Intel Updates Data Center Roadmap: Xeons On Track - Emerald in Q4'23, Sierra Forest in H1'24

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Coming to the end of the first quarter of 2023, Intel’s Data Center and AI group is finding itself at an interesting inflection point – for reasons both good and bad. After repeated delays, Intel is finally shipping their Sapphire Rapids CPUs in high volumes this quarter as part of the 4^th Generation Xeon Scalable lineup, all the while its successors are coming up very quickly. On the other hand, the GPU side of the business has hit a rough spot, with the unexpected cancellation of Rialto Bridge – what would have been Intel’s next Data Center GPU Max product. It hasn’t all been good news in the past few months for Intel’s beleaguered data center group, but it’s not all bad news, either.

It’s been just over a year since Intel last delivered a wholesale update on its DCAI product roadmaps, which were last refreshed at their 2022 investors meeting. So, given the sheer importance of the high margin group, as well as everything that has been going on in the past year – and will be going on over the next year – Intel is holding an investor webinar today to update investors (and the public at large) at the state of its DCAI product lineups. The event is being treated as a chance to recap what Intel has accomplished over recent months, as well as to lay out an updated roadmap for the DCAI group covering the next couple of years.

The high-level message Intel is looking to project is that the company is finally turning a corner in their critical data center business segment after some notable stumbles in 2021/2022. In the CPU space, despite the repeated Sapphire Rapids delays, Intel’s successive CPU projects remain on track, including their first all E-core Xeon processor. Meanwhile Intel’s FPGA and dedicated AI silicon (Gaudi) are similarly coming along, with new products hitting the market this year while others are taping-in.

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MinisForum Launches NAB6 mini-PC With Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports

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MinisForum is a well-known manufacturer from Shenzhen, China, specializing in compact systems. The company recently added the NAB6 to its diverse portfolio of mini-PCs powered by Intel processors. The NAB6, which leverages Intel's Core i7-12650H (Alder Lake) processor, offers not one but two high-speed 2.5G Ethernet ports. The feature is common on higher-end motherboards but rarely on a mini-PC.

The NAB6 is a compact system that will leave a small footprint on even the most miniature desks. It arrives with a minimalistic but slick exterior. MinisForum doesn't list the dimensions or the materials used in the device's fabrication on the product page. Instead, the manufacturer highlights the device's focus on maintenance and upgradability. Getting inside the NAB6 is easy and fast. A single press on the top plate is sufficient to pop it off for upgrading or switching out memory or SSDs. The NAB6 has an adequate cooling solution that consists of two copper heat pipes that transfer the heat from the processor to the compact heatsink, where a small cooling fan dissipates the heat through two air outlets. As modest as the cooler may look, it suffices to keep the 45 W Intel 12th Generation Alder Lake-H processor cool.

Only one processor option is available to consumers on the NAB6: the last-generation Core i7-12650H. The 10-core hybrid mobile chip wields six P-cores, four E-cores, and 24 MB of L3 cache. The Core i7-12650H has a 4.7 GHz boost clock but operates within 45 W PBP and 115 W MTP limits. Consumers can pair the 10nm chip with up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, as there are two SO-DIMM memory slots inside the NAB6. The mini-PC has a single M.2 slot that adheres to the PCIe 4.0 interface. It supports M.2 drives with a length of 80 mm and up to 2 TB of storage. If buyers purchase the NAB6 with an SSD from MinisForum, the company includes an active heatsink with the drive. Alternatively, consumers can use the heatsink included with their SSDs or one of the numerous third-party heatsinks on the market. The NAB6's design has a specially placed vent where the SSD is located to allow M.2 SSD heatsinks with active cooling to expel the heat outside the device freely. The NAB6 also provides spacing for a standard 2.5-inch SATA SSD or hard drive for secondary storage.

