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Eight-Core Xeon Out Next Month


nano2nd

Reported here, here and here..

 

Intel look to be prepping the launch of a new eight (8!) core Xeon processor at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in SF next month. Reported to be the Nehalem EP processor and manufactured with the cool 45-nanometer process. Likely to be known as Xeon X5560.

 

TechRadar did some benchmarking of a dual processor EP-based rig back in November 2008. Samples used then ran at 2.8GHz, with launch models expected to run at 3.2GHz.

 

All this makes for a very interesting prospect of a 16-core 3.2GHz Mac Pro - given more credence by this report on HardMac via Aquamac of a new design MacPro with new specs.

 

Exciting!!!

 

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I think there are two things being confused here.

 

First, what Intel plans on talking about at ISSCC is an 8 core xeon. It plans on providing details of this processor, not launching it. I don't expect this processor until the end of 2009 or 2010. In a two socket configuration, this would be a 16 core / 32 thread machine.

 

Second, we don't even have the 4 core / 8 thread xeon processors yet (only the desktop versions so far). These will be launched and released sometime over the next couple of months. These can be used for an 8 core / 16 thread machine. I'm hoping for a new Mac Pro at this time. I think I've also seen mention of a 6 core version coming as well, which would make a 12 core / 24 thread machine in a two socket configuration.

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6-cores nehalem? Nonsense!

The only single processor die is a 4-core nehalem. Therefore 8-core configurations will be a "joint" of two quad-cores. So if Intel goes with their policy of not releasing "junk", then there will be no processors built with two quad-cores dies (with one core inactive in each die), making 6-core processor.

I'm referring to same thing going with AMD. Making a good and working quad-core processor is a difficult task and sometimes one core ends up not working properly or inactive from the beginning, there is where AMD Phenom X3 comes (it is Phenom X4 with one "dead" core).

Intel once stated, that they will not release their quad(triple)-core's in the same manner AMD does today. That is why i don't believe in a 6-core nehalem.

 

There are though 6-core processors from intel right now (E7450, L7455 and X7460), but those are resembled of three dual-cores Wolfdale(correct me if i'm wrong) dies.

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The New MacPro's would be Based Around Intel Nehalem Gainestown DP server 4 Cores Per CPU Dual Socket 8 Cores 16 with Hyperthreading

 

6 Core CPU with 12 cores with Hyperthreading will be the Nehalem Successor Westmere

 

I think we will see a New Mac Pro by the end of March just in time for the 1Q or Q2 April

 

and if the New MacPro is A dual Socket i think the Price Will be Over 3,000$ i dont think apple can do anything about the Price

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Really cool news, but if the dual 8 core macpro:s will show up in April 09 they won´t be cheap...

A single high performance quad i7 system is already in line with the current macpro prices

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I disagree, I think they will probably cost the same as the current Mac Pro's.

 

I hope you are right, Synaesthesia. Then I'd consider buying one with just one CPU, to begin with.

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Well $2000-$2800 is still a decent chunk of change! We will see...hope they include the 4870!

 

Indeed it is! Here it would be like 2000 Euro, which is even more. But probably good value for money.

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The chips were announced months ago... there are even pricelists available, and motherboard pictures from all the major server board makers.

 

its not 8 cores... its FOUR cores... each one hyperthreads. Exactly like a Core i7, except all 5500 series Xeons have two QPI links for dual socket use, AND they ALL use the faster QPI speed that the Core i7 965 extreme edition uses. (And ECC support on the memory controllers)

Go look at the chips:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_futur...microprocessors

 

AND you have 2 sockets... 4(8)+4(8) = 8 cores, 16 threads.

 

On a board like this:

 

http://resources.iopanel.net/news/computex...lltrail/sk7.jpg

 

Yes, thats dual socket 1366... tripple channel DDR3 for each socket, 18 total ram slots.

Slot config on that particular board:

IPMI (lights out server management)

PCIe2.0 x8+SEPC (extra power connector for riser board)

PCIe2.0 x8 (most likely x4 electrically)

PCIe2.0 x16 (x8 electrically)

PCI-X133,

PCI-X133,

PCI-X133,

UIO (PCIe2.0 x8, but offset to share slot with last PCI-X133, components are on the "wrong" side of a UIO card, normal x8 card will work, but the back panel slot won't line up)

 

 

Most gainestown platforms (Thats dual socket 1366... basically an X-58 board with 2 sockets, and twice the memory bandwidth) will have 36 PCIe 2.0 lanes from northbridge, plus ICH9R/ICH10R southbridge.

 

Possible northbridge combinations are:

x16, x16, x4

x16, x8, x8, x4

x8, x8, x8 ,x8 ,x4

 

Southbridge will contribute up to 7 PCIe lanes... so up to an x4, x1, x1, x1

(that x4 can be linked with a northbridge x4... but on server boards most likely will not be, since an onboard SAS controller, or onboard PCI-X bridge normally uses 4 or 8 lanes.

