Intel sees lighter, cooler laptops with new chip

San Francisco - Intel on Monday unveiled a new line of microprocessors aimed at powering thinner and cooler personal computers and other devices.

The chip code-named Broadwell "will be used to manufacture a wide range of high-performance to low-power products including servers, personal computing devices and Internet of Things".

One of the advantages of the chip is its small form factor, allowing for PCs that may not need cooling fans which take up space and create noise.

It uses a 14-nanometer fabrication process that allows more circuits to be placed on the chip than its predecessors.

"The combination of the new micro-architecture and manufacturing process will usher in a wave of innovation in new form factors, experiences and systems that are thinner and run silent and cool," Intel said in a statement.

Intel remains the world's biggest producer of chips for personal computers but has been lagging in the surging mobile marketplace of tablets and smartphones.

It has been working to get a bigger slice of the mobile market, and its new chip offers a promise of lighter PCs that can better compete with tablets.