Intel Ivy Bridge chips delayed until June

If you've been holding out for Intel's next-gen Ivy Bridge-equipped computers thinking they'll be on their way in April, you'll be disappointed to know that manufacturing issues are now pushing back the schedule to sometime in June. This 8 to 10 week delay was revealed by Intel's executive VP and Intel China chairman, Sean Maloney, during an interview today with the Financial Times.

Intel's Ivy Bridge chips are the successors to its current Sandy Bridge family and is built on a more advanced 22nm process with new 3D Tri-Gate transistors. The next-gen architecture promises up to 37 percent faster performance along with a 50 percent reduction in power consumption.

Previously leaked roadmaps pegged the new Ivy Bridge chips to begin shipments in the March and April time frame, but that has now been pushed back. "I think maybe it's June now," said Maloney in response to inquiries about the Ivy Bridge delay.

Maloney explained that the delay was due to issues with the manufacturing process of the smaller chips and not due to a lack of demand. Although Ivy Bridge likely won't ship until June, the time frame will still meet Intel's original goal of releasing the chips within the second quarter.