Chipmaker Tilera has just introduced new 36- and 16-core TILE-Gx 64-bit processors. The company claims performance that betters an Intel Xeon-based system from the 36-core version, but with just 20 percent of the power use and about an eighth of the physical space. The company foresees applications in VoIP systems, streaming video set-ups, and real-time image and video processing, among others.
Velocity Micro promised five new devices as its contribution to CES. Two new Cruz Tablets, the seven-inch T507 and 9.7-inch T510, will both ship with Android 4.0 from the start (not yet shown). The pair both run on a 1.2GHz, single-core ARM Cortex-A8 chip with fast Mali-400 graphics, 8GB of built-in storage, and HDMI video out.
Intel's Xeon E5 launch early this year could be matched by a handful of Ivy Bridge-based models soon after based on a tentative roadmap. After releasing 18 E5 chips based on the current Sandy Bridge architecture, Intel would have 11 Xeons arrive in the spring based on the 2012 design, Digitimes heard. Billed as Ivy Bridge-H2, these would include Xeon E3 chips like the E3-1290v2 in bulk costs of $189 to $884 as well as E5s from $192 to $1,440, one of which would be the E5-2470.
Signs of a long-in-waiting Mac Pro update have appeared in earnest through the Apple Store. Picking either the 12-core stock workstation or most build-to-order changes knocks the shipping time back to between one to three weeks, usually a sign at Apple that supplies are dwindling. A refresh isn't necessarily imminent and might depend on both the sales rate of remaining stock and how soon new components are ready.
A series of early benchmark tests centering around the upcoming Intel Atom N2600 have been performed by NetbookLive. The low-power Cedar Trail chip uses 32nm architecture and uses dual cores to attain its 1.6GHz clock speed, though these specs aren't yet official. Intel's integrated HD 3600 graphics running at 400MHz are onboard and it should support as much as 2GB of RAM.
Signs of Apple's long-in-waiting Mac Pro update emerged in earnest after a discovery in the latest Mac OS X 10.7.3 beta. Netkas found code references in the ATIRadeonX3000 driver extension to "Tahiti," the known codename for AMD's upcoming high-end desktop Radeon HD 7000 line. The chipsets are expected to be the first 28-nanometer chips and have a completely new, liquid-cooled graphics core meant to improve general-purpose computing tasks like those in OpenCL.
Intel may have moved its Xeon E5 launch for the mainstream due to issues with SAS drives, tipsters claimed Friday. The Romley chipset when combined with current, Sandy Bridge-based processors was said by Digitimes to have problems when using the high speed serial disks. Two of the first wave of Xeon E5 chips, the E5-1600 and E5-2600, had been moved to the first week of March.
Intel chose the SC11 conference for an unusual preview of its next-generation mid-range workstation and server chip, the Xeon E5. The pre-release chip is now running ten of the supercomputers in the Top500 list and is estimated to be about 2.1 times more pure performance, and 70 percent in high demand workloads, than the Xeon 5600 it replaces. It will also be the first Xeon to support PCI Express 3.0, which doubles the bandwidth and is useful for very high bandwidth connections to the Internet, cluster computers, and high-demand local peripherals like video cards.
Intel marked one of the more important anniversaries in technology on Tuesday with the 40th anniversary of the Intel 4004. The 740KHz chip is generally considered the first real microprocessor, or a singular, small integrated circuit chip that served as the core of a device. It was made before November 15 for a Busicom 141-PF calculator as part of a four-chip set before Intel managed to get rights to sell it as a general purpose chip for anyone, which it did when the November 15, 1971 issue of Electronic News was published.
Intel's Xeon E5 processors may have been spoiled in earnest with a detailed listing of every E5-2600 model at CPU-World. Intended for dual-socket computers, they will start off with a quad-core, 1.8GHz Xeon with 10MB of Level 3 cache and no Hyperthreading, but with a $202 price point in bulk. The line will culminate in eight-core models at between 1.8GHz to 3.1GHz, Hyperthreading, power use between 70W and 150W, 20MB of cache, and prices between $1,106 and $2,057.
Newly uneatherd details from Intel's roadmap suggest that Intel's long-in-waiting mid-range Xeon replacement, the E5, might not ship until 2012. Previously on tap for late 2011, they're now "delayed by one quarter," CPU World claimed. No reason was given as to why, or whether or not it meant going to the same 22 nanometer process as Ivy Bridge.