MinisForum NAB6 Specifications
CPU		Intel Core i7-12650H
GPU		UHD Graphics (64 EUs, 1.4 GHz)
Memory		2 x DDR4 SO-DIMM slots (Up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200)
Storage	M.2	PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 (Up to 2TB)
	DFF	1 x 2.5" SSD/HDD
Wireless		N/A
Ethernet		2 x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet with RJ45
Display Outputs		2 x HDMI 2.1
Audio		2 x 3.5 mm combo jack
USB		1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C (DisplayPort) 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C (Alt DP, Data Transfer) 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
Thunderbolt 4		N/A
PSU		External
OS		Barebones Model (No OS) Windows 11 Home pre-installed
Pricing		Barebones: $459 16 GB + 512 GB SSD: $559 32 GB + 512 SSD: $609 32 GB + 1 TB SSD: $659

One of the NAB6's strong suits is the presence of two 2.5G Ethernet ports, making the mini-PC a terrific asset in home and enterprise environments with a high-bandwidth Internet connection. Unfortunately, MinisForum didn't specify the model of the two 2.5G Ethernet controllers. There's a small compromise, though. The NAB6 doesn't have wireless connectivity by default, so consumers must spend extra to get that wireless connection. Instead, the motherboard has reserved a regular M.2 2230 slot for a WiFi module.

MinisForum didn't cheap out on connectivity on the NAB6. The device's front panel conveniently provides one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports. If that's not enough, the rear panel houses two more USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and two USB 3.2 Type-C ports (one's DP only, and the other supports Alt DP and data transfer). There are also two standard HDMI 2.1 ports. As a result, the NAB6 is an excellent option for heavy multitaskers since the mini-PC can handle up to four simultaneous displays at 4K with a 60 Hz refresh rate.

The barebone NAB6 system sells for $459. The 16 GB memory and 512 GB SSD configuration retails for $559, whereas the 32 GB variant with the same SSD costs $609. The highest-specced variant, which sports 32 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD, carries a $659 price tag. MinisForum is presently running a limited-time discount on its website for the NAB6, where consumers can save up to 22% if they put in their orders now. Unfortunately, the vendor didn't specify the period for the promotion. Buyers will also have to factor in the shipping cost. MinisForum has a store on Amazon, so there's free shipping for Amazon Prime members. However, the company hasn't listed the NAB6 on Amazon yet. MinisForum plans to ship NAB6 orders in mid-April.

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Gordon Moore, Intel's Co-Founder, Passes Away At 94

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Intel and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have announced this evening that Gordon Moore, Intel’s famous co-founder and grandfather to much of the modern chip industry, has passed away. According to the company he passed peacefully at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by his family.

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LG's 2023 Gram Style Series Laptops Are Now Available, Starting At $1,499

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The latest Gram Style series laptops, which LG announced at CES, are available as of today at the company's website or select authorized retailers. The LG Gram Style series comes in 14-inch (14Z90RS) and 16-inch (16Z90RS) configurations, starting at $1,499 and $1,799, respectively. Renowned for their svelte and elegant exterior, LG's Gram laptops are among the best options for consumers who want a powerful and lightweight device they can carry around.

As the model name insinuates, LG's Gram Style laptops undoubtedly arrive in style. The manufacturer opted for a nano-magnesium alloy base and added flair to the keyboard and lid with Gorilla Glass 3, resulting in an iridescent finish. The disappearing touchpad is a nice touch as well. LG stuck to the same design philosophy with the Gram Style series as its previous Gram laptops. The 14-inch model has a footprint of 14 x 9.5 x 0.63 inches, whereas the larger 16-inch model checks in at 12.3 x 8.42 x 0.63 inches. Both variants weigh under 3 lbs; their dimensions and weight are comparable to the previous generation. LG only offers the Gram Style series with 16-inch and 14-inch displays, so there's no 17-inch option like prior models. The 16-inch Gram Style rocks a 16-inch panel with a 3K (3200 x 2000) resolution, while the smaller 14-inch model has a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution. Both devices employ OLED displays with a DCI-P3 100% color gamut and VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification; however, only the 16-inch panel comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate.

In addition to the aesthetic makeover, LG brought the LG Gram Style's hardware up to date. While previous LG Gram devices were leveraging Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake chips, the Gram Style takes advantage of the newer Raptor Lake parts, specifically the Core i7-1360P. The Core i7-1360P is a 12-core processor with four P-cores, eight E-cores, and 18MB of L3 cache. In addition, the chip flaunts a 5 GHz boost clock on the P-cores and a 3.7 GHz boost clock on the E-cores. The Core i7-1360P belongs to Intel's Raptor Lake-P family of processors designed for ultra-thin devices, making it the perfect fit for the LG Gram Style. In addition, the Core i7-1360P has a PBP of 28W and an MTP of 64W, so it's not over-demanding on the battery.

