californian giant outlined how 14A will bring a further leap forward in terms of density, energy efficiency and performance, thanks in part to a new and still little-known technology called 'Turbo Cell'.

According to reports, the new 14A process will deliver a 15%-20% performance-per-watt increase over the already advanced 18A node, taking advantage of both architectural and layout improvements. Like its predecessor, the 14A will adopt second-generation RibbonFET transistors (gate-all-around) and backside power delivery, key technologies to increase performance and reduce power consumption.

But the real innovation is Turbo Cells, a solution designed to further improve CPU and GPU operating speeds.

It must be said that the company has not yet provided many details about this technology, but explained that Turbo Cell allows designers to combine high-performance cells with low-power cells within a functional block, creating a more efficient distribution.

This flexible architecture is expected to optimise CPU maximum frequencies and GPU critical paths, better adapting to the specific needs of each chip. According to engineers, the key will be the ability to balance performance and consumption in an even more granular way than previous nodes. And this, especially in terms of artificial intelligence, could be a remarkable step.