Intel said to be prepping eight-core Xeon for launch next month
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jan 29th 2009 5:07PM
posted Jan 29th 2009 5:07PM
Nothing's official just yet, but Macworld is reporting that Intel will be rolling out an eight-core Xeon processor at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco next month, marking the company's first foray into octa-core processors, and paving the way for 16-core systems using two of the chips. Unfortunately, there aren't many more details than that, with the only other word being that it'll be a 16-thread processor, and be manufactured using a 45-nanometer process. As Macworld notes, however, it does seem likely that the processor in question is the Nehalem-EP seen on the roadmap above, which is based on the Tylersburg platform -- the first product of Intel's throw-a-dart-at-a-map naming scheme.
[Via 9 to 5 Mac]
[Via 9 to 5 Mac]
Octa Core Cpu's Nice, tho there current Core i7 line up shows up as 8 Cores due to it's hyper threading.
Yeah but the i7's not actually 8 cores whereas these are.
HypterTreading cannot come close to real cores of Xeons when it comes to performance.
My bet is they call it the DUEL QUAD i8, but that me.
"their"
"Hyperthreading"
"dual"
Correcting spelling on the internet is like driving back a swarm of locists with a flyswat.
uh oh
"locusts"
"flyswatter"
Muphry's / Skitt's / McKean's Law:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudere%27s_Law
"...paving the way for 16-core systems..."
...What about four quad-core Xeons?
"...the first product of Intel's throw-a-dart-at-a-map naming scheme."
They've been using that scheme forever...
I think it's becoming more "public" though. Before they were codenames (probably still are as in the case of the i7, Core, etc.) but since people are paying attention more, it feels new.
I hate stupid people.......
It says using only 2 chips. Instead of having to have 4 CPUs to get 16 cores....
It says "paving the way for 16-core systems using two of THE chips"... Not just two chips...
do you enjoy repeating what i say? I said it only needs 2 CPUs to make 16 cores not 4 Quad-core CPUs to get 16 cores........ Thats it
Donald said this is paving the way for 16-core machines. Not that it paves the way for 2-cpu 16-core machines. It was a very minor quibble.
Wonderful. Most people don't utilize 4 cores, now we are moving up to 8. Can software even keep up with the hardware at this point?
Please don't over-generalize. There are still Single and Dual Core cpu's for those people who don't need the kind of horsepower that the Quads (and soon Octo's) will provide. You don't seriously believe that technological progress should halt because "most" people won't need or use that kind of processing power? There people that do need it and don't have it today.
These are Xeons, not your desktop chips. You use these in servers for virtualization.
I just wish I had a quad core computer, right now I have 2 desktops with dual core cpu's and a server with 2 dual core cpu's all of them run at 95%-100% 24/7. If I could get 1 quad core or *dreams* 1 eight core, I would be able to get much more work done.
I just don't have the money to spend on new hardware every year, instead its every 3-4 years.
@Randy, I was referring to software limitations. You might be able to run several programs with the cores but you need special programming to run one application on all 8 cores.
Exactly which "applications" are you talking about. From what I know recent versions of video encoding software, CAD, and some games are now capable of using multiple cores. Though some limit the cores that they could use to 2, which is a little bit weird, as other applications allow you to tweak the number of threads to use.
Applications that could use the extra processing power are being updated to support such hardware availability.
Of course Microsoft Office/Open Office, Firefox, Opera, IE, Yahoo Messenger, MSN messenger, etc are some apps that would benefit little to none if they were made to support multithreading.
*Is regretting i7 server*
I don't see why since the cost of the chip(s) and board alone for the Xeon would make the whole i7 Server look like a bargin. Besides unless its a VM server and you are running a ton of machines on it what would 8 cores and 16 threads do that 4 cores and 8 threads wouldn't?
I see Dual, Quad, and 6-core processors up there, but not 8-cores. What am I missing?
I get it now; the picture is unrelated to the info coming out of MacWorld. I thought this image was the source.
Oops.
You generally double the cores. AMD have however released tri core Processors and 6 core Processors (or plan to).
I totally misread you're comment.
Triple core processors are a result of doubling the number of cores from four to two; a "triple core" processor is simply a quad core with a core disabled so that they can still sell defective chips.
Durrr when can i gets one of these in my netbook
15 Years.
but in 15 years i will have reached adolescence!?
what use will a netbook be to me then.
You'll get them when notebooks and desktops have 16/32 cores respectively.
Bring on more cores... I can take it. Just a few steps closer to Real Time Ray Tracing tech taking off.
good luck sir
Any chance of one of these going in a revised mac pro?
What CPU do they currently use, core 2 quads?
there is a quad core xeon option if im not mistaken.
No Xeons
Duo
Quad
Or Dual Quad Processors at different speeds..
Just to clarify
Its either One Dual core Xeon
A Quad core Xeon
or
Dual Quad Core Xeons.
The mac pro (and Xserves ) currently uses the "Harpertown" (54xx) Xeon Procs. Apple is (likely) going to use the Nahalem EP for for the next Mac Pro refresh. Whenever that is.
right, they should get on that then.
hopefully a new mac mini will surface at the same time.. sigh
@Splattered Mice
There is NO dual-core option for the Mac Pro.
When are the notebook Nehalems coming out?
Not for some time I'm afraid:
http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2008/08/notebook-nehalem-may-not-pop-for-12-months.ars
Later this year or early next year.
no wonder Dell is blowing out the XPS Core i7 Studio's. I just picked one up for $1199 with blue-ray + $395 off coupon and free 23" monitor...
Now I probably should have waited a while longer for the 8 core :(
shiiiit then Octo 2 core processors are not far away. Im not gonna get the Xeon but will wait it come in a more affordable package. Its stupid to pay 3000$ for a Xeon when you got the same power 6 month later for 800$.
Good luck waiting then. Intel won't have the desktop chips ready until the end of '09, if that.
This has to be wrong.
First of all, Nehalem-EP (aka "gainestown" )is a quad-core part designed for dual-processor workstations, whereas Nehalem-EX ("beckton) is the 8-core part designed for 4+ socket servers.
Secondly, the 4+ socket Xeons always come out way later than the single or dual-socket, considering they are usually more complex and meant for the highest end of servers. Intel's roadmap has showed the 4+ socket Nehalem to be coming out in 2010!
seems like thats a little bit too much power.
You can never have too much power, you have to be prepared for Crysis 2.
So if mac pros can move from quad to octa then it's looking more likely that quads will land in the iMacs.