LG Gram Style Specifications
Component	16Z90RS	14Z90RS
CPU	Intel Core i7-1360P	Intel Core i7-1360P
GPU	Intel Iris Xe	Intel Iris Xe
Display	16" 3K (3200 x 2000), 120 Hz OLED	14" 2.8K (2880 x 1800), OLED
RAM	Up to 32 GB LPDDR5 (Dual-Channel, 6000 MHz)	Up to 32 GB LPDDR5 (Dual-Channel, 6000 MHz)
Storage	Up to 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD	Up to 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Networking	Intel Wireless AX211	Intel Wireless AX211
I/O	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 2 x USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 2 x USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C
Battery	80 Wh Li-ion	72 Wh Li-ion
Camera	FHD IR Webcam	FHD IR Webcam
Operating System	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home
Dimensions (inches)	14.0 x 9.5 x 0.63	12.3 x 8.42 x 0.63
Weight	2.76 lbs (1.25 kg)	2.2 lbs (1kg)
Starting Price (USD)	$1,999 (32 GB), $1,799 (16 GB)	$1,799 (32 GB), $1,499 (16 GB)

LG lets consumers pick between 16 GB and 32 GB of memory on the LG Gram Style. The laptop utilizes LPDDR5 memory clocked at 6,000 MHz, regardless of the model. Soldered memory means there's no option for expansion; therefore, buyers must pick wisely. The LG Gram Style only comes with 1 TB of storage via an unspecified PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD. The 14-inch model with 16 GB of memory has a 512 GB SSD.

The LG Gram Style isn't generous on connectivity, but the laptop has the necessary ports. Consumers receive one USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 port and two USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C ports. However, LG doesn't equip the Gram Style with a discrete graphics card. As a result, the Core i7-1360P's Iris Xe iGPU takes care of the graphics duties. The iGPU still features 96 EUs, but they boost to 1.5 GHz, 100 MHz higher than the previous variant. The LG Gram Style utilizes Intel's AX211 module to offer consumers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity. The 14-inch and 16-inch LG Gram Style sport 72 Wh and 80 Wh Li-ion batteries, respectively. According to LG-provided metrics, the former offer up to 15 hours of video playback, whereas the latter drops to 12.5 hours due to the higher-specced panel.

The 14Z90RS with 16 GB and 32 GB configurations retail for $1,499 and $1,799, respectively. On the other hand, the 16Z90RS 16 GB model sells for $1,799, and the 32 GB version will set consumers back $1,999. For a limited time, consumers can purchase the 32 GB variants with the same screen size for the price of a 16 GB model. The promotion runs from March 20 to April 16.

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AMD: Ryzen Mobile 7040HS “Phoenix” Laptops Delayed Until April

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For everyone who has been eagerly waiting for the first laptops incorporating AMD’s monolithic Zen 4 mobile CPU, AMD sends word on a Friday afternoon that you’ll be waiting a little longer. Laptops based on AMD’s Ryzen Mobile 7040HS series CPUs have officially been delayed by a month, pushing their expected availability from March to April.

First detailed during AMD’s CES 2023 keynote, the Ryzen Mobile 7040HS series (codename Phoenix) is AMD’s first mobile-focused, monolithic die CPUs based on the Zen 4 architecture, and will be their flagship silicon for mobile devices for 2023. Besides incorporating AMD’s latest CPU architecture, Phoenix also adds into the mix an updated RDNA3 architecture iGPU, and for the first time in any AMD CPU, a dedicated AI processing block, which AMD has aptly named the Ryzen AI. All of which, in turn, is fabbed using TSMC’s 4nm process – making it the single most advanced piece of silicon out of AMD yet.

At the time of its announcement, laptops based on Phoenix were expected in March of this year (i.e. this month). However AMD has sent over a brief announcement on a sleepy Friday afternoon stating that devices based on the new chips have been pushed back a month, to April, citing “platform readiness.” AMD’s complete announcement is below:

To align with platform readiness and ensure the best possible user experience, we now expect our OEM partners to launch the first notebooks powered by Ryzen 7040HS Series processors in April.

