Ivy Bridge (CPU)

Ivy Bridge

Intel's internally used Ivy Bridge logo
CPUID code	0306A9h
Product code	80637 (desktop)
L1 cache	64 KB per core
L2 cache	256 KB per core
L3 cache	2 MB to 8 MB shared
Model	Pentium G Series
Created	29 April 2012
Transistors	2,104 M 22 nm (Tri-Gate)
Architecture	Sandy Bridge x86
Instructions	MMX, AES-NI, CLMUL
Extensions	x86-64, Intel 64 SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, SSE4.1, SSE4.2 AVX, TXT, VT-x, VT-d, F16C
Socket(s)	LGA 1155 LGA 2011 LGA 2011-1 LGA 1356 Socket G2 BGA-1023 BGA-1224 BGA-1284
Predecessor	Sandy Bridge (Tock)
Successor	Haswell (Tock/Architecture)
GPU	HD Graphics 2500 650 MHz to 1150 MHz HD Graphics 4000 350 MHz to 1300 MHz HD Graphics P4000 650 MHz to 1250 MHz

Ivy Bridge is the codename for a "third generation" line of processors based on the 22 nm manufacturing process developed by Intel. The name is also applied more broadly to the 22 nm die shrink of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture based on FinFET ("3D") tri-gate transistors, which is also used in the Xeon and Core i7 Ivy Bridge-EX (Ivytown), Ivy Bridge-EP and Ivy Bridge-E microprocessors released in 2013.

Ivy Bridge processors are backwards compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform, but such systems might require a firmware update (vendor specific). In 2011, Intel released the 7-series Panther Point chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 to complement Ivy Bridge.

Volume production of Ivy Bridge chips began in the third quarter of 2011.Quad-core and dual-core-mobile models launched on 29 April 2012 and 31 May 2012 respectively. Core i3 desktop processors, as well as the first 22 nm Pentium, were announced and available the first week of September, 2012.

The Ivy Bridge CPU microarchitecture is a shrink from Sandy Bridge and remains largely unchanged. Like its predecessor, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge was also primarily developed by Intel's Israel branch, located in Haifa, Israel. Notable improvements include:

The mobile and desktop Ivy Bridge chips also include significant changes over Sandy Bridge:

Compared to its predecessor, Sandy Bridge:

Ivy Bridge's temperatures are reportedly 10 °C higher compared to Sandy Bridge when a CPU is overclocked, even at default voltage setting. Impress PC Watch, a Japanese website, performed experiments that confirmed earlier speculations that this is because Intel used a poor quality (and perhaps lower cost) thermal interface material (thermal paste, or "TIM") between the chip and the heat spreader, instead of the fluxless solder of previous generations. The mobile Ivy Bridge processors are not affected by this issue because they do not use a heat spreader between the chip and cooling system.