Qualcomm Debuts 10nm Server Chip To Attack Intel Server Stronghold (tomshardware.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Tom's Hardware: Qualcomm and its Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies subsidiary announced today that the company has already begun sampling its first 10nm server processor. The Centriq 2400 is the second generation of Qualcomm server SOCs, but it is the first in its new family of 10nm FinFET processors. The Centriq 2400 features up to 48 custom Qualcomm ARMv8-compliant Falkor cores and comes a little over a year after Qualcomm began developing its first-generation Centriq processors. Qualcomm's introduction of a 10nm server chip while Intel is still refining its 14nm process appears to be a clear shot across Intel's bow--due not only to the smaller process, but also its sudden lead in core count. Intel's latest 14nm E7 Broadwell processors top out at 24 cores. Qualcomm isn't releasing more information, such as clock speeds or performance specifications, which would help to quantify the benefit of its increased core count. The server market commands the highest margins, which is certainly attractive for the mobile-centric Qualcomm, which found its success in the relatively low-margin smartphone segment. However, Intel has a commanding lead in the data center with more than a 99% share of the world's server sockets, and penetrating the segment requires considerable time, investment, and ecosystem development. Qualcomm unveiled at least a small portion of its development efforts by demonstrating Apache Spark and Hadoop on Linux and Java running on the Centriq 2400 processor. The company also notes that Falkor is SBSA compliant, which means that it is compatible with any software that runs on an ARMv8-compliant server platform.

Comments

It takes a LOT of cache and very clever data paths

[Anonymous Coward]

It takes a LOT of cache and very clever data paths to keep 48 cores fed with data. Intel cores typically have 2.5MB of local level 3 cache for each core and multiple ring busses so cores can access the whole cache and not waste precious off-chip bandwidth trying to read from main memory. If this is a special purpose chip for executing deep learning algorithms that's one thing, but for a general purpose server where tasks are uncorrelated, it ain't easy to prevent stalls while cores wait for data.

Next Next Gen Shaders

[Ostracus]

Or use a GPU (http://shader.kaist.edu/packetshader/)

Re:Intel 10nm != Other Foundry 10nm

[Rockoon]

I don't know much about foundries but I remember TSMC had some problems getting to this node as does everybody. What I do know is that fabs are all TSMC does. Intel is a bigger beast that does fabbing, software, motorboards, chip design, etc.

It is this, but I don't think its in the way you think.

Intels problem is that it cannot sell FAB time because they are vertically integrated. Intel builds a FAB and runs its next gen chips off of it for a few years, then they are stuck looking for something to do with the FAB when it is no longer current-gen. The problem is this specifically. Intel is competing with just about every FAB on the planet in this older-gen market (unlike with their desktop chips) so therefore margins are thin even on much older FAB's that are good enough to satisfy the bulk of the markets needs for all these secondary sub-products (drive controllers, etc...)

There are 3 kinds of semiconductor fabricators:

1) Vertically integrated like Intel. Only they can use their FABs.
2) Integrated device manufacturer like Samsung. They can sell FAB time to other companies so long as there isnt a conflict of interest.
3) Fair-play like TSMC. They only sell FAB time.

TSMC's revenue is now approaching Intel's, and unlike Intel they can keep all their FABs busy making money, so the outlook for Intel is grim without a serious restructuring, which they are doing (see recent massive layoffs, and bullshit marketing about their new "cloud strategy")

I've posted more than once about this on slashdot, and each time I end with the same recommendation: Sell your Intel stock.