Source: AMD PR

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ASUS Unveils TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 Motherboard: Reverse Mounted Connectivity

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When done correctly and with patience, cable management can be a rewarding experience; for the most part, it's frustrating, especially for premium systems. Much of the onus has been on chassis manufacturers to utilize the space offered to provide ample room for cable management. ASUS looks to go the other way and has announced a motherboard with the primary power connectors and headers on the rear, the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4. Like MSI's Project Zero and GIGABYTE's Project Stealth, ASUS calls its new series Back to 'the' Future, or BTF for short, to distinguish them from the rest of its alphabet spaghetti-named line-ups.

More on the value-oriented side of the fence than their more premium models, ASUS has taken one of its pre-existing motherboards (TUF Gaming B760M-PLUS WIFI) and engineered it so that the power headers and primary connectors such as SATA, fan headers, and front panel USB headers are placed on the rear. Based on the B760 chipset for Intel's 12th Gen and 11th Gen Core series processors, the ASUS TUF Gaming B760M-BTF is a micro-ATX offering and represents ASUS's TUF Gaming series. As it's representative of an entry-level model, ASUS has opted for DDR4 support, as Intel's Alder Lake (11th Gen) and Raptor Lake (12th Gen) both support DDR5 and DDR4.

Touching on the core details, the front of the ASUS TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 looks like any typical motherboard sans the connectors on the rear. It has a black PCB with grey highlights and packs an entry-level to mid-range feature set. ASUS includes four memory slots with support for up to DDR4-5333 with a maximum capacity of 128 GB. As a WIFI model, it comes with a WIFI 6 wireless interface, an unspecified Realtek 2.5 GbE controller, and an unspecified HD audio codec. Still, ASUS hasn't provided specifics on these as of yet. ASUS also includes two M.2 connectors on the front with heatsinks, which can support PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 drives.

Looking at the rear of the board, this is where all of ASUS's new Back to the Future implementations come into play. All relevant connectors are in the same places as they would be on the front, but they have just been reverse-engineered to protrude out the rear of the case. This includes the 24-pin ATX motherboard, one 8-pin 12 V, and one 4-pin 12 V CPU power input, four SATA ports, front panel USB headers, and eight 4-pin fan headers. There is also a single PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot on the rear, although this doesn't come with a heatsink, so if an NVMe drive is going to be used, it'll likely require a low-profile aftermarket heatsink.

ASUS does include support for USB 3.2 G2x2 on the rear panel through one port, with an additional two USB 3.2 G2 ports (1 x TypeA and C), with two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A and one USB 3.2 G1 Type-C; this means the rear panel has three USB Type-C ports. ASUS also includes four USB 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort, one HDMI output, three 3.5 mm audio outputs, and a clear CMOS button.

Gallery: ASUS Unveils TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 Motherboard: Reverse Mounted Connectivity

Despite the apparent benefits of reducing cable clutter in the main compartment of a system's chassis, an existing chassis will likely need some form of modification to realize its potential fully. This is apparent as the 24-pin motherboard and 12 V CPU power inputs come out of the board and are not at a right angle as we've seen on some boards from other vendors. There is also the likelihood that a new chassis built around this concept will come to market in the coming months. Maybe ASUS has jumped into a DeLorean, time-warped into the future, saw what chassis designs are coming to market, and decided to jump the gun; who knows?

At the time of writing, ASUS hasn't indicated the board's pricing or when the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 is expected to hit retail shelves. ASUS also hasn't announced whether or not its Back to The Future (BTF) rear-mounted connector design will be featured in other model lines as we go further into 2023.

Source: ASUS

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G.Skill Launches DDR5-8000 CL38 48GB Memory Kit For Raptor Lake CPUs

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G.Skill has announced a new, high capacity DDR5 memory kit for Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors and accompanying LGA1700 platform. The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-8000 CL38, which features a capacity of 48 GB (2 x 24 GB), comes with an Intel XMP 3.0 profile for a fast and effortless setup on high-end systems that can accomodate the high-speed hardware

With the release of 24Gbit DDR5 memory chips, memory manufacturers are working to fill in the gap between current 16GB and 32GB UDIMMs. As these new, higher capacity dies allow for larger single-rank DIMMs, this is allowing DIMM vendors such as G.Skill to launch higher capacity versions of their fastest DIMMs.

