Intel Launches Atom S Processor For Micro Servers

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Intel today introduced the Atom S1200 SoC series, which is designed for integration with micro-servers.

The dual-core chip supports hyperthreading, 64-bit software, virtualization and up to 8 GB of DDR3 ECC memory. The SoCs are available in versions ranging from 1.6 GHz to 2.0 GHz.

The processors are placed below Intel's Xeon brand and are marketed in an evolving segment of micro-servers aimed at achieving greater granularity and more efficient data processing. This includes cloud computing environments that rely on static data processing. The Atom S1200 series is part of an effort to protect revenue base, as ARM is pushing into this segment as well and ARM vendors will have 64-bit chips available in late 2013.

In the past, Intel's lowest power offering for servers has been 20 watts (Xeon E3-1220L), which is not good enough to be used in micro-servers. The Atom S series ranges from 6.1 watt TDP (S1240, 1.6 GHz) to 13.1 watts (S1289, 2.0 GHz). As before, Intel charges through the nose for premium processors. The Atom S chips are priced from $54 for the S1220 to $120 for the S1289, which is substantial for a processor class that used to sit in a price region of $20 - $30. However, ARM-based microprocessors for servers are not cheap, either. For example, TI charges for its 32-bit Keystone SoC up to $144.

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Wolfgang Gruener
8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • LuckyDucky7
    Yes, but how does it perform compared to the ARM designs?
    Reply
  • memadmax
    Put me down for a hundred.
    Reply
  • jimmysmitty
    LuckyDucky7Yes, but how does it perform compared to the ARM designs?
    The thing about ARM is that while its efficient, its not very powerful. Look at the current Intel Atom for smartphones vs top end dual core ARM designs. Atom is more powerful than they are.

    Also add to that that its has to emulate x86 on the Android apps and its pretty impressive.

    Of course ARM will be more power efficient so it will be hard to say until they are actually out.
    Reply
  • digiex
    Micro servers should not be powerful and does not crunch data, it is more of a traffic police which directs data to its designated destination.

    If I use a server to crunch data, I should build a full pledge server instead, because it will get the job done is less time, means lesser consumption.
    Reply
  • saturnus
    jimmysmittyThe thing about ARM is that while its efficient, its not very powerful. Look at the current Intel Atom for smartphones vs top end dual core ARM designs. Atom is more powerful than they are.
    Actually the current A15s is roughly on par with current atoms. Both have wins in certain areas.

    However, the coming 64bit ARMs are a different beast altogether and will be all accounts be at least 60% more powerful while maintaining the same power profile.

    For microservers this is still mostly irrelevant as processing power is largely unused. Here the winning point for the coming ARMs is their native 64bit addressing (current 32bit ARMs already have 64bit memory address by extension of non-physical registers which naturally incur latency).
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    atom? do they still make those? why? where? why again
    Reply
  • hannibal
    We just have to hope that all Atom prosessors will move to 64 bit, so we may finally see pure 64 windows os in next 6 years or so...
    Most propably low end Atom will still be 32 bit... *sigh*
    Reply
  • army_ant7
    hannibalWe just have to hope that all Atom prosessors will move to 64 bit, so we may finally see pure 64 windows os in next 6 years or so...Most propably low end Atom will still be 32 bit... *sigh*I believe this Atom I have (N570) is 64-bit already. I installed Windows 8 64-bit on it at one point. Even the old(est ?) Atom 230 was 64-bit capable, at least according to Intel's site. http://ark.intel.com/products/35635/Intel-Atom-Processor-230-512K-Cache-1_60-GHz-533-MHz-FSB
    Oddly though, the N200 series still seems to be 32-bit.
    Reply