DigiTimes heard rumors that Intel has decided to halt its plans to upgrade to a 22nm process at Fab 24 and delayed the launch of the Ivy Bridge chips by one quarter to save costs. The article claims the measures are the result of a weaker-than-expected PC market.

Intel has recently decided to delay its Ivy Bridge platform launch from the end of 2011 to March 2012, while notebook models with the new platform will start appearing in the channel in April to allow a smooth transition between the existing Sandy Bridge platform and the new platform.

Since Intel internally has evaluated that PC demand for the upcoming year may not be as strong as before, the company has recently adjusted its investment schedule for semiconductor equipment.