At the Intel Penryn launch in San Francisco's Ritz-Carlton hotel last night, Sr. VP of Technology and Manufacturing, William Holt, explained the "goodness" of moving to a 45-nm process (from 65-nm) and to hafnium-based High-k and Metal Gate transistors. The combination of these 2 technologies provides more than a 20 percent increase in transistor performance and 30% reduction in power consumption. Which leads to Holt charged comment:

"For those who do not move [to High-K metal gate], they will have a less performance minded technology"

Holt also confirmed that Intel will be moving to emerging lithography for its 32-nm chips. Finally, according to Holt, the new Penryn chips are much "cleaner" as they are the first ones in the industry to be totally lead and halogen free.