Sun To Release 8-Core Niagara 2 Processor

An anonymous reader writes "Sun Microsystems is set to announce its eight-core Niagara 2 processor next week. Each core supports eight threads, so the chip handles 64 simultaneous threads, making it the centerpiece of Sun's "Throughput Computing" effort. Along with having more cores than the quads from Intel and AMD, the Niagara 2 have dual, on-chip 10G Ethernet ports with cryptographic capability. Sun doesn't get much processor press, because the chips are used only in its own CoolThreads servers, but Niagara 2 will probably be the fastest processor out there when it's released, other than perhaps the also little-known 4-GHz IBM Power 6."

Comments

Sun doesn't get much processor press

[Sycraft-fu]

Because it isn't main stream. Their stuff is really, really expensive. That doesn't mean there's not a place for it (they'd not be in business if there wasn't) but most people just don't care because they can't pay that price. As an example we just took an old Sun server off of maintenance because we've moved all functions off of it. The cost of maintenance was $2,500 per year. No, that's not a typo. Ok well for that price, we can literally buy a new fairly high performance server from someone like Dell or Gateway (with a 3 year warranty).

Well, when you are talking in price classes of that nature, most people just don't give a shit. A new Intel or AMD processor is exciting because it is something that is in the realm of what people can actually afford. Even if the item itself is high end, you know it'll be coming down soon enough. Intel's quads were over a grand when they launched, now you get get one for like $300. Sun stuff based on their own chips (and even not) is just damn expensive. If you aren't an enterprise type user it just isn't going to be on the list of things you'll get.

Thus much less press.

Also, their processor division has been kinda lagging. The SPARC offerings prior to this really haven't stacked up that well against what Intel and AMD have. We got a Sun Fire V440 and it works fine and all for the SPARC only apps we have, but for things that will run on x86, it gets blown away by Core 2 Duos.

The Niagara looks cool but the base model is $10,000 which gets you the 4 core version of the chip and 8GB of RAM. If you want the 8 core setup, that's $21,500 minimum. At those prices, there's going to be little mainstream press as that is out of the range of even most companies. Thus most people just don't care, as Sun never will be bringing it to the masses (barring a massive strategy change).

Re:Sun doesn't get much processor press

[Sycraft-fu]

With all due respect mate, it is YOU that don't have a clue. It's wonderful that as a financial company you like Sun. However you need to recognise that 99.99% of the world is not like you. Most companies have no need or ant for stuff like that and it shows in sales numbers. Sun certainly has a place, hence why they are in business (you sell something nobody wants, your company dies) however they aren't going to get the press that Intel and AMD do because most people just don't care. Home users don't care, small business doesn't care, many large businesses don't care, even ones that do, only a limited number of folks at them care (I am going to bet you don't run Sun on all your desktops).

If you really think that limited segment of the market reflects the market at large, well, then go talk to one of your analysts and ask them why Sun is worth about 10% of Intel. You'll discover that as much as super critical infrastructure may like things like Sun, the world at large doesn't. Thus when a new Intel chip comes out, that's big news. When a new Sun chip does, it makes news only in trade mags or on some tech sites like Slashdot. This is teh same sort of reason that a new Hybrid Honda will get reviewed in major auto mags and tested by consumer reports but you won't even hear about new GE Hybrid locomitves. It's not that the locomotives are worthless, it is that they are worthless to most people, and thus limited news.