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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.
Intel's new laptop CPUs focus on gigabit WiFi and voice commands
Intel already has a wide variety of eight-generation laptop processors targeting performance and gaming. But with its latest round of chips -- a new batch of U-series CPUs for mainstream laptops and the debut of Y-series processors for very thin machines -- the company is focused on improving the ultraportable laptop experience. For one, they all feature integrated gigabit WiFi, which will vastly improve your networking performance on modern AC routers. There's also a quad-core audio DSP, which will make it easier for laptops to recognize voice commands for multiple virtual assistants. Even better, it lets you shout commands while your computer is asleep.
Major AMD chip supplier will no longer make next-gen chips
GlobalFoundries, which manufactures AMD's current Ryzen and Radeon chips, has surprisingly announced that it will stop all development work on next-gen 7-nanometer processors. Furthermore, it has no plans to develop future 5- and 3-nanometer technology, either. The company (which spun off from AMD in 2009) said it simply can't afford to spend billions of dollars developing new lines to keep up with its main rivals, Samsung and TSMC. Instead, it will stick to current-generation 12/14-nanometer processes and expand product offerings around that tech.
AMD's second-generation Threadripper CPU has up to 32 cores
AMD is once again pushing its processor technology to new heights. During its Computex keynote today, the company revealed that its second-generation Threadripper CPU will feature up to 32 cores and 64 threads. We've known the chip would arrive later this year, but AMD now says it'll launch in the third quarter. The news also comes on the heels of Intel's announcement of an impending 28-core, 5GHz chip. "When we were bringing out 16-core, we already had on the drawing board the 32-core," AMD's Jim Anderson said in an interview. "That's one of the reason it can drop into the same TR4 socket, is because up front we had that in mind." The new Threadripper will run on AMD's 12nm Zen+ architecture, just like the company's newest Ryzen desktop CPUs. It'll sport all of the features from those products as well, like higher clock speeds, more efficient performance and improved boost. Only a few years ago, we were blown away by AMD and Intel's foray into double-digit core counts, so it's surprising to see how quickly we've leaped beyond 30 cores. When it comes to the back-and-forth competition with Intel, who one-upped AMD's Threadripper core count last year, Anderson says it's ultimately good for consumers. "I think Ryzen has had a big impact on the industry, but the best thing about is is that it's driven innovation and competition back in the industry," he said. "And that's good for everybody, and it's especially good for end users. I think having Intel react to us just benefits end users. I also think it's nice to see AMD back to its heritage of pushing the industry."
Intel's special edition 8086K CPU can reach 5GHz
Intel is counting down to its 50th anniversary on July 18th, and to celebrate the company has a milestone announcement for Computex: The special edition Core i7 8086K CPU, its first to reach 5GHz in boost mode. Basically, it's a souped-up version of its existing i7 lineup, but it should appeal to gamers who have been eager to own a 5GHz CPU that doesn't require overclocking. And for those who don't mind tinkering, it's unlocked, so it could have some killer overclocking potential too. Intel will also hold a sweepstakes on its site to give away 8,086 chips.
Intel brings a six-core i9 CPU to laptops
With its latest batch of 8th-generation Core chips for laptops, Intel is focused on delivering even more desktop-like performance. Just take a look at its new six-core monster processor, the Core i9-8950HK. We were impressed that the company was able to bring quad-core chips to ultraportables with its first batch of 8th-gen CPUs, but the 8950HK lives up to the crazy specifications we'd expect from the i9 lineup (which includes Intel's insane 18-core desktop chip).
Meltdown and Spectre are wake-up calls for the tech industry
It's not hyperbole to say that Meltdown and Spectre CPU vulnerabilities are a disaster. They affect pretty much every processor used over the past two decades and practically every device. In the right hands, they could reveal things like passwords and other secure information. While many companies have rushed to patch against Meltdown, which specifically affects Intel chips and lets hackers access the memory of apps being used by an operating system, Spectre is more stubborn. It won't be fully resolved until chip makers move to new architectures -- a process that could take years.
Intel's 8th-gen desktop CPUs boost gaming and streaming speeds
Intel has launched its 8th-generation mainstream desktop chips, calling the flagship $359 Core i7-8700K its "best gaming desktop processor ever." The six-core, 12-thread 3.7GHz chip boosts Gears of War 4 frame rates up to 25 percent compared to 7th-gen desktop chips. It can also do 4K video editing up to 32 percent faster. The best gains are with multitasking, and Intel says gaming, streaming and recording with Player Unknown: Battlegrounds will be 45 percent faster than before.
Intel's eighth-gen CPUs will be more powerful than we thought
Earlier this year, we didn't expect much from Intel's eighth-generation Core processors. But at Computex in May, the company surprised us all by revealing they'll be 30 percent faster than last year's chips. That alone would have been notable, but now Intel is making an even bolder claim: They're actually 40 percent speedier. At least, that's the case for one of its laptop chips when running through the Sysmark benchmark. And when it comes to five-year-old computers -- the kind Intel expects the majority of consumers to upgrade from -- they're twice as fast at productivity tasks.
Intel’s Core i9 Extreme Edition CPU is an 18-core beast
Last year at Computex, Intel unveiled its first 10-core consumer CPU, the company's move into the world of a "megatasking." It was a pricey chip, launching at around $1,700, but it satisfied users who needed to juggle several intensive tasks at once. Now, Intel is upping the ante with a new family of processors for enthusiasts, the Core X-series and it's anchored by the company's first 18-core CPU, the i9-7980XE.
