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Intel's workstation X-series chips are a bit faster and much cheaper
Following a leak last week, Intel has officially revealed performance figures and other data for its 18-core i9 Extreme Edition and other 9th-gen X-Series chips. As we already knew, the 10-, 12-, 14- and 18-core chips can be boosted to speeds up to 4.8 GHz. That will apparently yield a modest performance bump of seven percent for Maya and 3DS Max rendering tasks compared to the last-gen models. The chips will also double the "inference" AI throughput, but that will only be of benefit to deep-learning specialists.
Pushing a 28-core CPU to its limits: 6GHz and beyond
I'm mesmerized by the way liquid-nitrogen vapor flows across the motherboard. There's something oddly therapeutic about extreme overclocking, especially when the cold air gently touches my skin, making even the tiniest bumps in clock speed the more worthwhile. There's probably no better place to see it in action than Taipei's Computex, where gaming PC memory maker G.Skill gathers the world's best overclockers for its OC World Cup event (with a $10,000 top cash prize). Our previous attempt to tame the 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE was already rather ambitious, but this year, we decided to go all the way with the massive 28-core, 255W Intel Xeon W-3175X, a rare CPU gem that costs at least $3,000 -- if you can even find one. Our goal was to break the chip's records at the time: pushing it from its 3.1GHz base frequency to beyond 5.68GHz on Cinebench R15, or at least beyond 6.5GHz via the more lightweight CPU-Z validation. With this many cores, it posed a much bigger cooling challenge to run at higher speeds, especially compared to the quad-core i7-7700K I tinkered with the year before.
Intel's 48-core Xeon will go head-to-head with AMD in 2019
Intel has unveiled its fastest server processors yet, the Xeon Cascade Lake series with up to 48 cores. Its current top-of-the-line server chips, the Xeon Scalable Processors, pack up to 28 cores and 56 threads, but all are contained on a single, monolithic die. However, the Cascade Lake models have multiple dies in a single "package," or socket, much like AMD's latest EPYC server processors. Up to two chips could be installed on a multi-processor motherboard, giving you 96 cores in total, but Intel has yet to say if the chips will be hyperthreaded.
Intel's 28-core Xeon CPU is built for power-hungry content creators
As promised back at Computex, Intel is unveiling a 28-core behemoth CPU today, the Xeon W-3175X, alongside the rest of its 9th generation desktop lineup. It's a more specialized chip than last year's 18-core X-series processor, but it offers even more performance for demanding users with speeds up to 4.3 GHz. Intel already has 28-core Xeon models, like the Platinum 8176, which are meant for servers. Intel boasted that the new processor achieved a Cinebench score of 7,334 at Computex while it was overclocked to 5 GHz, something only surpassed by multi-processor machines. The company says the new 28-core Xeon CPU will ship in December, but there aren't any pricing details yet. The highest end 28-core Xeon Platinum currently goes for around $10,000, so we'd expect the new chip to fall somewhere in that ballpark.
Japan's latest supercomputer is dedicated to nuclear fusion
This year, Japan will deploy a Cray XC50 that will be the world's most powerful supercomputer in the field of advanced nuclear fusion research. It will be installed at the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science (QST) and used for local nuclear fusion science and to support ITER, the massive multinational fusion project scheduled to come online in 2035.
Intel's all-in-one Xeon chip will speed up car connectivity
Intel's Xeon chips normally reside in distant server rooms or brawny workstations. But that's not ideal for the modern internet, where connected cars, VPNs, streaming video and other tech frequently needs computing power somewhere in between. That's where its newly launched Xeon D-2100 processor might come into play. The system-on-a-chip is designed to bring the performance of a Xeon to the "edge" of a network, where that extra speed might be more effective. It includes up to 18 cores and the requisite hooks for four 10Gbps Ethernet ports, but uses 'just' 60W to 110W of power. In other words: you could tuck some of these into a local office without the demands that normally come with server chips.
Intel's latest Core processors have serious security flaws
Intel has confirmed previous reports that its recent PC, internet of things and server chips are vulnerable to remote hacking. The problem is with the onboard "Management Engine," which has multiple holes that could let remote attackers run malicious software, get privileged access and take over computers. The vulnerability affects sixth, seventh and eighth generation Core chips (Skylake, Kaby Lake and Kaby Lake R), along with Pentium, Celeron, Atom and multiple Xeon chips.