The memory timings on the Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-8000 aren't great, but they're decent enough. G.Skill binned the memory for CL 38-48-48-127 and 1.45 volts on the DRAM side. The specifications are almost identical to the Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) memory kits that G.Skill announced a few months back. The principal difference is that the vendor has bumped the memory kit capacity from 32 GB to 48 GB. Unfortunately, G.Skill didn't reveal which DRAM vendor's chips they're utilizing in the Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-8000 memory kit. Considering the data rate, it's plausibly using SK hynix's latest A-die ICs, as many vendors are utilizing those for premium memory kits DDR5-7000 speeds.

G.SKill Trident Z5 Series DDR5 UDIMM Memory Specifications
Frequency	Latency Timings	Voltage	Capacities
DDR5-8000	38-48-48-127	1.45v	48 GB (2 x 24 GB) 32 GB (2 x 16 GB)

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that although the Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-8000 has XMP 3.0 support, the memory kit won't quite be plug-and-play on many LGA1700 motherboards. Consumers need to own a processor with a very strong IMC that can tolerate high-speed memory (i.e. top-tier Raptor Lake chips). An equally capable motherboard is required as well. Even then, judging from G.Skill's validation list, it sounds like 1 DPC motherboards are going to be the prime choice. G.Skill has only validated the memory kit on Asus' ROG Maximus Z790 Apex and EVGA's Z790 Dark K|NGP|N, two over-engineered motherboards tailored to extreme overclocking. Interestingly, Gigabyte's Z790 Aorus Tachyon isn't on the list, nor is MSI's MEG Z690 Unify-X.

G.Skill's Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-8000 memory kit is scheduled to hit retail shelves globally in April of this year, going up against as-of-yet released kits from TeamGroup, V-Color, Galax, and Netac. In the meantime, the company is keeping a tight lip on the pricing, preferring to keep the shock factor under wraps for now. Suffice it to say, given the binning required to produce this speed grade of RAM, and the premium pricing of DDR5 overall, we don't expect that the Trident Z5 DDR5-8000 kits will come cheap.

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Fujitsu Preps Monaka Datacenter CPU to Succeed A64FX: Greater Efficiency and More Features

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Fujitsu has revealed that the company is prepping the successor for its A64FX processor for high-performance computing. The company's second-generation Arm-based server CPU is slated to offer considerably higher performance and energy efficiency than its predecessor, as well as will add features to address AI and data analytics applications. The CPU is codenamed Monaka and it will arrive sometimes in 2027 and will power a next-generation supercomputer due in 2028.

Like the original A64FX, Fujitsu's Monaka will once again be an Arm ISA processor. But it will also integrate hardware to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics applications, according to details released by the company at its ActivateNow: Technology Summit at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, reports The Register.

The promise to boost performance in traditional HPC and emerging AI workloads is logical. Although Fujitsu's existing A64FX already has support for 512-bit Scalable Vector Extensions (SVE) and can operate in FP64, FP32, FP16 and INT8 modes for a variety of AI and traditional supercomputer applications, the rapidly developing field of AI workloads has been adopting new data formats beyond FP16 and INT8. Meanwhile, Retaining the Arm architecture will ensure that the Monaka processor will be able to run code developed for the original A64FX CPU as well as other Arm-based system-on-chips for datacenters. 

"The next-generation DC CPU (Monaka) that we are developing will have a wider range of features and will prove more energy efficient," a Fujitsu spokesperson told The Register. "The range of potential applications is wider than that of the A64FX, which has special characteristics (e.g., interconnects) specific to Fugaku. 

One of Fujitsu's main goals with Monaka is to provide 'overwhelming energy efficiency' when compared with competing processors available at the time, claims The Register citing the company's officials. The firm is aiming to deliver 70% higher overall performance and 100% higher performance-per-watt than competing chips. Though with delivery not expected until 2027, it goes without saying that any competitive performance expectations are aspirational at best.

