Intel Corporation, the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer, announced its upcoming data center processors, including Clearwater Forest, in a recent investor webinar. The company plans to strengthen its position in the highly competitive market with their new lineups of CPUs and AI chips.
Sapphire Rapids Shipped in High Volumes
Intel’s Data Center and AI Group updated investors on the shipment of Sapphire Rapids CPUs in high volumes this quarter as part of the 4th Generation Xeon Scalable lineup. The CPUs were built on Intel 7 processes and are expected to help the company regain market share lost to rivals such as AMD.
Intel’s GPU Side Hits Rough Spot
On the other hand, Intel’s GPU side hit a rough spot with the unexpected cancellation of Rialto Bridge, an upcoming data center GPU Max product. The cancellation is believed to be due to manufacturing issues related to the 20A process node.
Turning a Corner in Data Center Business Segment
Despite these setbacks, Intel highlighted that they are turning a corner in their critical data center business segment after facing notable stumbles in 2021/2022. The company’s successive CPU projects remain on track, and their first all-Ecore Xeon processor is coming up. Alongside that, Intel’s FPGA and dedicated AI silicon (Gaudi) are also making progress, with new products hitting the market this year.
Investor Webinar Update on DCAI Product Lineups
Intel will host an investor webinar to update its DCAI product lineups. The high-level message is that they are poised for growth after facing economic headwinds over the past year. Investors are eagerly watching Intel’s potential for AI technology amid supply chain issues and extended lockdowns in China.
Emerald Rapids Successor Named
Intel named its upcoming data center processor, Emerald Rapids, as the 5th Generation Xeon Scalable family. Intel expects to see the official name used in place of the code name for the bulk of its announcements and disclosures going forward.
Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest
Following Emerald Rapids, in 2024, Intel will release Granite Rapids, a next-generation P-core based product built on Intel’s second-generation EUV node. It is a tile-based architecture separated into compute and I/O tiles with MCR DIMM support. Intel’s first Ecore Xeon processor, Sierra Forest, will launch in H1’24 with up to 144 Ecores, over twice as many cores as found on today’s P-core based Sapphire Rapids processors.
Clearwater Forest
The main topic of this news article is the release of Intel’s upcoming data center CPUs, specifically the Clearwater Forest, which is the successor to Sierra Forest. Clearwater Forest is Intel’s second-generation E-core Xeon processor that is scheduled to be delivered in 2025. It will be the first Xeon produced on Intel’s own 18A process, which is their second-generation RibbonFET process.
Intel expects to re-attain process leadership through their 18A process for CPUs since there won’t be any Xeons made on their early 20A process node. Clearwater Forest and Sierra Forest belong to the Ecore lineup for the long-haul and maintain the distinction between P-core and E-core Xeons.
AI Accelerators Market Opportunity
Intel intends to tackle the market for AI accelerators from all sides with new CPUs, GPUs, dedicated accelerators, and FPGAs with projections that this market opportunity will reach $40 billion by 2027. Intel’s ecore roadmap begins with Sierra Forest and provides around 256 cores in a single dual-socket server, with Clearwater Forest’s technical details still not being disclosed by Intel. The company has executed its goal of delivering five new process nodes in four years designed to power its data center and AI portfolio.
Intel’s announcement reinforces its commitment to technological leadership in the market and provides competitive solutions to customers globally. They continue to focus on innovation and deliver groundbreaking products to better serve their customers’ needs.
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