Intel's new Core-M processor is at the heart of a laptop revolution - and a new wave of fanless computers. Running at only 4.5 watts, compared to the 11.5 watts of an i5 processor or 57 watts of a quad-core i7, this processor doesn't require a fan cooled heat sink. With its low power consumption and low heat generation, manufacturers can build laptops that are thinner than we’ve ever seen before. Going fanless allows manufacturers to build thinner devices that make less noise. For example, the latest MacBook half an inch thick; the second-generation Lenovo ThinkPad Helix is just .38 inches thick, compared to its .46-inch, Core i5-powered predecessor. Where the original Helix's keyboard dock had a hinge with dual fans built-in, the new Ultrabook Keyboard doesn't even have one fan. Last year's model lasted just 5 hours and 48 minutes when detached from its dock, but the Lenovo promises 8 hours of endurance from the Core M-powered Helix.
Though Core M is the first processor based on Intel's new 14nm Broadwell architecture, it certainly won't be the last. In 2015, Intel plans to use Broadwell as the basis of its next-generation Core i3 / i5 / i7 chips for both laptops and desktops. Over the past few years, Intel has released a new processor architecture on an annual basis, with a die shrink occurring every other generation. The current Haswell and prior-gen Ivy Bridge architecture use a 22nm process while Broadwell will be the first to use 14nm. A smaller die size means that Intel can fit more transistors into a smaller space, using less power, generating less heat and taking up less space in the chassis. The Core M processor package eats up just 495 square millimeters of space, about half the size of the 960 square-millimeter 4th Generation Core Series package.
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