Fujitsu's current 48+4-core A64FX processor for HPC has proven that the Arm architecture is perfectly capable of powering supercomputers, in this case Fugaku, which was the world's fastest supercomputer from 2020 to 2022. But the CPU is chiefly tailored for traditional supercomputer workloads, and as a result it's only been used in a handful of systems, including Fugaku, Fujitsu's PrimeHPC FX700 and FX1000 systems (which are available for purchase), and HPE's Apollo 80 HPC platform.

Monaka, in turn, will allow Fujitsu to take a stab at supplying the broader HPC market with a high performance Arm processor. While the company isn't offering specific technical details at this time, they are making it clear that they're designing the chip for a wider audience, as opposed to the supercomputer-focused A64FX and its niche features like on-package HBM2 and the Tofu Interconnect D fabric to connect multiple nodes in a cluster. Shifting to a broader audience opens up more sales opportunities for Fujitsu, but it will put the company in more direct competition with other Arm server CPU vendors such as NVIDIA, Ampere, and the many internal projects at hyperscalers.

In any case, it'll be interesting to see how things unfold once Monaka arrives in 2027. The Arm server CPU market has quickly blossomed over the last few years, so by the time Monaka hits the scene, it's going to be coming into a market with lots of opportunity for Arm servers and Arm software, but also a market with no shortage of companies trying to claim their piece of the pie.

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Lenovo Teams Up with Aston Martin for New ThinkStations: Up to 120 Cores, 4 Graphics Cards

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Lenovo has introduced its all-new ThinkStation machines designed for performance-hungry professionals. The new ThinkStation P-series lineup consists of four machines based on up to two Intel Sapphire Rapids processors and up to four Nvidia RTX-series professional graphics cards. One of the interesting wrinkles in Lenovo's announcement is that the chassis of the new workstations were co-designed with Aston Martin, an automaker whose designers use ThinkStations to build cars.

Lenovo's latest ThinkStation P-series family of workstations is composed of three base machines: the top-of-the-range ThinkStation PX based on two 4^th Generation Xeon Scalable 'Sapphire Rapids' processors with up to 120 cores in total as well as up to four Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada Lovelace graphics cards with 48GB of GDDR6 memory onboard; the high-end ThinkStation P7 powered by Intel's Xeon W-3400-series processor with up to 56 cores and up to three Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada Lovelace graphics boards; and the relatively compact ThinkStation 5 with Intel's Xeon W-2400-series CPU featuring up to 24 cores as well as up to two Nvidia RTX A6000 Ampere-based graphics cards with 48GB of memory that can be connected using NVLink. The updated ThinkStations have a baseboard management controller and can be serviced remotely.  

Rob Herman, the Vice President of Lenovo's Workstation and Client AI Business Unit states, "We partnered closely with Intel, Nvidia, and Aston Martin to ensure these new systems offer the best of form and functionality by combining a premium chassis with ultra high-end graphics, memory, and processing power."

Lenovo ThinkStation PX

Speaking of Aston Martin, all the workstations have a chassis featuring a front panel inspired by the front grill of Aston Martin's DBS vehicles (e.g., the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera). The chassis, co-designed by Lenovo and Aston Martin, features Lenovo's tri-channel cooling system and can be serviced without using tools.

