AMD officially launched its fourth-generation Epyc server processor for data center high-performance computing (HPC), with all the top OEMs in attendance.
The new chip, officially called the Epyc 9004 but often referred to by its codename “Genoa,” is based on AMD’s fourth-generation Zen microarchitecture and uses TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing process.
Thanks to its chiplet design, which breaks a monolithic CPU into smaller “chips” that are connected together via high-speed interconnects, Genoa has up to 96 cores (twice as many as Intel’s best cores currently) . Each chiplet has 16 cores, making it easier to manufacture than a single 96-core CPU. Genoa includes the latest I/O technologies such as PCI Express 5.0, 12-channel DDR5 memory, and CXL 1.1.
“We’re seeing broad adoption of Epyc in the enterprise,” AMD CEO Lisa Su said at the Epyc launch event. “This year, we have increased on-premises enterprise deployments by more than 50%, and we are significantly increasing the number of Epyc-based solutions across the ecosystem. We are on track to double the number of solutions in 2023.”
OEMs present at Epyc launch
AMD has a long queue, and these OEMs are either releasing new products or supporting AMD.
HP Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri announced six new platforms powered by Genoa processors, including the recently released ProLiants and its Cray EX supercomputer.
Dell Technologies announced the next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers in the Epyc 9004 series in single- and dual-socket configurations. The new model supports up to 50% more processor cores compared to the previous generation.
The PowerEdge R7625 is a dual-socket 2U platform designed for in-memory databases and other enterprise applications, while the PowerEdge R7615 is a single-socket 2U server with faster memory bandwidth than previous generations. It is designed to complete multiple jobs faster with a smaller data center footprint.
The PowerEdge R6625 is a two-socket 1U server designed for HPC workloads or running multiple virtual desktop infrastructure instances, while the PowerEdge R6615 is a single-socket 1U server that offers higher virtual machine capacity than previous generations. density.
Supermicro announced three new Genoa-powered server families: GrandTwin, a multi-node architecture solution with front and rear I/O designed for maximum density and built for uni-processor performance; CloudDC, a uni-processor Server system, designed to provide cost-effective services in cloud computing; Hyper, an enterprise-focused dual-processor server that covers a range of computing, network, storage and I/O expansion capabilities.
Lenovo’s server chief (and ex-Intel) Kirk Skaugen was also there to talk about Genoa. Lenovo has already made announcements in Genoa in September when it unveiled a slew of new products.
New Azure instance
Su noted that every major cloud service provider has deployed Epyc instances, and two are preparing for release. Oracle expressed support for Genoa there but did not issue any statement. Then there’s Microsoft, where Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of cloud and artificial intelligence, announced two new HPC virtual machines on Azure, powered by the 9004 processor.
First up are the new HX Series VMs with 1.5TB of ultra-low latency memory. These VMs are specifically designed to help accelerate exploratory data analysis (EDA) operations. EDA is the process of conducting a preliminary investigation of data to discover patterns and detect anomalies, and to check statistical assumptions. Guthrie said the performance of the new virtual machines has improved by 80% over the old instances.
Microsoft also launched its fourth-generation Azure HPC family of virtual machines, the HB series, with two and a half times the performance of the third-generation HB series and six times the performance of customers’ HPC servers running in their on-premises environments. Both the HX and HB series feature 400 Gigabit InfiniBand.
HX and HB instances are now available for registration.
More processors from AMD
Su concluded the event with a quick roundup of 2023 Epyc products, starting with the 128-core versions of Genoa Bergamo and Genoa-X, the latter of which is the Genoa series powered by AMD’s L3 cache V-Cache stack technology. Essentially, V-Cache stacks L3 memory similar to how NAND flash memory is stacked, allowing more memory to be used in a smaller space.
In the second half of the year, AMD plans to release Siena, a 64-core version of Genoa optimized for low-power use at the edge.
“In addition to our commitment to CPUs, we are committed to being the partner of choice for every engine you need in the data center. This includes our Instinct GPUs, our FPGAs, our adaptive SoCs, our smart NICs and our DPU products. So you can really see that we have everything you need,” Su concluded.
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