The base line for Intel's internal analysis is Sun's Niagara (UltraSPARC T1) processor. It is a 90 nm, single-die, eight core 1.2 GHz server-type processor with four threads per core, four L2 caches (3 MB) that can all be accessed via a crossbar interface, four dual-channel DDR2-400 memory interfaces and a total of 279 million transistors at 379 mm² die size. All of this comes at a low 72 W peak power consumption, making such a product a serious threat.
We assume that a single Niagara processor is approximately twice as fast as a dual processor, dual core Woodcrest setup that Intel delivers today (eight 1.2 GHz cores vs. four 3 GHz cores). According to Intel's competition analysis, future 65 and 45 nm Niagara-type processors might double the thread count and L2 cache size with each generation, while upgrading to latest memory technologies. Intel wants to be prepared and believes that a well-structured, multi-core approach with a smart L3 cache design can block Sun.
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