Intel Announces Latest Developments on Xeon Processors and Process Technology Leadership in Data Center Business

Intel recently disclosed the latest developments in its data center business during an investor webcast. This included updates on the future generations of Intel Xeon processors, the evolution of Habana Gaudi, and the latest progress on the fourth-generation Intel Xeon scalable processor (codenamed Sapphire Rapids).

During the webcast, Intel announced for the first time the adoption of the Clearwater Forest, which uses Intel's 18A process technology. As previously announced, Intel plans to achieve process technology leadership at this node, which is also the culmination of the company's strategy to advance five process nodes in four years.

In terms of Intel's Xeon roadmap

The next-generation performance core (P-core) product is called Emerald Rapids, now officially named the fifth-generation Intel Xeon scalable processor. Sample products are currently being provided to customers in preparation for official release, with plans for delivery in Q4 2023 and mass production verification underway.

Sierra Forest is the first energy-efficient core (E-core) processor and is scheduled for release in the first half of 2024. It will have 144 cores per socket and will be the first CPU to use the upcoming Intel 3 process technology. After being powered on earlier this quarter, multiple operating systems were able to start up in record time (less than a day).

Following Sierra Forest, Granite Rapids will be released in 2024. The exact release date has not been disclosed, but it is said that sharing a platform with Sierra Forest will help it go to market quickly. The shared IP and technology will significantly reduce development and design time.

In addition, this year Intel plans to release its largest FPGA product line to date, with 15 new products passing the production release qualification (PRQ) process. Intel's open philosophy extends to generative AI, where powerful tools such as ChatGPT and the DALL-E 2 model for generating images from text are leveraging AI algorithms and large datasets to generate content from complex prompts.