Haifa R&D Behind Intel’s New 7th Generation Chip

Israeli high tech basked in the limelight of innovation on Tuesday as Intel unveiled its 7th generation core processor chip, largely a product of the company’s R&D center in Haifa.

“The Israeli team did it again,” proclaimed Intel Israel’s head of R&D Ran Senderovit.
“I think this is one of the great points of pride for Israeli technology,” he added. “This product will be sold to millions of users around the world.”

The high-tech sector has been eulogized in recent months as a has-been of the startup nation, and the news will give it a much-needed boost.

The new chip boasts a 12 percent rise in computer performance, longer battery life and better security.

The Intel Core enhanced 14-nanometer-plus processor, called Kaby Lake, is its “strongest and fastest ever,” Intel said in a statement. It was built on the foundation of the Skylake processors, which the company launched last year and were also led from Israel. The Kaby Lake processors are more than 70 percent faster than a 5-year-old PC and 3.5 times better in 3D graphics performance, the company said.

Kaby Lake will have a longer-lasting battery — 9.5 hours of 4K video playback — and better security, and will enable more natural and intuitive interactions of users with their PCs, Intel said.

The chips are set for inclusion in products starting in September, and in 100 million devices on sale through 2016. They will be specially marked with labels identifying them as 7th generation chips.