HP unveils its insanely upgradeable Z-class workstations
No matter how great your latest PC build is, HP's new Z Workstation lineup can probably top it. The company's latest Z8, Z6 and Z4 desktop workstations are its most powerful and ridiculously upgradeable ever, it says. The top-end Z8 features 24 RAM slots and up to 3TB of RAM, dual Xeon CPUs (with up to 56 cores), dual M.2 SSDs and dual NVIDIA Quadro Pro graphics cards. It's aimed squarely at VFX artists, letting them run 3D simulations, edit 8K video and do Nuke compositing, probably all at the same time.
Intel's 18-core Xeon CPU may be destined for the iMac Pro
There's been a lot of speculation about which Xeon chips the upcoming iMac Pro will use, but Intel may have just revealed the answer. During IFA, it unveiled the Xeon W-series lineup aimed at high-end, single-CPU, mainstream graphics workstations. Intel didn't say that the iMac pro would use the chip, but the stars line up: The flagship Xeon W has 18 cores and is due by Q4 2017, and Apple promised that iMac Pros with up to 18 cores would arrive this December.
HP's tiny Xeon-powered PC puts the Mac Mini to shame
HP has unveiled the Z2 Mini, a mini PC that packs workstation-class parts, including an Intel Xeon CPU, NVIDIA Quadro mobile M620 graphics and M.2 SSD tech. It managed to squeeze that power into a 2.3-inch-high case that's "90 percent smaller than a traditional business-class tower," HP wrote. In its top configuration, the device is twice as powerful as any mini PC on the market, letting it run up to six displays in a stock configuration.
Intel buys an AI processing powerhouse
Intel isn't the biggest player in the artificial intelligence world, but it might change that very shortly. The chip giant just bought Nervana, a startup specializing in processor-based "deep learning as a service" through technology like its upcoming Nervana Engine, a dedicated AI hardware accelerator due in early 2017. The Intel crew isn't shy about its intentions. It wants Nervana's expertise to help boost the AI performance of its Xeon and Xeon Phi processors on top of broadening its AI know-how -- it's a fast track to the future.
Intel's 'Skylake' CPU family includes an unlocked laptop chip
To say that Intel has been dragging out the launch of its Skylake-based processors would be an understatement when it didn't even reveal full details after it started shipping the first CPUs. Most of that secrecy is coming to an end today, however, as the semiconductor giant is officially launching the wider 6th-generation Core family. You'll soon see mainstream Core i3, i5 and i7 chips in desktops and laptops, as well as updated Core M processors in ultraportables, convertible PCs and tablets. As you'll see in a minute, though, this isn't just a straightforward refresh.
Lenovo's latest pro laptops pack 4K and Xeon processors
There are plenty of workstation laptops that claim to deliver on the promise of heavy-duty computing on the road, but they're not usually that much different on the inside than a garden variety portable. You can't say that about Lenovo's monster new ThinkPad P50 and P70 systems, though. The two not only offer things you'd expect in this class, such as color-accurate 4K displays and pro NVIDIA Quadro graphics, but Intel's first-ever mobile Xeon processors (specifically, the E3-1500M) -- you won't have to settle for an ordinary Core i-series chip here. If you need to crunch 3D models or video when you're out of the office, one of these rigs may be your best bet. That CPU upgrade also brings the kind of perks normally limited to desktops, including support for a whopping 64GB of memory and Thunderbolt 3 ports that can handle dual 4K displays.
Intel's pro-level Xeon processors are coming to laptops
Intel's professional-grade Xeon processors are no longer confined to fancy workstations or data centers. The chip designer has unveiled its first-ever Xeon processor family for laptops, the E3-1500M v5. The Skylake-based part is meant to deliver the kind of heavy lifting that you'd want as a pro (such as rendering 3D models or crunching big data sets) while giving you a laptop that's still thin and light enough to carry around. It has Xeon mainstays like error-correcting memory and remote management, but it also rolls in support for brand new features that any self-respecting techie would like, such as the new Thunderbolt 3 connector. If you want, you can drive dual 4K displays, USB Type-C devices and more from a single port.
