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EVGA's dual-CPU Classified SR-2 motherboard put to the test: worth the money if you know what you're doing
You know things are changing when cooling units that could once stave off overheating on top-tier graphics cards are starting to show up on motherboards. EVGA's Classified SR-2 is a supersized, dual-socket desktop building block that tries to do it all, and -- unusually for dual-CPU logic boards -- it's targeted at enthusiasts rather than buttoned-down business types. Four PCI-Express x16 slots, room for a dozen memory sticks (up to 48GB of RAM), and two USB 3.0 ports add some spec sheet glamor, but you'll likely be wanting to know how much performance you can wring out of two 3.33GHz Intel Xeon 5680 chips working in tandem. The short answer is a lot. The long answer is, of course, that you'll need to apply those 24 threads of power to applications that can really utilize them, such as the predictable video processing and 3D rendering. That's where the multithreaded, multicore, multiprocessor rig really shone in this review, and the EVGA board underpinning it also acquitted itself with distinction. Hit the source for the benchmark results and more photography of exposed circuitry.
Mac Pro refresh bumps up the high end: these go to 12 cores
Processor BTO options range from four cores up to the aforementioned 16; the full matrix includes "Westmere" Xeon X5670 chops running at up to 3.33GHz on the single-chip machine and 2.93GHz on the dual-processor model. Only the dual-processor model can achieve dodecacore status. Mac Pros now offer the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory, with a BTO option of the ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory. Display output options include two Mini DisplayPorts and one dual-link DVI port. For storage, the 512GB SSD is now an option, and if you're feeling particularly flush you can load up with four of them. As noted above, the machines will ship in August; the Apple Store is currently still shipping the older models.
Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999
So shall it be written, so shall it be done. The Mac Pro has at long last proven rumors of its impending refresh accurate, as Apple has just updated its most powerful hardware with even more grunt. As we'd heard previously, that means you can now get dual-CPU rigs that offer a full dozen cores to play with, courtesy of Intel's Xeon server-class chips, though in order to get in on that game you'll have to splash a cool $4,999 entry fee. The quad-core starting price is still $2,499, though the eight-core machines have jumped up to $3,499, with both variants getting mild speed bumps to 2.8GHz and 2.4GHz, respectively. Perhaps the most welcome upgrade is on the graphical front, where the Radeon HD 5770 takes up the mantle of default GPU, with additional options for a pair of such cards or a step up to a 1GB HD 5870 alternative if you're keen on maxing out those frame rates. Memory isn't neglected either, with choices ranging all the way up to 32GB of RAM, 4TB of conventional HDD storage, or an array of four 512GB SSDs -- though you're probably better off not asking how much that last one will set you back. The comprehensive specs can be found in the full press release after the break.%Gallery-98277%
Tokyo Institute of Technology announces SSD-packing, 2.39 petaflop supercomputer
IBM has announced plans to start using SandForce SSDs in its enterprise machines, and now it looks like the Tokyo Institute of Technology is doing one better, working with NEC and HP to produce Tsubame 2.0. This next-gen supercomputer will reportedly operate at 2.39 petaflops (that's a lot of flops!) and uses a new multilevel storage architecture consisting of DRAM as well as SSDs. Not only will this bad boy have thirty times the computing capacity of Tsubame 1.0 (due in part to its some 2,816 Intel Westmere microprocessors and 4,224 NVIDIA Tesla M2050 GPUs), its power draw should be some 1/25th of its predecessor's. If all goes according to plan, it should be in operation this fall, at a cost of ¥3.2 billion (approx $35.5 million). [Thanks, Dylan]
Intel plans to stuff more than 8 cores, extra speed into 2011 server chips
Yeah yeah, "more cores and faster speeds," you've heard it all before right? That'd be our reaction too if we weren't talking about the successor to the Nehalem-Ex, Intel's most gruesomely overpowered chip to date. Launched under the Xeon 7500 branding in March, it represents Intel's single biggest generational leap so far, and with its eight cores, sixteen threads, and 24MB of shared onboard cache, you could probably see why. Time waits for no CPU though, and Intel's planned 32nm Westmere-Ex successor will move things forward with an unspecified increase in both core count (speculated to be jumping up to 12) and operating frequencies, while keeping within the same power envelope. Given the current 2.26GHz default speed and 2.66GHz Turbo Boost option of the 7500, that means we're probably looking at a 2.4GHz to 2.5GHz 12-core, hyper-threaded processor, scheduled to land at some point next year. Time to make some apps that can use all that parallel processing power, nay?
