GIGABYTE today announced its latest generation of servers based on Intel's Skylake Purley architecture. This new generation brings a wealth of new options in scalability - across compute, network and storage - to deliver solutions for any application, from the enterprise to the data center to HPC. (Jump ahead to system introductions).

This server series adopts Intel's new product family - officially named the 'Intel Xeon Scalable family' and utilizes its ability to meet the increasingly diverse requirements of the industry, from entry-level HPC to large scale clusters.. The major development in this platform is around the improved features and functionality at both the host and fabric levels. These enable performance improvements - both natively on chip and for future extensibility through compute, network and storage peripherals. In practical terms, these new CPUs will offer up to 28 cores, and 48 PCIe lanes per socket.

On the back of impressive performance, yield, and cost metric for AMD's market-warping Ryzen and server-shaking EPYC processors, securities firm Rosenblatt Securities' Hans Mosesmann has affirmed a "Buy" rating for AMD's stock, while saddling Intel with a seldom-seen "Sell". All in all, there have been a number of changes in Intel's market ratings; there seems to be a downgrade trend towards either "Hold" or "Sell" scenarios compared to the usual "Buy" ratings given by hedge funds and financial analysts - ratings which are undoubtedly affected (at least in part) by AMD's Ryzen and EPYC execution.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the new business-class TS-1685 desktop 16-bay Xeon D Super NAS that supports twelve 3.5" hard drives and four 2.5" SSDs, provides six M.2 SSD slots, and features a powerful Intel Xeon D processor to deliver outstanding performance with high-capacity storage. Designed to optimize enterprise IT infrastructure, the TS-1685 comes with three PCIe slots that support 10GbE/40GbE NIC, PCIe NVMe SSD, graphics cards, and USB 3.1 expansion cards to provide a complete business-ready storage solution incorporating security and scalability.

The TS-1685 leverages the high-performance Intel Xeon D multi-core processor and up to 128 GB DDR4 RAM to reach read speeds up to 2,339 MB/s with a dual 10GbE configuration. The dedicated four 2.5" SSD slots and six M.2 SATA 6Gb/s SSD slots excel in cache acceleration, and coupled with Qtier Technology the TS-1685 can continuously optimize storage efficiency across M.2 SSD, SSD, high-capacity SATA drives, and the optional PCIe NVMe SSD.

At SC16, AMD announced that Radeon GPU technology will be available to Google Cloud Platform users worldwide. Starting in 2017, Google will use AMD's fastest available single-precision dual GPU compute accelerators, Radeon-based AMD FirePro S9300 x2 Server GPUs, to help accelerate Google Compute Engine and Google Cloud Machine Learning services. AMD FirePro S9300 x2 GPUs can handle highly parallel calculations, including complex medical and financial simulations, seismic and subsurface exploration, machine learning, video rendering and transcoding, and scientific analysis. Google Cloud Platform will make the AMD GPU resources available for all their users around the world.

"Graphics processors represent the best combination of performance and programmability for existing and emerging big data applications," said Raja Koduri, senior vice president and chief architect, Radeon Technologies Group, AMD. "The adoption of AMD GPU technology in Google Cloud Platform is a validation of the progress AMD has made in GPU hardware and our Radeon Open Compute Platform, which is the only fully open source hyperscale GPU compute platform in the world today. We expect that our momentum in GPU computing will continue to accelerate with future hardware and software releases and advances in the ecosystem of middleware and libraries."

If AMD's plans come to fruition, the company's efforts with its Zen micro-architecture will bring it back towards competitiveness with Intel not only on consumer chips, but also on the enterprise segment. While the company's consumer efforts are, by and large, the most visible from a consumer standpoint, with great hopes being pinned on it as a means to inject some much-needed dynamism and innovation in the CPU landscape, the most important vector for AMD arguably stands with the enterprise segment - where margins are usually much greater than in the consumer market.

On the heels of the recent Gen-Z interconnect announcement, an aggregate of some of the most recognizable names in the tech industry have once again banded together. This time, it's an effort towards the implementation of a fast, coherent and widely compatible interconnect technology that will pave the way towards tighter integration of ever-more heterogeneous systems.

Technology leaders AMD, Dell EMC, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Mellanox Technologies, Micron, NVIDIA and Xilinx announced the new open standard to appropriate fanfare, considering the promises of an up-to 10x performance uplift in datacenter server environments, thus accelerating big-data, machine learning, analytics, and other emerging workloads. The interconnect promises to provide a high-speed pathway towards tighter integration between different types of technology currently making up the heterogeneous server computing's needs, ranging through fixed-purpose accelerators, current and future system memory subsistems, and coherent storage and network controllers.