AMD's mid-range Ryzen 5 processors start rolling out
AMD wants to break back into desktop CPUs in a big way. After debuting its high-end Ryzen 7 chips last month, which go toe-to-toe with Intel's Core i7 lineup, the company is today releasing its mid-range Ryzen 5 CPUs. As you can imagine, they're a direct competitor to Intel's mainstream Core i5 processors. AMD's big selling point? The Ryzen 5 chips offer a lot more bang for your buck.
Intel: Our next chips will be a 'generation ahead' of Samsung
Intel says that when its long-delayed 10-nanometer Cannon Lake chips finally arrive, they'll be a "full generation ahead" of rivals Samsung and TMSC, thanks to "hyper scaling" that squeezes in twice as many transistors. That will yield CPUs with 25 percent more performance and 45 percent lower power use than its current Kaby Lake chips when they ship towards the end of 2017. Furthermore, Intel thinks the tech will keep Moore's Law going and give it a 30 percent cost advantage over competitors like AMD.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 4: All Eyez On Me
Editors Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Intel's latest CPUs, Dead or Alive's controversial VR feature and Lenovo's "innovative" take on the keyboard. Then the panel takes a look at Chris Brown's standoff and how Instagram videos and Facebook Live fit into our modern media landscape.
Intel's budget Apollo Lake CPUs make a low-key debut
On top of its fast, 4K-hungry seventh generation Core CPUs, Intel has also unveiled its next batch of chips meant for low-end hardware -- though, for some reason, it did so very quietly. Anandtech has the details on the new "Apollo Lake" CPUs, which are built on a 14 nanometer process and will replace the last batch of Celeron and Pentium processors. While you'll typically find Intel's Core CPUs in mid-range and high-end devices, the Apollo Lake chips show up in budget notebooks, desktops and other devices that don't demand much computing performance.
Intel's seventh-generation Core CPUs will devour 4K video
4K video is finally gaining a foothold in home theaters this year, but for most PCs it's practically kryptonite. Even if you're lucky enough to have a powerful computer, dealing with such high-resolution video is a surefire way to spike your CPU usage and gobble up battery life. So it's little surprise that Intel made 4K performance the centerpiece of its long-awaited seventh generation Core processors, which were officially announced today. You can also look forward to a slew of other speed-enhancing features when the new chips hit laptops in September.
AMD crashes Intel's party: Powerful Zen CPUs are coming next year
A block away from Intel's Developer Forum in San Francisco, AMD brought together a select group of media and analysts to make one thing clear: Its long-awaited Zen processor actually exists, and it's on track to ship early next year for desktops. Surprisingly, the company is aiming directly at the high-end PC gaming market, whereas its last few chips appealed more to budget builders.
AMD's 7th generation laptop chips are stronger Intel competitors
AMD has always been the cheaper alternative to Intel's processors, but with its latest generation of mobile chips, it's also aiming to close the performance gap. Announced at Computex today, the new high-end FX chips are 56 percent faster compared to AMD's previous generation of laptop processors, while its entry-level chips are 52 percent faster compared to the last-gen. And compared to Intel's fastest Core i7 mobile chip, the seventh-gen AMD FX offers 53 percent faster graphics and a 51 percent bump in compute performance. Basically, these are the laptop chips AMD fans have been waiting for.
Qualcomm's Anand Chandrasekher says eight-core processors are 'dumb'
In response to a question about whether Qualcomm will create an eight-core processor like MediaTek's upcoming model, Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher told a Taiwanese publication "we don't do dumb things." He added that "you can't take eight lawnmower engines, put them together and now claim you have an eight-cylinder Ferrari." Instead, he said Qualcomm is focused on good modems, long battery life and affordability, rather than "simply throwing cores together." Though MediaTek had no comment on that, it claimed earlier that all eight cores in its upcoming CPU can operate at the same time to improve stability and battery life -- unlike the Exynos 5's big.LITTLE configuration, for instance. Whether you agree with Chandrasekher or not, eight seems better than four, meaning most CPU outfits -- including Qualcomm -- will likely jump on the octa-core bandwagon.
Intel roadmap reveals 10-core Xeon E5-2600 V2 Ivy Bridge CPU
Intel may have recently spilled its Q3 guts for 2012, but we highly doubt that the chip maker planned on outing its forthcoming projects for next year. An alleged internal slide makes the claim that the silicon giant plans to introduce a 10-core Xeon E5-2600 V2 Ivy Bridge-EP CPU in the third quarter of 2013. Compatible with Socket R LGA 2011 motherboards, this brute will max out at 20 threads through HyperThreading. Packing 30MB of L3 cache, this unannounced Ivy Bridge supports up to 1866MHz of DDR3 system RAM. If these specifications have whet your appetite, the Xeon E5-2600 V2 is only the tip of the iceberg -- Chipzilla is said to also have a 12-core processor in the pipeline as well.
Amazon eyeing up TI's smartphone chip business, according to Israeli newspaper
Remember when Texas Instruments revealed it was planning to dump its mobile processor business in favor of embedded systems? Israeli business sheet Calcalist is reporting that Amazon is in "advanced negotiations" to snap up that part of TI's OMAP division, which currently supplies processors for the Kindle Fire and the Nook HD. The paper suggests the company is emulating Apple's purchases of chip designers in order to lower the price of future hardware -- which it currently sells at cost.
