Launch schedule of Ivy Bridge processors

As was widely reported before, Ivy Bridge microarchitecture, and the first CPUs based on it, will be launched in April. Last week Digitimes relayed rumors about possible delay of Ivy Bridge processors. Last Sunday VR-Zone confirmed that Ivy Bridge dual-core mobile chips have been delayed due to Intel and OEMs being overstocked with Sandy Bridge microprocessors. While we don't have the latest data on Ivy Bridge launch dates, and cannot confirm the delay, we do have about a month old information at hand, that should be mostly correct.

Based on a month old information, Intel will announce Ivy Bridge quad-core microprocessors on April 2, and the CPUs will appear in retail a week later, on April 8. The announcement will include 10 desktop Core i5-3xxx and Core i7-3xxx microprocessors, B75, H77, Z75 and Z77 Express desktop chipsets, 3 mobile Core i7-3xxx SKUs, and HM75, HM76, HM77 and UM77 Express mobile chipsets. We don't know whether mobile OEM quad-core i7-361xQM processors will be a part of the announcement or not.

In a month, desktop lineup will be expanded with low-power Core i5-3470T. This chip will be released in the second week of May. At the same time Intel was supposed to launch dual-core Core i7 and i5 Ivy Bridge CPUs, and mobile QM77 and QS77 Express chipsets. As we now know, the launch date of mobile dual-cores have been pushed back.

Desktop Core i3 processors should be available not too long after that, from mid May to mid June. The first released Core i3s will be i3-3220, i3-3220T, i3-3225, i3-3240 and i3-3240T.

Please be warned that the launch schedule is one month old, and Intel could make changes to it, like they did for dual-core mobile chips. At the same time, the data matches our original report from November, and reports from other sites, that provided more narrow launch window, therefore we consider it genuine.