Intel first E-Core only architecture launches this year
The company promotes its new Xeon series for edge networks at Mobile World Congress 2024.
Sierra Forest 2.7x per rack improvement, Source: Intel/HardwareLuxx
The Xeon series codenamed “Sierra Forest” will launch later this year. Intel is not confirming the exact date, but the company is reaffirming that it will be the 288 Efficient (E-Core) design that was announced last year. The new product will later be followed by Granite Rapids-D.
According to Intel, Xeon Sierra Forest will enable up to 2.7x higher performance per rack compared to the 2021 server platform, which could be either Ice Lake or Cascade Lake. Those server architectures are compromised of a different CPU core types known as Performance Cores (or P-Cores), so such a comparison is not exactly suitable. However, this underlines the shift in edge and telecommunication, where the number of cores takes the priority over peak single-core performance.
Granite Rapids-D, Source: Intel/HardwareLuxx
Another important factor for such servers at the edge is their power efficiency. The next-generation Xeon processors will be commercially available with Intel Infrastructure Power Manger (IPM) software, which is designed for the 5G networks.
Here, Intel is claiming a 30% power consumption reduction. Intel knows that a modern 5G network must rely on energy-efficient infrastructure which will lead to a smaller carbon footprint and lower cost, which can ultimately lead to lower cost of ownership (TCO) and help mobile network providers build more nodes.
vRAN Boost, Source: Intel/HardwareLuxx
Intel is claiming 20% power saving and 2x capacity increase for vRAN (virtualized radio access networks). Both Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids-D will feature vRAN boost. According to the reports, GNR should appear later this alongside Sierra Forest, while the GNR-D variant is now confirmed to launch in 2025.
Intel is now previewing the new platform at MWC in Barcelona, where attendees can see a real demonstration of Intel’s next-gen Xeon processors based on Sierra Forest.
Source: Intel , HardwareLuxx