In another business-deal-gone-right for Advanced Micro Devices Inc. in chinese soil, the company is now going to provide China's Alibaba giant with server chips with which to power the company's cloud vision. Whilst Alibaba is most commonly known due to its e-commerce activities (through the Aliexpress and Taobao brands), the chinese company is diversifying, even going so far as entering the entertainment space. Now, Alibaba is bidding to carve itself an even larger piece of the cloud market from the likes of Microsoft's Azure and Amazon's Web Services.

The deal was announced this Friday at the Alibaba Computing Conference by Lisa Su (AMD's CEO) and Simon Hu (president of Alibaba Cloud, the chinese giant's cloud computing arm). Through it, AMD will see its Radeon Pro chips supporting and expanding upon the increasingly-in-demand cloud computing capabilities of the chinese company, which already powers around 35% of China's websites.

FSP, the performance power specialist, is pleased to announce its new FSP700-70RGHBE1 PS2 redundant Power Supply. The FSP700-70RGHBE1 joins the FSP500-70RGHBB1 as the latest server-grade power supply from FSP. This time, two highly reliable 700W power supplies are offered, achieving 22.4W/in3 (watt per cubic inch,) the highest power density currently available in a standard PS2 redundant form factor.

The two fully redundant, modular power supplies operate at 80 Plus Gold efficiency, and no specialized bracket is needed for installation. It is the first PS2 redundant which fits 80% of ATX chassis on the market without needing a special bracket. It's compliant with both desktop ATX 12V and server EPS12V standards, suitable for many industrial PCs, and also compatible with rackmount server chassis 3U and above. It offers reliable, 24-hr performance at temperatures up to 50°C.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the availability of two new offerings in its server memory product portfolio: 32 GB DDR4 VLP RDIMMs and 64 GB DDR4 LRDIMMs. With speeds of 2400 MT/s and engineered to enable higher densities by implementing a dual stack of 8 Gb DDR4 DRAM die to engineer a single 16 Gb component, these new DDR4 server memory modules allow for increased memory density, performance and bandwidth.

The 32 GB VLP RDIMMs are the highest density server memory modules Crucial offers for that module form factor, and are almost half the height (40 percent shorter) of a standard RDIMM module. These high density modules help enable memory dense systems like blade servers and microservers without compromising performance. Additionally, they can be installed at a 90-degree angle to the motherboard in these height-constrained systems, which enables better airflow to keep the system cool..

The latest Intel Xeon D-1571 SoC, designed for high-density data-centers and micro-servers, sets a new benchmark for energy efficiency. If the fact that it's an SoC (a combination of CPU and chipset) wasn't enough, the chip also crams in 16 CPU cores based on the "Broadwell" architecture, with HyperThreading enabling 32 logical CPUs, running at 1.30 GHz clock speed, a dual-channel DDR4 memory controller that supports up to 128 GB ECC DDR4 memory, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache; all at a TDP rated at just 45W. On most high-density server boards, such as the X10SDV-series by Supermicro (pictured below), the chip will cooled by just a small fan-heatsink. Such specs won't come cheap. Server board vendors will buy the Xeon D-1571 at $1,222 a piece in 1000-unit quantities.Source: CPU World

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading creator of high performance server hardware, releases today its line of server motherboards based on the Intel Xeon processor D-1500 product family, a System-on-a-Chip platform aimed at low power and high density server applications. This new lineup includes at launch four models of Mini-ITX boards mixing different SKUs of the Xeon D-1500 processors and different networking solutions.

Based on the Broadwell microarchitecture, the Intel Xeon processor D-1500 product family features System-on-a-Chip processors based on the 14nm process. Designed for high density and scale-out server infrastructures, these processors focus on high power efficiency while maintaining datacenter grade features. Through this density and computing power, this processor family aims at lowering the total cost of ownership of server, storage and networking applications.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, is now sampling Crucial DDR4 2400MT/s 8Gb-based RDIMM, LRDIMM, and ECC UDIMM server modules through its Technology Enablement Program. Engineered to enable higher density modules, 8Gb-based DDR4 memory allows for increased performance, bandwidth, and energy efficiency.

Higher density modules, when combined with the next DDR4 speed increase of 2400MT/s, create greater channel bandwidth and channel density, as well as increased energy efficiency. Ultimately, these benefits provide more value per gigabit than current 4Gb-based offerings. Taken together, the increase in density, bandwidth, and value deliver a lower total cost of ownership for users.

