Intel to Ship 10-core CPUs in First Half of 2011
Intel's "Westmere-EX" Xeon processor is expected to ship during this half of 2011.
Thursday an Intel spokesperson said that its upcoming 10-core "Westmere-EX" Xeon processor (pdf) will launch during the first half of 2011. The chip follows Intel's 2010 release of the Nehalem-EX CPU, currently the fastest Intel server processor on the market sporting up to eight cores.
The new Xeons will bring additional security features to the table including Advanced Encryption Standard-New Instructions (AES-NI) for faster encryption and decryption of data. The processor itself will be manufactured using 32nm processing technology whereas the current Nehalem-EX was made using the 45nm process.
The Intel spokesperson added that Westmere-EX will be targeted at high-end servers--those with up to eight sockets--in data centers maintaining large databases and other applications. Each physical core will run up to two threads, providing servers with the ability to run up to 160 threads simultaneously (8 processors @ 20 threads each).
In addition to the improved design, the new Xeon will be socket-compatible with existing Nehalem-EX chips, making it easy for customers to upgrade server processors. Two-socket systems running on Westmere-EX chips will also support up to 2 TB of memory.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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JOSHSKORN caeden160 threads... in one machine... droolI wonder if that can play...oh, you know. LOLReply
/sarcasm
If business computers will have this (a 10 core processor) available to them, I wonder what will be available for the personal computer. -
jprahman freaking awesome! Just imagine opening task manager and seeing 160 threads! And yes, it can play crysis.Reply -
albion000 @TheWhiteRose000: No, the Nehalem-EX Xeons use an LGA-1567 socket meant for servers.Reply -
aznguy0028 "In addition to the improved design, the new Xeon will be socket-compatible with existing Nehalem-EX chips, making it easy for customers to upgrade server processors."Reply
LOL. Surprising to hear that, I think this has been the first time in awhile that I've heard Intel's new chips being compatible with a previous socket. Now... only if desktop users had this luxury as well :( -
alidan HansVonOhainWow, do folding@home on that. Dual CPU board will be expensive, I assume.Reply
only dual intels are expensive, amd stopped charging a crapton... and dual was never as expensive as quad. -
Blessedman pretty sure that is a typo... 2 threads per core @ 8 cores = 16 threads... now considering their target, 8 sockets x 16 threads per = 128 threads per board.Reply