Intel has reached the 45nm finish line first. The chip maker at its corporate headquarters earlier this week showed off the first 45nm chips running on notebooks, desktops and servers.

Nobody doubted that Intel would get to 45nm, but the company surprised many by showing working silicon at such an early stage. Intel achieved this by minimizing the changes that it made to its chip design. The firm merely swapped out some of the materials that is used to manufacture its processors.

Chip manufacturing is a delicate process where the smallest change can have many unforeseen consequences.Sticking to a well known production process limits the disruption in production facilities, which in turn will result in higher yields and ultimately more money in Intel's bank account.

In the video below Intel employees including CEO Paul Otellini discuss the benefits of the new chip.