Synology releases DiskStation Manager (DSM) 5.1, the latest version of its NAS operating system. After 6 weeks of intense beta testing, the beta was a resounding success, thanks to the valuable feedback from individual users.

"We want to thank our users from all around the world for their participation and enthusiasm toward DSM and Synology products, paving the way for a more integrated and secured private cloud solution." said Alex Wang, CEO of Synology Inc.

WD, a Western Digital company and world leader in storage solutions, is expanding its business-class NAS portfolio with the WD Sentinel DX4200 storage server. The WD Sentinel DX4200 is a complete solution using Windows Storage Server, designed to meet the demands of today's small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) by combining Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 workgroup operating system and the Intel Atom C2338 Dual Core CPU.

With up to 16 TB of capacity, the WD Sentinel DX4200 enables small businesses to expand their office storage by upgrading the drives as the demands of their businesses grow. The WD Sentinel DX4200 is an ideal backup solution and provides SMBs the advantages of on-premise centralized storage.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading creator of high performance server hardware, is happy to announce today the release of its G210-H4G. Developed in partnership with Carri Systems, a French specialist of GPU computing & HPC solutions, this product is a 2U rackmount housing 4 blades capable of receiving one NVIDIA GRID, Tesla or AMD FirePro card each.

In the context of an unfolding GPU virtualization market and the vast amount of new possibilities that it opens, the G210-H4G is an elegant solution designed with simplicity and flexibility in mind to let organizations, big and small, enjoy the benefits of this fast-growing computing trend.

Lenovo and IBM today announced that they have completed the initial closing for Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's x86 server business under the terms described in their announcement on Monday, September 29, 2014. Lenovo is acquiring System x, BladeCenter and Flex System blade servers and switches, x86-based Flex integrated systems, NeXtScale and iDataPlex servers and associated software, blade networking and maintenance operations. IBM retains its System z mainframes, Power Systems, Storage Systems, Power-based Flex servers, and PureApplication and PureData appliances.

As part of the agreement, Lenovo and IBM have also established a strategic alliance where Lenovo will serve as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to IBM and will resell select products from IBM's industry-leading storage and software portfolio. These include IBM's entry and midrange Storwize storage product family, Linear Tape Open (LTO) products, and elements of IBM's system software portfolio, including Smart Cloud software, General Parallel File System and Platform Computing solutions.

Lenovo announced today that conditions for Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's x86 server business have been satisfied and the parties anticipate they will begin closing the transaction effective on October 1, 2014. The acquisition will make Lenovo the third-largest player in the $42.1 billion global x86 server market. Lenovo is acquiring System x, BladeCenter and Flex System blade servers and switches, x86-based Flex integrated systems, NeXtScale and iDataPlex servers and associated software, blade networking and maintenance operations. IBM will retain its System z mainframes, Power Systems, Storage Systems, Power-based Flex servers, PureApplication and PureData appliances.

"With the close of the x86 acquisition, Lenovo will add a world-class business that extends our capabilities in enterprise hardware and services, immediately making us a strong number three in the global server market," said Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo. "Now, our priorities are to ensure a smooth integration and deliver a seamless transition for customers. By combining Lenovo's global reach, efficiency and operational excellence with IBM's legendary quality, innovation and service, I am confident that we will have competitive advantages to help us drive profitable growth and build Lenovo into a global enterprise leader."

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, has expanded its DDR4 memory portfolio with LRDIMM and VLP RDIMM modules. Designed to enable next-generation enterprise environments with increased speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency, Crucial DDR4 load reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) and very low profile registered DIMMS (VLP RDIMMs) are available for immediate purchase through select global channel partners.

By utilising a memory buffer chip that helps reduce the electrical load presented to the memory bus, Crucial DDR4 LRDIMMs allow for more DIMMs per channel and are up to 50 percent more energy efficient and deliver up to 50 percent more memory bandwidth than DDR3 LRDIMMs. Furthermore, by using less voltage and standby current, Crucial DDR4 LRDIMMs transmit power in a more efficient manner to the CPU, allowing for additional power savings and lower total cost of ownership.

Dell today unveiled its most advanced and easy-to-manage portfolio of PowerEdge servers, designed to help customers worldwide address and optimize the evolving spectrum of application and workload requirements. The Dell PowerEdge 13th generation server portfolio features customer-inspired engineering built to optimize price performance for the widest range of web, enterprise and hyperscale applications, and features state-of-the-art advancements in storage, processing and memory technology coupled with industry-leading systems management capabilities.