Intel can't sell chips to China because the US is afraid of nukes
The US and China are like two neighbors who annoy each other with loud music after 11pm, but can't bring themselves to discuss the problem properly. The latest passive-aggressive broadside between the pair sees the US blocking Intel from being able to sell its Xeon Phi chips to China to upgrade the latter's Tianhe-2 supercomputer. BBC News is reporting that the US Department of Commerce shot down the move because of a concern that the hardware would be used to conduct "nuclear explosive activities."
Intel's next Xeon chip stuffs up to 18 cores into very powerful PCs
AMD and Intel have been in a race to stuff their highest-end processors with as many cores as possible, and it appears that this one-upmanship isn't about to end any time soon -- much to your advantage. As Macworld UK notes, Intel is close to releasing a new range of Xeon E5 processors where more cores (and thus more parallel computing power) is par for the course. According to ChipLoco's leaked roadmap, even the lowest-spec chips start with six cores versus today's four; the best model touts a whopping 18, which should help heavy-duty systems juggle a huge number of simultaneous workloads.
Mac Pro teardown reveals simple repair process and upgradeable CPU
The new Mac Pro's highly customized design may look like it's a pain to fix, but don't be fooled -- it's friendlier than you think. An iFixit teardown of the workstation has revealed that it's easy to take apart, and that several components can be replaced without going through Apple. It's also more upgradeable than you'd expect. iFixit has confirmed OWC's discovery that the Xeon processor is replaceable, saving buyers over $1,000 if they splurge on a 12-core chip. Other findings? The PCI Express-based SSD looks very familiar, and the entire system is very power efficient; despite the high-end CPU and dual graphics cards, the Mac Pro only needs a 450W power supply. No one will mistake Apple's machine for an easily expandable gaming rig, but it's clearly built with serviceability in mind.
WWDC 2013: the rumor roundup
It's that special time for Apple devotees: WWDC 2013 is next week, and that means a customary glimpse of where iOS and the Mac are going next. However, we're getting everything but business as usual this year. The crew at 1 Infinite Loop has shaken up its software strategy, putting much of its emphasis on Jony Ive's design chops and tighter collaboration between teams. Is Apple about to deliver major OS refreshes that some say are long overdue? And what about hints of new hardware introductions at the same time? We've gathered together some of the more notable rumors to help understand what Apple may introduce on June 10th -- and what's likely to remain wishful thinking.
Intel introduces next-gen Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for enterprise space
Truth be told, not much has been announced on the consumer end at IDF Beijing earlier today, but Intel did tease us with upcoming refreshes of its Xeon E7, E5 and E3 families for the enterprise space. In chronological order we have the Haswell-based E3 with TDP as low as 13W, and it's coming in mid-2013. This is followed by the "Ivy Bridge-EP" E5 in Q3 and then the "Ivy Bridge-EX" E7 series in Q4, the latter of which boasting three times the memory capacity of its predecessor, along with Intel's Run Sure reliability feature. More details in the press release after the break if you're into these flavors of chips. Also mentioned at the keynote were the now-available Atom S12x9 family for storage systems, as well as a couple of upcoming 22nm 64-bit Atom SoCs codenamed "Avoton" and "Rangeley," both of which are sampling now and are expected to launch in the second half of this year. We've actually already heard of the microserver-friendly Avoton from Facebook's Open Compute Project, whereas Rangeley for network infrastructures was also detailed around the same time; so again, hit up the press release for more details. %Gallery-185168%
Cray unleashes 100 petaflop XC30 supercomputer with up to a million Intel Xeon cores
Cray has just fired a nuclear salvo in the supercomputer wars with the launch of its XC30, a 100 petaflop-capable brute that can scale up to one million cores. Developed in conjunction with DARPA, the Cascade-codenamed system uses a new type of architecture called Aries interconnect and Intel Xeon E5-2600 processors to easily leapfrog its recent Titan sibling, the previous speed champ. That puts Cray well ahead of rivals like China's Tianhe-2, and the company will aim to keep that edge by supercharging future versions with Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors and NVIDIA Tesla GPUs. High-end research centers have placed $100 million worth of orders so far (though oddly, DARPA isn't one of them yet), and units are already shipping in limited numbers -- likely by the eighteen-wheeler-full, from the looks of it.
