According to the latest round of tests by Phoronix, we are seeing proof of substantial performance gains Intel's 5th Gen Xeon Emerald Rapids server CPUs deliver when employing AVX-512 vector instructions. Enabling AVX-512 doubled throughput on average across a range of workloads, with specific AI tasks accelerating over 10x versus having it disabled. Running on the top-end 64-core Platinum 8592+ SKU, benchmarks saw minimal frequency differences between AVX-512 on and off states. However, the specialized 512-bit vector processing unlocked dramatic speedups, exemplified in the OpenVINO AI framework. Specifically, weld porosity detection, which has real-world applications, showed the biggest speedups. Power draw also increased moderately - the expected tradeoff for such an unconstrained performance upside.

With robust optimizations, the vector engine potential has now been fully demonstrated. Workloads spanning AI, visualization, simulation, and analytics could multiply speed by upgrading to Emerald Rapids. Of course, developer implementation work remains non-trivial. But for the data center applications that can take advantage, AVX-512 enables Intel to partially close raw throughput gaps versus AMD's core count leadership. Whether those targeted acceleration gains offset EPYC's wider general-purpose value depends on customer workloads. But with tests proving dramatic upside, Intel is betting big on vector acceleration as its ace card. AMD also supports the AVX-512 instruction set. Below, you can find the geometric mean of all test results, and check the review with benchmarks here.

The Geekbench database of benchmark submissions is yielding more leaks about Intel's upcoming 5th generation Xeon Scalable processors codenamed Emerald Rapids. Previously, we have covered the leak of the possibly top-end 64-core Xeon 8592+ Platinum and a 48-core Xeon 8558U processor. However, today, we are seeing information about lower-stack SKUs carrying up to 48 cores each. The first in line is the Xeon Platinum 8558P, a 48-core, 96-threaded CPU that runs at 2.7 GHz base frequency and 4.0 GHz boost frequency. It is equipped with 16 MB of L3 cache in addition to 192 MB of L2, making the total cache memory 260 MB. The integrated memory controller (IMC) of the Xeon Platinum 8558P supports eight-channel DDR5 running at 4800 MT/s, and the CPU has a TDP of 350 Watts.

The other SKU that was also listed was the Xeon Platinum 8551C, also a 48-core, 96-thread model with the same 260 MB cache configuration. However, this SKU has a higher base frequency of 2.9 GHz, with an unknown boost speed and unknown IMC configuration. An interesting thing to note about these 48C/96T SKUs is that they feature less cache compared to the previously leaked 48-core Xeon 8558U processor, which had 96 MB of L2 cache and 260 MB of L3 cache, making for a total of 356 MB of cache (which includes L1D and L1I as well). The segmentation that Intel is doing for its Xeon processors will be based not only on core count, frequency, and TDP but also on CPU cache sizes.

Intel today unveiled the suite of new security features for the upcoming 3rd generation Intel Xeon Scalable platform, code-named "Ice Lake." Intel is doubling down on its Security First Pledge, bringing its pioneering and proven Intel Software Guard Extension (Intel SGX) to the full spectrum of Ice Lake platforms, along with new features that include Intel Total Memory Encryption (Intel TME), Intel Platform Firmware Resilience (Intel PFR) and new cryptographic accelerators to strengthen the platform and improve the overall confidentiality and integrity of data.

Data is a critical asset both in terms of the business value it may yield and the personal information that must be protected, so cybersecurity is a top concern. The security features in Ice Lake enable Intel's customers to develop solutions that help improve their security posture and reduce risks related to privacy and compliance, such as regulated data in financial services and healthcare.

Unlocking the full potential of 5G requires transforming network infrastructure from core to edge. As the world's leading network silicon provider, Intel is at the forefront of driving this transformation. Today, the company made a sweeping set of hardware and software announcements, including the launch of the new Intel Atom P5900, a 10 nm system-on-chip (SoC) for wireless base stations, which is a critical early deployment target for 5G networks.

"As the industry makes the transition to 5G, we continue to see network infrastructure as the most significant opportunity, representing a $25 billion silicon opportunity by 2023," said Navin Shenoy, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Platforms Group at Intel. "By offering customers the fastest and most effective path to design, deliver and deploy 5G solutions across core, edge and access, we are poised to expand our leading silicon position in this growing market."

Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced its 32GB, 16GB and 8GB Server Premier DDR4-2933 Registered DIMMs have received validation on the Intel Purley Platform, featuring the Intel Xeon Scalable processor family (formerly known as "Cascade Lake-SP"). A link to the validation page can be found here.

Kingston's Purley-validated Server Premier modules are specifically engineered to unleash the power of Intel's six-channel server microarchitecture. At 2933MT/s - the next-generation memory frequency supported in the latest Intel Xeon Scalable processor family - each DIMM provides peak bandwidth of 23.46 GB/s. When grouped for multi-channel performance, this provides a significant boost in performance for today's memory intensive server applications.

GIGABYTE is gearing up for the release of the first GPU-supporting server based on Intel's Skylake Purley architecture. Leveraging the latter's scalability - which can be applied across compute, network and storage applications - GIGABYTE has committed its design expertise to a high-performance system with GPU-focused, OCP-based and other add-on functionality. This server adopts Intel's new product family - officially named the 'Intel Xeon Scalable' and its increased I/O options to deliver a truly high-performance, flexible system.

GIGABYTE's new system takes advantage of the performance benefits that Intel has built in to target a range of segments and created a system that meets HPC needs.