Lenovo ThinkStation P5, P7, and PX: General Specifications
AnandTech	ThinkStation P5	ThinkStation P7	ThinkStation PX
CPU	Xeon W-2400 up to 24 cores	Xeon W-3400 up to 56 cores	2x Xeon Scalable up to 120 cores
Chipset	W790	W790	C741
RAM	Up to 512 GB DDR5-4800 with ECC	Up to 1 TB DDR5-4800 with ECC	Up to 2 TB DDR5-4800 with ECC
GPU	up to 2 x Nvidia RTX A6000 Ampere	up to 3 x Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada Lovelace	up to 4 x Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada Lovelace
Storage	Up to 6 total drives: M.2: 3 (12 TB) 3.5": 3 (36 TB) RAID: M.2: 0/1/10/5 SATA: 0/1/5	Up to 7 total drives: M.2: 4 (16TB) 3.5": 3 (36TB) or Up to 6 total drives: M.2: 5 (20 TB) 3.5": 1 (12 TB) RAID: M.2: 0/1/10/5 SATA: 0/1/5	Up to 9 total drives: M.2: 7 (28 TB) 3.5": 2 (24 TB) or Up to 7 total drives: M.2: 3 (12 TB) 3.5: 4 (48 TB) RAID: M.2: 0/1/10/5 SATA: 0/1/10/5
Expansion	2x PCIe 5.0 x16 1x PCIe 4.0 x8 3x PCIe 4.0 x4	3x PCIe 5.0 x16 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 1x PCIe 4.0 x8 1x PCIe 5.0 x4 1x PCIe 4.0 x4	Dual CPU system: 4x PCIe 5.0 x16 4x PCIe 4.0 x16 1x PCIe 4.0 x8 Single CPU system: 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 2x PCIe 4.0 x16
Networking	1GbE Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 + BT 5.2	10GbE 1GbE Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 + BT 5.2	10GbE 1GbE Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 + BT 5.2
I/O	Front Ports: Audio Combo Jack Optional Front Ports: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2  2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2  Rear Ports: 2x USB 2.0 3x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2  1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2  1GbE Line in Line out Serial (optional)	Front Ports: Audio Combo Jack Optional Front Ports: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2  2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2  Rear Ports: 2x USB 2.0 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2  1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 1GbE 10GbE Line in Line out Serial (optional)	Optional Front Ports: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2  2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2   Rear Ports: 2x USB 2.0 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 1GbE 10GbE Ethernet Line in Line out Serial (optional)
Dimensions	(mm): 165 x 453 x 440 (inches): 6.5 x 17.8 x 17.3	(mm): 175 x 508 x 435 (inches): 6.9 x 20 x 17.1	(mm): 220 x 575 x 435 (inches): 8.7 x 22.6 x 17.1
PSU	750W 1000W	1000W 1400W	1850W optional redundancy
Security	TPM 2.0 Self-healing BIOS Power On Password UEFI Secure Boot Kensington Lock Slot Padlock Loop	TPM 2.0 Self-healing BIOS Power On Password UEFI Secure Boot Kensington Lock Slot
OS	Preloaded: Windows 11 Pro for Workstation Windows 10 Pro for Workstation (preinstalled through downgrade rights in Windows 11 Pro) Ubuntu Linux Supported: Windows 10 Enterprise Edition Red Hat Enterprise Linux (certified)

ThinkStation PX: An Ultimate Machine

The range-topping Lenovo ThinkStation PX is an old-school no-compromise dual-socket workstation with up to two Intel 4^th Generation Xeon Scalable processors based on the latest 120 general-purpose cores coupled with up to 2 TB of DDR5-4800 memory as well as up to four Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada 48 GB GDDR6 graphics cards. Regarding storage, the ThinkStation PX can house three or seven M.2 SSDs and four 3.5-inch hard drives. Depending on the configuration, the Lenovo ThinkStation PX offers various levels of storage capacity, with 28 TB or 12 TB of NAND flash storage and up to 24 TB or 48 TB of HDD storage. For the first time, Lenovo's most powerful workstation cannot be equipped with an optical disk drive.

Connectivity and expansion (or rather flexibility) are among the key features of workstations since these machines are used for a wide range of professional applications, including animation, professional visualization, simulation, rendering, and video editing, among other things. To address these needs, the ThinkStation PX can be equipped with up to four PCIe 5.0 x16 add-in-boards (e.g., four graphics cards), four PCIe 4.0 x16 AIBs, and one PCIe 4.0 x8 card. The machine also has one 10GbE port, one GbE connector, an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 adapter, one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on the back, multiple USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A and Type-C on the front and on the back, and audio connectors. Surprisingly, the workstation lacks Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 connectivity.

While the ThinkStation PX is an ultimate machine with unprecedented performance, Lenovo understands that such dual-socket workstations are headed for extinction. The system comes in a rack-optimized chassis and can be used remotely and/or for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) applications. 