Intel's mid-cycle Sandy Bridge-E processors may have received a more definitive timeframe after a Turkish leak. The initial batch of Core i7 processors, their companion X79 chipset, and possible Xeon E5 processors have a general "Platform Launch" window of between November 14 and 27, but DonanimHaber expected a more exact November 15 date. The release should be a 'hard' launch where shipping computers and individual parts are already in stores.
(Update: site failure) Apple has raised speculation Wednesday by taking down the online Apple Store. The company usually does so right before a product launch but is doing so on a Wednesday, not its usual Tuesday. No immediate leaks have also popped up to give a clue as to what it might be.
Intel still dominates the PC microprocessor market, but its share has slipped slightly, according to results just published by IDC. For the second quarter of this year, which represents about $9.5 billion in sales, Intel garnished a 79.3 percent share of the overall market, down 1.5 percent, while AMD grabbed exactly as much as Intel lost to reach 20.4 percent. Processors with integrated graphics represented over 60 percent of all CPUs shipped and was given a kick by AMD's Fusion graphics.
Intel today has begun to demonstrate its ‘Cloud-in-a-Box’ solutions. The company claims the Xeon-powered cloud data centers are the world's smallest. The system is currently showcased in Australia before heading to Taiwan, Korea and India.
The upcoming Mac Pro could have one of the largest spreads in performance in recent memory based on internal Apple documents obtained late last night. Shown as "Mac Pro (Mid 2011)," it should have four main models using Xeon chips, starting with a single-processor, six-core model and moving to an eight-core system, a 12-core (two times six) system and a 16-core (two times eight) flagship. The tip to 9to5 couldn't prove whether the designs would use a new rackmountable design.
Intel has disclosed additional details surrounding its upcoming Knights Corner processor, a 50-core chip first previewed early last year. The CPU will be the first to be produced using the company's Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture, which takes advantage of x86-based Xeon cores and 22nm construction. The technology is claimed to offer a significant jump in performance scalability compared to current offerings.
An unusual plethora of rumors Monday night provided possible details of the new Mac Pro and other near-term Apple updates. The pro tower will supposedly get a "unique CPU" along with its more rackmountable case. What that would entail wasn't said by MICGadget's purported informants, though it's more likely to involve early access to the Xeon E5 due this fall than a genuinely rare processor.
Sources told Brian Tong Sunday afternoon that new Mac minis and redesigned Mac Pros should arrive either in late July or early August. The historically accurate CNET staffer was given only a few details but was told they would use both Sandy Bridge-era Intel processors and Thunderbolt ports. August was more likely for the two, he heard, and both would appropriately come preloaded with Lion.
Intel Senior VP Tom Kilroy commented on Wednesday that Apple was both directly and indirectly influencing the Intel chip roadmap. The two collaborated often, and Apple's consideration "helps shape our roadmap [at Intel]," he said at a Reuters summit. Even when not directly contributing, the company was often driving Intel forward through the success of devices like the iPad, which use the architecture of Intel's rival ARM.
Apple may be on the verge of a long-expected revamp of the Mac Pro that could potentially assuage fears following the end of the Xserve. A rumor Thursday had the system narrower, going from over eight inches to five, while also becoming shorter at 19 inches. The layout as described by 9to5 might help it fit into a 3U rackmount, three times bigger than the Xserve's 1U but also capable of working as a regular desktop.
Dell has began shipping the Precision T1600 tower workstation it introduced at the start of February. It's meant for professional users with applications such as AutoCAD or Pro/Engineer and offers Intel's Sandy Bridge Core i3 processors or Xeon E3-1200 chips, at clock speeds ranging from 3.1GHz to 3.5GHz.
Intel on Tuesday brought out the Sandy Bridge-based version of its highest-performing Xeons. The Xeon E7 series is the practical version of the Westmere-EX architecture and is intended for both servers as well as other very high performance computers. It represents one of the few if not first Intel chips to break the eight-core barrier and, at 10 real cores, can handle as many as 20 simultaneous code threads at once through Hyperthreading.
Some of the very earliest benchmark tests of Apple's new MacBook Pros have shown them fast enough to outperform some Mac Pro workstations. Geekbench scores for the new 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz quad Core i7 processors are regularly reaching over 10,000 and producing better integer and floating point scores than Apple's pro towers from a year or two ago. Some results, such as one test for a 2.2GHz MacBook Pro, are outperforming the 3.2GHz and 3.33GHz quad-core Xeons from Mac Pros in 2010 and 2009 respectively.
