Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge-E ("E" for desktops, "EP / EX" for servers) is the long-awaited successor to 32nm Sandy Bridge-E (launched November 2011) and is the first processor family to feature 3D-stacked transistors on socket LGA 2011. Where Intel's Westmere-EX featured 6 and 8 core processors, we can expect Ivy Bridge-EP/EX to feature 6, 8 and 10 cores, respectively. The company decided to skip Sandy Bridge-EX server chips and will jump straight to the 22nm process node, as this will allow it to cram 10 cores into a single die.
Leaked 22nm Ivy Bridge-EP/EX 10-core screenshot from Coolaler
Nevertheless, sources close to Apple have hinted that the company has already received Ivy Bridge-E engineering sample (ES) chips from Intel and has already begun product testing. By the time Q4 2012 comes around, we can expect Apple's new Mac Pro lineup to feature both 6 and 8-core Ivy Bridge-E chips with significant performance scalability (see: 30-percent faster IPG), lower power consumption and lower TDPs on socket LGA 2011.
