Intel going for 10 processor cores - 20 threaded

Intel's next-generation processor code-named Westmere-EX may include more cores than the company's current server chips, according to the title of a paper about the chip announced on Sunday. Intel will present a paper, called "Westmere-EX: A 20 Thread Server CPU," at the Hot Chips 22 conference , which will be held at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California between August 22 and 24.

That tops the previous high of 16 threads in a CPU achieved by some Nehalem-EX CPUs with eight cores. Westmere-EX processors will succeed Nehalem-EX, which are able to run two threads simultaneously per physical core. Intel already offers chips based on the Westmere architecture for laptops, desktop and servers that can simultaneously run two threads per core. That ability to run 20 threads points to Westmere-EX CPUs possibly including up to 10 physical cores.

The company in the past has said that Westmere-EX chips would include more cores and operate at faster speeds than Nehalem-EX, though it has not provided further details.

Intel has said that Westmere-EX will be targeted at servers with four sockets and higher. The chips will be made using the 32-nanometer manufacturing process and are due for release next year.

Companies talking about the latest server chips at the conference also include IBM and Advanced Micro Devices. IBM will be talking about the next-generation "System z microprocessor," according to the advance agenda. AMD will be talking about the next-generation high-end desktop and server architecture code-named Bulldozer and the Bobcat microarchitecture for thin-and-light laptops and other low-power device [via PC-World].