Dell on Tuesday focused some attention on its pro-level Precision and Optiplex systems. Its most Precision M4600 and M6600 are the most genuinely new models and also the most secretive. The two should replace the 15.6-inch and 17-inch existing workstation notebooks and are likely to use Intel's 2011 Core (Sandy Bridge) processors along with new workstation graphics and a slightly refreshed design.
Active Storage has made its leaked XServe replacement officially known on Monday, calling the metadata controller appliance ActiveSAN. Apple's Xserve are discontinued as of today as well, and the ActiveSAN is being endorsed by Apple. Active Storage CEO Alex Grossman said the product is easy to use and offers more than just generic server functionality for Xsan and StorNext installations.
Microsoft is using its purchasing muscle to push Intel into developing a 16-core Atom chip for its server farms, according to a report. Microsoft is keen to reduce its power consumption in its huge data centers and believes that Intel’s Atom chips, with its low power consumption design and x86 compatibility will deliver the savings that it is looking for. Currently most of Microsoft’s server farms use Intel’s Xeon server-class chips, which while delivering processing grunt, are also relatively power hungry and generate a lot of heat. A 16-core Atom would deliver the necessary processing power, but would run significantly cooler and would be cheaper to deploy.
NextComputing brought Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs to its lineup of Radius portable and low footprint all-in-one PCs. The PCs are unique in that they offer a 17-inch, 1,900x1,200 display built right into the side of the case, where the hardware components live. For ease of mobility, the case has a built-in, leather-padded carrying handle.
The sudden ouster of AMD's CEO Dirk Meyer was owed to poor competition against Apple and Intel in tablets, insiders said Tuesday. Although the company didn't give a formal explanation, those aware said the board of directors forced him out as they were frustrated with a lack of growth in server-class hardware and the tablet field established by the iPad. A presentation in November revealed that Meyer just wasn't moving fast enough for the board's liking, the WSJ said.
Intel and NVIDIA today settled their longstanding chipset dispute in a deal that heavily favored NVIDIA. The truce will see Intel pay NVIDIA $1.5 billion to license all of the patents for NVIDIA's graphics cores. NVIDIA will keep use of Intel's patents, outside of proprietary x86 processors and "certain chipsets."
Dell plans to spark new life in its pro workstations if a leak of case renders comes true. The high-end Precision T7600 as well as the mid-range T3600 and T5600 should all use a new design language known as Fractal. Each system spotted by Engadget would have a segmented shape with bright red accents; they would be very modular and use what appears to be a special heatsink and otherwise organization more reminiscent of a Mac Pro.
Apple in the wake of plans to phase out the Xserve has brought out a new, server-oriented configuration of the Mac Pro on the Apple Store. The new version has the same 2.8GHz quad-core Xeon as the entry model but focuses on upgrades friendlier to the pre-installed copy of Snow Leopard Server. It more than doubles the RAM to 8GB and carries a second 1TB hard drive for options like a RAID mirror or keeping app performance unimpeded by the OS.
Apple today sent notice that it was phasing out the Xserve. The rackmount server will be discontinued as of January 31, 2011, and the currently available 160GB, 1TB and 2TB Apple Drive Modules will ship through the end of 2011 or until stock runs out. The company plans to honor AppleCare warranties and will have repair parts for up to seven years in California and five years in the rest of the world.
Intel this evening reported its best ever quarter. In spite of warnings of a slowdown, its revenue reached an all-time high of $11.1 billion. Its operating income reached a similar high of $4.1 billion, although its net income was a more modest $3 billion.
Intel as expected used its Developer Forum keynote to detail Sandy Bridge, the architecture behind what Intel now calls its second generation of Core chips. The 32 nanometer chips use a new ring architecture that moves the graphics on to the chip itself and lets them share cache with the core on virtually equal terms. The change and other optimizations should give it performance much closer to dedicated video and may finally make it suitable for regular gaming.
As expected, Apple today started taking orders for the new Mac Pro. The new systems are now known to include three configurations and include not just the 2.8GHz quad-core and 2.4GHz eight-core systems but a third 12-core, 2.66GHz model. It comes outfitted with the same 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive and Radeon HD 5770 video but, due to the cost of the more exotic Xeons, starts at $4,999.
Apple has confirmed that it will start selling the new Mac Pro on August 9. Phone customers are being told the option will be a true order campaign and not a pre-order, though it's not known whether retail stores will have the workstations the same day. It's also uncertain how quickly Apple will ship online orders.
