Experimental Intel Chip Shows Future of CPU Efficiency

Researchers at Intel debuted an experimental processor at the company's developer forum this week, which could lead to devices with significantly lower energy consumption. The chip -- codenamed "Claremont" -- is known as a near-threshold voltage processor, which allows transistors to operate at super-low, near "threshold" voltages to increase efficiency and decrease energy consumption. "We used a solar cell in the demonstration to show how little power was required," said Intel spokeswoman Connie Brown in an interview. The technology could even be used to develop "zero-power" architectures "where power consumption is so low that we could power entire digital devices off solar energy, or off the energy that surrounds us every day", like vibrations or movements, ambient wireless signals or solar power. Intel's experimental NTV processor may never find itself in an actual consumer product, Vangal says, but is an important stepping stone towards future processors that will.