AMD launches 12-core Opteron server chips, Intel counters with the 8-core Xeon 7500
You thought six cores were nifty? This week, AMD and Intel have begun the multithreaded battle in earnest -- if only on the IT front -- with chips that have up to double that core density. First up, AMD has officially brought us that Opteron 6000 series leaked last week, a set of 8- and 12-core processors aimed at dual- and quad-CPU servers that it claims have both higher performance and lower cost than Intel's recent hex-core offerings. Not to be outdone, Intel has just introduced a 8-core processor series of its own, the Xeon 7500, that it envisions deployed in mammoth 256-processor configurations. In bulk orders of 1,000, a single 12-core Opteron costs nearly $1,200, while the cheapest single 8-core Xeon will set you back a cool $2,461 in the same quantity. We don't doubt they're powerful, and we'd kill for a pair of either in our gaming rig. At those prices though, we'll stick to building our supercomputer out of PS3s -- oh, wait.
27-inch Cinema Display, 12-core Mac Pro by June
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is preparing to launch a 27-inch Cinema Display and 12-core Mac Pro by June. The 27-inch Cinema Display is rumored to use the same panel as the one used in the 27-inch iMac and will look similar to the 24-inch Cinema Display launched in October 2008. Internally, the display is referred to as "K59" and AppleInsider's sources believe its been lingering in Apple's labs for some time while Apple waited for the larger LCD panel – which supports resolutions up to 2560 by 1440 pixels – to drop in price. Along side the 27-inch Cinema Display will be the long-awaited Mac Pro update. The tower would get at least one 12-core model using two of Intel's six-core Xeon 5600 processors (that's a dodeca-core Mac Pro, baby!). The 5600 series will be available in 2.66, 2.8, 2.93, and 3.33GHz configurations. A June time frame would be almost fifteen months after Apple shipped the last Mac Pro. The late release would owe itself to Intel not delivering the Xeon 5600's for another month and a half. Apple typically updates their Pro towers in the first few months of the new year. [Cinema Display mock-ups by AppleInsider]
Apple said to be preparing 12-core Mac Pros and 27-inch LED Cinema Displays
AppleInsider has rounded up its stable of "people familiar with the matter" and squeezed them for info on Cupertino's plans for the near term. Firstly, they've heard that a 27-inch version of the currently available 24-inch LED Cinema Display is on its way, sporting a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and targeted for release "by June." The more exciting tip from those in the know, however, relates to the well aged Mac Pro and its future upgrade path. Apple has apparently firmed up plans to offer 6- and 12-core options (to replace the current 4- and 8-core variants), though the star of the show internally is said to be Intel's Xeon 5600, rather than the similarly specced Core i7-980X that had been rumored. This seems to be motivated by the fact the i7 beast can't do dual-CPU configurations, which are necessary to offer a dozen cores. Pricing for the single Xeon CPU model is expected to be close to the current $2,499 starting sticker, but release dates still elude us.
EVGA Classified SR-2 fits two Xeon CPUs for 24 threads, exemplifies overkill
Remember EVGA's seven-GPU motherboard monstrosity, the W555? That experimental beast of a board just got declassified -- and given immediate launch orders. Under the new "Classified SR-2" callsign, the board's layout has hardly changed since CES (though the heatsinks certainly got a makeover) but the big news here is that each of its two CPU sockets will support those fancy new six-core Xeon processors. As you're well aware, two times six is twelve -- and since each of the Xeon 5600's cores can handle 2 threads, you're looking at the basis for a 24-threaded powerhouse for mondo multitasking performance. Factor in enough slots for 4-way SLI, CrossFireX and 48GB of RAM, and it's not hard to figure out why the red-and-black HPTX (15- x 13.6-inches!) creation commands a $600 price point. The only questions are how much a full system will deplete your wallet, and how many fuses your house will blow after pressing the power button. Correction: Just a note that Intel's Core i7-980X isn't supported here, but the new Xeon 5600 CPUs are. %Gallery-88469%
Mac Pro 'hexacore' Xeon Core i7 debuts Tuesday?
ZDNet is reporting that the next iteration of the Mac Pro will be unveiled next Tuesday, March 16th. Their sources indicate that Intel's new 'hexacore' Core i7-980x chip, which is also expected to be launched next Tuesday, will be in that machine. Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"). It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores with a top frequency of 3.33GHz. Excluding the minor speed bump in December, the Mac Pro has not been updated for over a year. In December we reported on the leaked Core i7-980X specs. Two months later, HardMac reported that the new i7x Mac Pros could be delivered in February. With the launch of the i7-980X on Tuesday combined with HardMac's sources indicating a Mac Pro refresh that day as well, the i7x seems like a lock for the updated Mac Pro. However, as MacRumors points out, Apple has typically used server-branded Xeon chips in its Mac Pro line, and Intel is expected to debut a number of new Xeon 5600-series chips on Tuesday as well, notably Intel's 2010 flagship chip – the Xeon X5680.