The new Dell PowerEdge portfolio - which begins with five form-factors across blade, rack and tower servers - provides customers with choice in how they address industry trends including cloud computing, mobility, big data, and software-defined. More than 80 percent of IT decision-makers report these factors as investment priorities for the next 12 months, according to the Future Ready IT survey, recent worldwide research commissioned by Dell and Intel.

With only a few more days until this month's Patch Tuesday Micrsosoft took to the web to announce that it plans to roll out no less than nine updates - two rated 'Critical' and seven rated 'Important'. The upcoming patches address vulnerabilities found in Windows, Office, Microsoft Server Software, SQL Server, .NET, and Internet Explorer.

The August updates are scheduled to be made available this Tuesday, August 12, at 10 AM PDT. For more info check out the advance notification published here.

AMD today announced the AMD FirePro S9150 server card -- the most powerful server Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) ever built for High Performance Computing. Based on the AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, the first AMD architecture designed specifically with compute workloads in mind, the AMD FirePro S9150 server card is the first server card to support enhanced double precision and break the 2.0 TFLOPS double precision barrier. With 16 GB of GDDR5 memory -- 33 percent more than the competition -- and maximum power consumption of 235 watts, AMD FirePro S9150 server GPUs provide supercomputers with massive compute performance while maximizing available power budgets.

"Today's supercomputers feature an increasing mix of GPUs, CPUs and co-processors to achieve great performance, and many of them are being implemented in an environmentally responsible manner to help reduce power and water consumption," said David Cummings, senior director and general manager, professional graphics, AMD. "Designed for large scale multi-GPU support and unmatched compute performance, AMD FirePro S9150 ushers in a new era of supercomputing. Its memory configuration, compute capabilities and performance per watt are unmatched in its class, and can help take supercomputers to the next level of performance and energy efficiency."

Lenovo today announced the ThinkServer RS140, a powerful yet affordable entry-level single-processor 1U rack server ideal for small-to-medium sized businesses (SMB) and remote office deployments.

Available with a range of processor choices including the latest next-generation Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3 series processors, customizable options, and Intel AMT 9.0 for remote manageability, this highly versatile rack server can accommodate a variety of workloads, including distributed enterprise and datacenter edge, as well as standalone applications such as retail, collaboration, and IT infrastructure.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, is now shipping DDR4 server memory. Designed to enable next generation enterprise environments with increased speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency, Crucial DDR4 server memory modules are available for immediate purchase through select global channel partners and at crucial.com.

The modules are up to twice as fast and deliver double the memory bandwidth over DDR3 technology when it was introduced (1066 MT/s and 8.5 GB/s with DDR3 vs. 2133 MT/s and 17 GB/s on DDR4), and are expected to get even faster as the technology matures. Operating at 1.2V, Crucial DDR4 server memory uses up to 20 percent less voltage than DDR3 technology when it was introduced (1.5V). In addition, Crucial DDR4 server memory can be up to 40 percent more energy efficient than previous generations of DDR3 memory, when coupled with other technologies introduced with DDR4. Crucial DDR4 server memory is optimized for future Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family-based systems.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, is now sampling DDR4 server memory through its new Technology Enablement Program. Aimed at channel partners who are currently developing or evaluating DDR4-capable platforms, the program provides early access to select Crucial server DDR4 modules and relevant technical resources, as well as notification of new modules as they become available. The Crucial Technology Enablement Program comes on the heels of Micron's recent ramp up in DDR4 production.

Designed to enable next generation enterprise environments, Crucial DDR4 server memory delivers data rates that start at 2133 MT/s (up to twice as fast as DDR3 when it was introduced) and is expected to get even faster as the technology matures. What's more, when used with Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family-based systems, Crucial DDR4 server memory doubles memory bandwidth from 8.5 GB/s to 17 GB/s. Additionally, Crucial DDR4 memory uses up to 20 percent less voltage than DDR3 technology, operating at 1.2V compared to 1.5V for standard DDR3 memory, and delivers up to a 40 percent reduction in power usage.

ASUS today announced ESC4000 G2S, a new 2U-sized server series based on the dual Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2 processor platform and designed for use in environments that demand high-density GPU/coprocessor servers.

The new ESC4000 G2S series servers feature a highly optimized thermal design, six hot-swappable 2.5-inch SATA drive bays and nine PCI Express 3.0 (PCIe 3.0) x16 expansion slots. The innovative and thoughtful design delivers high-density computing power, easy scalability and exceptional energy efficiency, making ESC4000 G2S series servers the ideal choice for applications in the high-performance computing (HPC) fields of life and medical sciences, engineering science, financial modeling and virtualization.