ThinkStation P7: A Versatile Xeon W Workstation

Lenovo's ThinkStation P7 sits below the PX, but this single-socket machine offers formidable performance to address the needs of demanding architects, content creators, designers, engineers, and data scientists. Just like its bigger brother, this unit comes in a rack-optimized case. 

The ThinkStation P7 machine packs Intel's Xeon W-3400-series CPU with up to 56 cores accompanied by up to 1 TB of DDR5-4800 memory and up to three Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada graphics cards with 48 GB of memory. The machine can be equipped with up to four M.2 SSDs and three 3.5-inch hard drives that provide up to 52TB of storage space. 

As for expansion capabilities, the unit can accommodate three PCIe 5.0 x16 AIBs, one PCIe 5.0 x4 card, one PCIe 4.0 x16 board, one PCIe 4.0 x8 AIB, and a PCIe 4.0 x4 card. It has one 10GbE port, one GbE connector, an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 adapter, a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on the back, multiple USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A and Type-C ports, and audio jacks. Again, the machine lacks TB4 and USB4 connectivity.

ThinkStation P5: Compact and Powerful

The ThinkStation P5 may not be as advanced and powerful as the P7 and PX, but it packs more punch than almost any high-performance desktop and is aimed at a variety of performance-hungry workloads. Meanwhile, measuring 165mm x 453mm x 440mm, this relatively compact traditional desktop is not meant for rack installation (although this is probably not completely impossible with appropriate third-party kits).

Lenovo's ThinkStation P5 is powered by Intel's Xeon W-2400-series processor with up to 24 cores that is mated with up to 512 GB of DDR5-4800 memory and up to two Nvidia RTX A6000 graphics boards with 48 GB of GDDR6 SGRAM that can be connected using NVLink with each other. The workstation can be equipped with three M.2 SSDs and three 3.5-inch HDDs for a total of 48 TB of storage space. 

The machine has two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and three PCIe 4.0 x4 slots. It also comes with a GbE, an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 adapter, a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, several USB 3.2 Gen2 connectors, and audio jacks. Unfortunately, the system lacks Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 ports.

Availability and Pricing

Lenovo plans to start selling its new ThinkStation PX, P7, and P5 workstations this May. The company does not disclose the pricing of these machines, though they will likely resemble the prices of its current-generation dual-socket and P700 and P500-series machines.

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NVIDIA Releases Hotfix For GeForce Driver To Resolve CPU Usage Spikes

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NVIDIA released the company’s GeForce 531.18 WHQL driver on February 28^th. It didn’t take long before user reports started to pile up on the NVIDIA forums about a strange bug causing processor usage to spike. The problem would occur after the user exited a game, and the issue would persist until a system restarted. Now a week later, NVIDIA has solved the problem and deployed a hotfix tailored to replace the GeForce 531.18 WHQL driver, bringing the version number up to 531.26.

The GeForce 531.18 WHQL driver was an installment with several notable features, including DLSS 3 support and optimizations to Atomic Heart and the closed beta for The Finals. More importantly, the GeForce 531.18 WHQL driver enabled support for RTX Video Super Resolution (VSR), an upscaling feature that uses AI to improve streaming video in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

User feedback revealed the bug would increase processor usage anywhere between 10% to 15%. While it’s not a system-breaking issue, NVIDIA’s hotfix has restored things to normal by eliminating the CPU usage bug. Surprisingly, the problem didn’t impact every GeForce system. According to a discussion on a Reddit thread, the NVIDIA Game Session Telemetry plugin (NvGSTPlugin.dll), which is loaded by the NVIDIA Display Container service, could have been the perpetrator of the unusual processor spikes. Users previously had to block or erase the DLL file to solve the problem temporarily. Unfortunately, the latter would render the control panel unserviceable since it depends on the NVIDIA Container service. A more sound alternative included rolling back the driver to a previous version, which meant users would lose the optimizations and new functionalities. NVIDIA’s hotfix comes at just the right time.

When it comes to hotfixes, it's worth noting that as the name implies, these are quick, interim solutions that typically don’t go through the lengthy QA process as a standard GeForce driver does. In other words, NVIDIA supply these hotfixes to consumers as-is to fix a notable bug. So installing the hotfix is only recommended for systems that are affected by the bug; otherwise users should wait for the next WHQL driver release as usual.

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