Intel readies 8-core Nehalem-Ex processors for a March launch
Intel's current generation of Xeon processors already represents some of the fastest silicon you can buy, and yet the company's forthcoming Nehalem-Ex-based Xeons are being touted as the single greatest generational jump in its history. To achieve that, Intel has strapped eight cores into each CPU, with a pair of threads per core and 24MB of shared cache, along with integrated quad-channel memory controllers, Turbo Boost, and the pretty awesome ability to scale up to eight sockets -- meaning you could have 64 processing cores in the same rig. Don't even ask whether these chips can run Crysis 2, they'll probably be showing up in the machines that are making the game... and maybe yours, provided you have the cash to splash later this month.
Lenovo unleashes cut-rate ThinkStation E20 workstation on an unsuspecting public
Kids, are you a corporate buyer of CAD and DCC (digital content creation, duh!) systems looking to save a few pennies in a difficult economic environment? Well, you're in luck: we've dug up yet another demure, innocuous Lenovo with an oversized novelty handle for you, the ThinkStation E20. Shipping with your choice of an Intel Core i3, i5, Pentium, or Xeon 3400 Series processor and either Intel Core HD or NVIDIA Quadro graphics, this guy supports DDR3 memory and carries certifications from Autodesk, Siemens, Dassault Systemes, among others. If that weren't enough, the company is really pushing the green thing, with more than half of the plastic here coming from post-consumer recycled materials. Available sometime mid-month at prices starting at $599, so start save those pennies! You didn't really want that Tesla GPU anyways, did you? PR after the break.
EVGA's W555 motherboard gets a once over, can hold seven GPUs
Think CrossFireX is nifty? We're betting you're a big fan of SLI, huh? For those who grew up bragging about their "dual Voodoo" setup, there's nothing in the world that can stop you from lusting over this bad boy. Quietly introduced at CES, the EVGA W555 is just now being shown to the world in proper (prototype) form, and aside from being crafted to hold two overclocked processors and a dozen DDR3 DIMM slots, there's also space for seven PCI expansion slots. In other words, you could theoretically run seven GPUs in this thing. Of course, you'd need some serious software hacking skills to drive all that horsepower into a single display, but we get the feeling you like challenges, anyway. Hit the source link for more of the madness, but don't expect any units to hit retail until later in the year.
Gulftown processor dubbed Core i7-980X, making its debut Q1 2010?
If you didn't make it to eBay in time to put down $1,200 or so for your very own pre-release Gulftown chip, cheer up! The countdown to the six core wonder continues apace, with more news each passing day. According to a purportedly leaked slide that popped up on China's PC Online, the 32nm chip will be known as the Core i7-980X and not the Core i9, as previously rumored. Part of the i7 "Extreme Edition" series (so extreme!). If everything goes as leaked, the 3.33GHz processor could be included in new Mac Pro systems come early 2010 -- which more or less jibes with rumors that the processor will be available sometime in March. See the new product name appear on the roadmap after the break.
Apple adds 3.33GHz Xeon, 2TB hard drive options to Mac Pro
We know it can be tough scraping by with a measly 2.93GHz Xeon processor and 1TB hard drives in your Mac Pro, so you'll no doubt be pleased to know that Apple has finally seen fit to add a bit of extra horsepower to its humble little desktop. That includes a new option for a speedy 3.33GHz Xeon processor, which will add a hefty $1,200 to the base price, and a new a 2TB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200rpm hard drive option (also now available on Apple's Xserve server), which is a comparative bargain at just $350 -- though you can, of course, add four of them. Unfortunately, anyone that's thinking about doubling up on those 3.33GHz Xeon processors is still out of luck, as the 8-core rigs still top out at just 2.93Ghz.
