Through the Eyes of an Energy-Wise Intel Core i7 Architect

I got to meet Sr. Principal Engineer Ronak Singhal and Steve Gunther on the day they shared their “eco-wise” insights about the new Nehalem microprocessor architecture before a gathering of technical press in San Francisco last month.

With the IT industry contributing to 2% of the world’s carbon emissions, Ronak and Steve looked back at Intel’s history of building energy-efficient into microprocessors then looked at Intel’s Tick-Tock model for design and manufacturing. That was the set up for what’s next: new energy smart power management features being built in the upcoming Intel Core i7 family of processors (codenamed Nehalem).

After I video taped the briefing, I wanted to hear from young, yet seasoned engineer Ronak about what it’s like working in Oregon, where Intel’s renowned R&D meets hand-and-hallway with Intel’s cutting edge 45nm manufacturing.

Even before most of us see TV, newspaper or online advertisements about new PCs powered by Core i7 processors, silicon chip designers like Ronak and Steve have already jumped ahead to new chip blueprints that will power PCs two or so years down the road.

The pace of innovation quickens with the passion and brainpower of great engineers.