AMD Looks To 'Crush' Intel's Xeon With New Epyc Server Chips (extremetech.com)

AMD has unveiled the first generation of Epyc, its new range of server processors built around its Zen architecture. Processors will range from the Epyc 7251 -- an eight-core, 16-thread chip running at 2.1 to 2.9GHz in a 120W power envelope -- up to the Epyc 7601: a 32-core, 64-thread monster running at 2.2 to 3.2GHz, with a 180W design power. From a report: These chips are built on the same fundamental architecture as the company's Ryzen CPU cores, and they're aimed at the incredibly powerful data center market. AMD's 32-core / 64-thread Epyc CPUs combine four eight-core dies, each connected to the other via the company's Infinity Fabric. According to AMD, this approach is significantly cheaper than trying to pack 32 cores into a single monolithic die -- that approach would leave the company potentially throwing away huge amounts of silicon during its production ramp. The Infinity Fabric is deliberately over-provisioned to minimize any problems with non-NUMA aware software, according to Anandtech. Each 32-core Epyc CPU will support eight memory channels and two DIMMs per channel, for a total maximum memory capacity of 2TB per socket, or 4TB of RAM in a two-socket system. Each CPU will also offer 128 lanes of PCI Express 3.0 support -- enough to connect up to six GPUs at x16 each with room left over for I/O support. That's in a one-socket system, mind you. In a two-socket system, the total number of available PCI Express 3.0 lanes is unchanged, at 128 (64 PCIe 3.0 lanes are used to handle CPU -- CPU communication). Anandtech has a longer writeup with more details on the CPUs power efficiency and TDP scaling. Further reading: ZDNet, press release.

Comments

So it's not a 32 core chip

[dreamchaser]

It's a cluster of 4 8 core CPUs connected via a high speed interconnect. I'm not saying that is bad; I just wish a tech site would have more accurate reporting.

Re:So it's not a 32 core chip

[scumdamn]

It's not 32 core die but the CPU itself is 32 cores. The CPU is what goes into the socket. This whole conversation has been going back to the mid 2000s when Intel released their quad core CPU that was really two different dies glued together. Nobody cared that AMD had a "true quad core" where Intel just had a higher-performing part that had 4 cores spread among 2 dies.

Re:My problem with AMD

[tonywong]

AMD made some huge mistakes but Intel was blatantly anti-competitive/abusive against AMD and got fined in the US, Europe and had to settle with AMD for billions of dollars.

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/184323-intel-stuck-with-1-45-billion-fine-in-europe-for-unfair-and-damaging-practices-against-amd

AMD wasn't exactly partying like they ruled the world, the deck was stacked against them by Intel when AMD had a superior product.

Re:My problem with AMD

[Anonymous Coward]

The reason AMD couldn't sustain is that Intel bribed their customers to stay with them as shown by the lawsuit Intel lost and the 1.2 billion dollars that Intel owes AMD. Intel has made many times that by essentially marginalizing AMD so the fine is most likely worth it to them. It is worthy to note that AMD still hasn't received a penny of that fine from Intel since they agreed to pay in 2009.

There was a separate, similar case in the UK with a similar outcome. Intel owes another 1 billion euros to AMD from the second case which it has been appealing unsuccessfully for several years.

Overall Intel owes AMD close to 3 billion dollars in fines but has successfully delayed paying it for the better part of a decade.

Re:My problem with AMD

[Gravis Zero]

Can you buy it? AMD arguably made "ok" CPUs (talking within past 2-3 years), and even some mildly interesting ones. But could you buy them anywhere?

Yes you can.