Mac Pro gets a speed bump, Xserve has new storage options
After the introduction of the new 27" Intel Core i7 iMac in October, a lot of us in the Mac world were puzzled by the lack of a new higher-end Mac Pro. After all, the Mac Pro has traditionally been the most powerful Mac with the highest level of expandability. This morning, Apple quietly announced a speed bump for the Mac Pro, as well as new storage options for both the Mac Pro and the Xserve. For the quad-core Mac Pro (but not the eight-core model), you can now order a 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor. This is an amazing CPU, with 8 MB of fully shared L3 cache, Hyper-Threading technology, an integrated memory controller, and Turbo Boost for short bursts of speed up to 3.6 GHz. Now that prices have come down a bit on 2 TB hard drives, Apple has made them a configure-to-order option for Mac Pro and Xserve systems. Using high-performance 7200 RPM SATA drives with 32 MB of cache and a potential throughput of 3 Gb/s, the Mac Pro can now have a total storage capacity of 8 TB, while the Xserve can max out at 6 TB of storage. The new options are available immediately from the online Apple Store.
Leaked Intel Core i9 chip makes its way to eBay?
Would you pay $1,200 for an as-of-yet unreleased Intel Core i9 chip? Hard to say if the transaction actually occurred, but an auction recently ended from a Taiwanese eBay user who claims to be selling a six-core, 2.4GHz Xeon Westmere Gulftown processor. We can't vouch for the validity of the listing, but those are some pretty convincing pictures being tossed around -- ones that aren't blurred, which might give Intel an advantage in snooping out the leak. That's not all, though -- Nordic Hardware (via Tom's Hardware) also reports that the OCTeamDenmark forums had it listed for on sale for $850. The 32nm fella had some promising benchmarks released recently, although its release isn't slated until at best sometime early 2010. Sure, it's great to be first, but with early adopter prices like that, we don't mind waiting until it goes official. %Gallery-79549%
New iMacs, MacBooks in the fall Apple fashion lineup?
It looks like the new Mac rumor mill is starting to grind again, as several web sites are reporting that Apple is close to releasing updates to several parts of the product line. Joachim noted the rumors on the 24th, and here's an update. The first rumor is something I've personally been waiting for -- an update to the iMac line. French Mac site Mac4Ever [translation] is citing tips indicating that a new iMac, possibly quad-core powered, is in the works for a possible release before the holiday season. Like the MacBook Pro line, the new iMac would feature an SD card reader. There's also the thought that a high-end iMac could even pack in a Xeon processor. AppleInsider also thinks an iMac boost is in the works, although they're not speculating on quad-core or Xeon processors, and even reports that a new, slimmer design has been churning off Taiwanese assembly lines for the past two weeks. While a bump to the iMac line would be nice, I personally think that Apple would concentrate on reducing the cost of manufacturing to maintain their margins while making it possible to reduce prices to consumers. This could help Apple's share of the personal computer market continue to climb while keeping Wall Street analysts happy. The second rumor, also from AppleInsider, points to a less expensive and slimmer white polycarbonate MacBook. If Apple is able to reduce the price of the low-end laptop below its current US$999 level, it could stem the tide of sales of low-cost Windows and Linux netbooks. Regardless of what actually happens, design updates to these two lines are long overdue. The iMac has essentially been the same since August of 2007, while the MacBook has remained unchanged since May of 2006. It should be fun to see what Jonathan Ive, Steve Jobs, and the tireless Apple engineers who design this equipment have in store for us. [Original photo credit: © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com, through Wikimedia Commons]
How would you change Apple's Nehalem-based Mac Pro?
Apple's freshest Mac Pro, which was the first machine of any kind to ship with Intel's newest Nehalem-based Xeon processors, has been on the block for a few months now. By our estimation, that's plenty of time for the pros (and "prosumers," if you will) to get a good feel of their new workstation. Design wise, not a lot has changed in the machine, but we're anxious to know how you feel about the more subtle changes as well as the internal overhauling. Apple's charging a small fortune for this bad boy, so we fully expect you to be critical here. What's it missing? What should've been included? Are you still bitter that WiFi is a $50 option on a multi-thousand dollar machine? Sound off below!
Intel's Xeon 3500, 5500 series officially unveiled for servers and workstations
Intel's announced this week its latest batch of Nehalem-based Xeon processors, the single-socket 3500 and dual-socket 5500 series for servers and workstations. Both models boast speeds up to 3.2 GHz and feature Intel's turbo boost, hyper-threading, and virtualization technologies, as well as integrated power gates. If you've got the newest Mac Pro, however, then you're already using the new quad-core CPUs,, but for everyone else, they're now being sold en masse to manufacturers at a price ranging from $188 to $1,600 for the Xeon 5500 and $284 to $999 for the 3500. We've already heard about 5500 / 3500-equipped Lenovo and Dell workstations, but if that doesn't suit you, Intel promises over 230 systems are in the pipeline from companies such as Cisco, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, among others.