Intel's platform for its Sandy Bridge desktop processors, Sugar Bay, should launch right at the start of the new year if sources are accurate. The design would combine the new, quad-core, 32 nanometer processors with Intel's upcoming P67 chipset and would ship during the CES show starting January 6. Budget dual-core and higher end unlocked processors would ship later.
Apple today launched its first update to the Mac Pro in a year and a half with a speed boost as well as a new display. The new pro workstation uses as much as two six-core, 2.93GHz Xeon 5600 chips for a total of 12 cores, or 50 percent more than the outgoing top-end model. They can Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz and have both lower memory lag and a larger 12MB of cache.
Apple's rumored desktop Mac refresh may come as soon as tomorrow if a hint is any indication. Historically accurate John Gruber implied in the notice for a new podcast episode that the new iMacs, new Mac Pros and a 27-inch Cinema Display could all be available on Tuesday. The details are few but are expected, as the iMac would be a "speed-bump" while the display would have the same 16:9 ratio screen as the 27-inch iMac.
Evidence of new Mac Pros mounted on Friday as Apple's in-store pickup option is now running out of systems. Both the four-core and eight-core systems are alternately showing as "unavailable" where they were listed as available to reserve as recently as Thursday. Online, both models are still showing the usual 24-hour shipping window, though Apple lately has learned to keep delivery times short even just before an update.
Intel today reported what it says was its best ever quarter in history. Its revenue in spring surged 34 percent year-over-year to $10.8 billion and was boosted further by a net profit of $2.9 billion, which itself was up 175 percent compared to spring 2009. The semiconductor firm also touted a three percent increase in the gross margin on its products (to 67 percent) and a slight boost to the average price of a chip.
Intel might scale back its plans for Xeon processors using its Westmere-EX architecture, a rumor may have confirmed today. Originally thought to have as many as 12 cores, a source now says it would peak at 10. What caused this wasn't mentioned by the PCWorld contact, but heat, power and size requirements are often what set back chip releases.
Lenovo on Thursday took the covers from its first large all-in-one desktop for pros. At 23 inches, the ThinkCentre M90z has both more workable area than the 19-inch A70z with a 1080p, multi-touch screen but has room for faster components. It carries either Core i3 or i5 processors and has the option of an SSD for storage.
Intel is planning a server-oriented version of its 32 nanometer Xeons that would be the company's first chip of any kind with more than eight cores, Intel said in a webcast late Thursday. Currently codenamed Westmere-EX, it would supplant the eight-core, 45nm Xeon 7500 and is likely to pack 12 cores without increasing the power consumption over the current chip. It should still work in existing processor sockets and would be a drop-in replacement for those who want to upgrade servers rather than replace them outright.
Intel has reportedly told resellers not to expect its 6-core Xeon 5600 chips in significant quantities until the end of the spring, in June. No reason has been given by the MacBidouille tipster, although the same lack of 32 nanometer processors that has triggered the current mobile processor shortage may be affecting the Xeon as well.
AMD this morning at last took the wraps from its first mainstream six-core processor, the Phenom II X6. It adds two new cores but without changing the power draw compared to AMD's faster quad-cores or even the price, letting regular users get added speed in newer games and other very parallel tasks. They also add a Turbo Core feature which, like Intel's Turbo Boost, shuts down unneeded cores while ramping up the clock speed; as many as three cores can be active at the higher speeds.
Apple is in "advanced discussions" that may see it use AMD chips to supplement Intel, a potentially major rumor claimed on Friday. Executives and others from AMD have reportedly been seen visiting Apple's Cupertino campus and giving briefings to help Apple work on AMD-based Macs. The AppleInsider source claimed that most of the testing so far has centered around AMD's workstation chips, headed up by the Opteron line, and for mobile chips like the Turion series.
PC maker MainGear has released its Quantum SHIFT workstation PC for creative pros. Unlike its gaming PCs, the SHIFT can be ordered with up to three NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics cards. The full tower can also house up to 96GB of RAM, with processor choices that include Intel's quad-core 3.2GHz Core i7 or the six-core, 3.33GHz Extreme Edition.
Intel this afternoon sought to cement its grip on the very high end of computers with its first eight-core processor, the Xeon 7500. The two extra cores give it even more performance in highly parallel situations -- up to 16 program threads at once with Hyperthreading -- and the design itself is unique at Intel in the sheer amount of scaling compared to the outgoing 7400. A four-processor server can handle as much as 1TB of memory, and a single computer can include as many as 256 discrete processors.
