Accelerating IP in silicon: Boosting data center chip performance
Intel has announced a 14nm refresh for its Atom C2000 series of server chips, codenamed “Avoton” and “Rangeley.” These processors are based on Silvermont CPU cores, part of the Intel 22nm technology platform. The new chips are shipping now, and are expected to be in production in the second half of the year.
The new processors are optimized for microserver, storage, communications and networking infrastructure workloads. The chips offer excellent performance, power and density and deliver increased efficiency compared to the previous-generation platform. Intel’s second-generation 64-bit, SoC product family features a new “Silvermont” microarchitecture, providing significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency. Among the new processors, Rangeley, Intel’s first fully integrated communications platform, will address the unique needs of the entry-level market for routers and security appliances.
Key Features of Atom C2000 SoCs:
Built for Low-power, High-density Microservers: Intel Atom SoC-based microservers will deliver breakthrough performance-per-watt and improved performance-per-dollar compared to the previous generation Intel platform.
Balanced Compute and I/O: Intel Atom C2000 SoCs integrate the essentials for delivering Intel’s defined “Right Server” definition. The SoCs will provide a range of options for hosting providers to match workloads.
Data Center and Network Efficiency: The new product family will offer up to four times11 the energy efficiency and up to seven times4 the performance compared to the first-generation Intel Atom processor-based server SoCs introduced in December 2012.
World-Class Intel Architecture: The Intel Atom processor C2000 product family is based on the company’s industry-leading 22nm process technology with 3-D Tri-Gate transistors, delivering significant performance, power and reliability improvements. Intel Atom processors are based on Intel’s leading microarchitecture (codenamed “Silvermont”), utilising Intel’s industry-leading 22nm process technology with 3-D tri-gate transistors, which enable the significant performance-per-watt improvements and design flexibility.
Built for Scale: The new products are built to address the growing demand for data center and network applications. Currently, the microserver segment is experiencing strong growth with many new entrants expected to enter the market in 2014. These new entrants are looking to customise their systems and differentiate based on workload, performance, power and cost. Intel’s new product family is designed to address these requirements, and includes integrated Ethernet. The addition of Intel QuickAssist Technology