Intel Launches Skylake-SP for Servers With up-to 28 cores

Intel today introduced its latest generation Xeon server platform, codenamed Skylake-SP, also called the Xeon Scalable Processor Series, based on the same Skylake architecture used in desktops. Among it, a Platinum Xeon 8180 server CPU with 28 cores at the price of roughly 12000,- Euros.

That top SKU Intel Xeon 8180 Platinum proc runs it's cores at 2.5 GHz, it can hyper-thread to 56 threads and seats onto a new platform with a socket that has 3647 pins, LGA 3647. Other notable models are:

• Intel Platinum 8176: 28 Cores / 56 Threads Processor and Dual Socket 56 Cores /112 Threads
• Intel Platinum 8168: 24 Core / 48 Threads Processor and Dual Socket 48 Cores / 96 Threads
• Intel Xeon Gold 6161: 22 Core / 44 Threads Processor
• Intel Xeon Gold 6142: 16 Core / 32 Thread Processor and Dual Socket 32 Cores / 64 Threads

"Data center and network infrastructure is undergoing massive transformations to support emerging use cases like precision medicine, artificial intelligence and agile network services paving the path to 5G," said Navin Shenoy, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Data Center Group. "Intel Xeon Scalable processors represent the biggest data center advancement in a decade."
 

Intel Xeon Scalable processors also provide businesses with the richest suite of platform feature innovations that deliver significant performance increases across key workloads. These include:

• Artificial Intelligence: Delivers 2.2x higher deep learning training and inference compared to the previous generation, and 113x deep learning performance gains compared to a 3-year-old non-optimized server system when combined with software optimizations speeding delivery of AI-fueled services.
• Networking: Delivers up to 2.5x increased IPSec forwarding rate for key networking applications compared to previous generation when using Intel QuickAssist and DPDK increasing the value derived from network transformation.
• Virtualization: Operates up to an estimated 4.2x more virtual machines (VMs) versus a 4-year-old system for rapid service deployment, server utilization, lower energy costs and space efficiency spurring enterprise data center modernization.
• High Performance Computing: Provides up to a 2x FLOPs/clock improvement with Intel AVX-512 as well as integrated Intel Omni-Path Architecture ports, delivering improved compute capability, I/O flexibility and memory bandwidth to accelerate discovery and innovation.
• Storage: Processes up to 5x more IOPS while reducing latency by up to 70 percent versus out-of-the-box NVMe SSDs when combined with Intel Optane SSDs and Storage Performance Development Kit (SPDK), making data more accessible for advanced analytics.

The Intel Xeon Scalable processor features a new core microarchitecture, new on-die interconnects and memory controllers. The resulting platform optimizes performance as well as the reliability, security and manageability necessary in data centers and networking infrastructure.

• Performance: The Intel Xeon Scalable processors deliver an overall performance increase up to 1.65x versus the previous generation, and up to 5x OLTP warehouse workloads versus the current install base-accelerating today's modern-day workloads including modeling and simulation, machine learning, HPC and digital content creation. These significant performance gains are enabled through new features such as Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (Intel AVX-512), which boost performance of computationally intensive tasks, a new Intel Mesh Architecture for reduced system latency, Intel QuickAssist Technology for hardware acceleration of cryptography and data compression operations and integrated high-speed fabric with Intel Omni-Path Architecture for cost-effective deployment of HPC clusters.
• Scalability: Optimized to meet the wide range of performance demands in data centers and communications networks, the Intel Xeon Scalable processors offer up to 28 cores and up to 6 terabytes of system memory (4-socket systems), and scale to support 2-socket through 8-socket systems and beyond, powering entry-level workloads to the most mission-critical applications.
• Agility: Compute, network and storage performance and software ecosystem optimizations of the Intel Xeon Scalable processors make it ideal for software defined, TCO (total cost of ownership)-optimized, data centers that dynamically self-provision resources - on premise, through the network, and in the cloud - based on workload needs.
• Security without Compromise: Data protection through full encryption has long carried a significant performance overhead. Application can now run with less than 1 percent overhead with data-at-rest encryption turned on. The new Intel Xeon Scalable processor also delivers a 3.1x performance improvement generation-over-generation in cryptography performance. Intel has extended processor security features with Intel Key Protection Technology delivering enhanced protection to security key attacks. In addition Intel Xeon Scalable is designed to secure the platform with further advancements in hardware root of trust.

Intel also introduced Intel Select Solutions, a solutions brand aimed at simplifying and speeding the deployment of data center and network infrastructure, with initial solutions delivery on Canonical Ubuntu*, Microsoft SQL 16* and VMware vSAN 6.6*. Intel Select Solutions is an expansion of the company's deep investment in Intel Builders ecosystem collaborations and will deliver a choice of Intel-verified configurations to the market, enabling customers to speed return on investment in Intel Xeon Scalable processor-based infrastructure for user-prioritized workloads.

Uniquely architected to help customers accelerate the deployment of cloud infrastructure, transform communications networks and unleash artificial intelligence, the Intel Xeon Scalable platform is supported by 100s of ecosystem of partners, more than 480 Intel builders and more than 7,000 software vendors to drive software optimizations that take advantage of the platform. The Intel Xeon Scalable processor has received broad support from a variety of companies, including Amazon*, AT&T*, BBVA*, Google*, Microsoft*, Montefiore*, Technicolor* and Telefonica*.