 

 

The high end chips are going to be expencive, the lower end chips should make for some interesting platforms. I expect apple's configurations to not change much... other than each core would hyperthread and show up as two, and the memory cards would likely contain 6 or 9 slots each. Another option is for the memory cards to go away altogether, or to possibly see two larger cards... with memory and a processor on each card.

 

Its likely the Xserve will have an optional 9400/9600 chip on the board as well. (Mac pro might even have it, depending on if Apple considered the advantages of having a 9000 series geforce as "Standard" hardware on all macs to be used by OpenCL or for OS acceleration purposes in the future)

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The chips were announced months ago... there are even pricelists available, and motherboard pictures from all the major server board makers.

 

its not 8 cores... its FOUR cores... each one hyperthreads. Exactly like a Core i7, except all 5500 series Xeons have two QPI links for dual socket

 

 

its not 4 cores...its EIGHT cores... each one hyperthreads...gives you 16 threads... dual sockets, fanfar 16 cores, 32 threads

 

Edit: I am probably wrong...

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its not 4 cores...its EIGHT cores... each one hyperthreads...gives you 16 threads... dual sockets, fanfar 16 cores, 32 threads

 

I find it really funny, how an article that says Intel will talk about their strategy for putting 8 cores on a socket, gets blown out of proportion to Intel is launching 8 cores in a socket.

 

Intel's roadmap for 2009 only shows 4 cores on a socket processors this year, with Westmere (which has 6 cores on a socket) at the end of the year, meaning end of 2009.

 

There are no 8 cores on a socket processors on the roadmap for 2009, so if you guys are waiting for Mac Pros with 16 cores and 32 threads, you will be waiting a long long long time.

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I find it really funny, how an article that says Intel will talk about their strategy for putting 8 cores on a socket, gets blown out of proportion to Intel is launching 8 cores in a socket.

 

Intel's roadmap for 2009 only shows 4 cores on a socket processors this year, with Westmere (which has 6 cores on a socket) at the end of the year, meaning end of 2009.

 

There are no 8 cores on a socket processors on the roadmap for 2009, so if you guys are waiting for Mac Pros with 16 cores and 32 threads, you will be waiting a long long long time.

 

yeah, I saw it now... I couldn´t be more happy myself, recently bought a skulltrail rig...

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Intel IS going to do 8 cores on a socket..... but its socket 1587 or something... its the 4 socket board socket.....

 

You know, the replacement for the current 6 core dunnington chip that are like $2000+ each..... Xeon MP stuff.... not Xeon DP.

 

Xeon DP... is gainestown

Xeon MP... is beckton, and will never be seen in a mac pro. Apple might put it into a "Xserve Mega" or something starting at like $15000..... buts it not very likely. The only way I can see apple using a Xeon MP chip, is if some major customer really wants it and is willing to place a large upfront order, or if apple decides they want to have a wider line of enterprise servers, and use someone elses board, just with EFI instead of BIOS.

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Intel IS going to do 8 cores on a socket..... but its socket 1587 or something... its the 4 socket board socket.....

First, I never said Intel will not do 8 cores on a socket, they will, and you're right, that's the Beckton chip, on socket 1567.

 

It's not in the 2009 roadmap, so to expect it, in the next refresh of the mac pro, is folly.

 

post-19987-1233755892_thumb.gif

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Is that the one called Nehalem-EX ?

 

Nehalem-EP is close for the new Mac Pros and I think starting to become available but Nehalem-EX will be a while away unless Apple really do have some extra special deal with Intel :(

 

Seems next week at the International Solid State Circuits Conference 2009 that Intel might reveal "An 8-core 16-thread enterprise Xeon® processor has 2.3B transistors in 9M 45nm CMOS. The I/O links use per-lane TX and RX compensation to enable operation up to 6.4GT/s. Vertical and horizontal spines keep the uncore clock skew under 19ps before engaging the compensation. Core and cache shut-off techniques are used to minimize leakage."

 

(This is from page 22, section 3.1 of the programme for the conference)

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If Intel do release this octo-core Xeon Beckton chip, on socket LGA 1567 (quad-socket) next week, then does that mean a total of 32 real cores and 64 effective software processors all on one mainboard? (8 cores, 16 threads per socket with hyper-threading). A fully populated board might even have 96MB of cache !!!

 

Wow that would make one bad mutha hackintosh :censored2:

 

But will it run Crysis ...

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The 8-core chip is, indeed, the Nehalem-EX; the chip for 4-or-more socket systems. And, it's not due until late this year.

 

The branding isn't set in stone yet, but will likely be "Xeon 7500 series"

 

The dual-socket parts are coming "very soon", and are the "Xeon 5500 series". Note, however, that they use the same socket as the current desktop Core i7; but the desktop chips will not be able to be used dual-socket. (The reverse, however, *IS* possible. You can put a Xeon 5580 into an X58, single-socket LGA1366 board, assuming proper BIOS support.)

 

Oh, and here is the new badge.

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