AMD launches their EPYC series of server processors

[WYP]

AMD launches their EPYC series of server processors, which offer between 8 and 32 cores per socket and 128 PCIe lanes across the lineup.



Read more on AMD's EPYC series of server processors.

 

[Chopper3]

The PCIe lanes thing is erroneous as the Xeon uses QPI to act as a socket-to-socket communication channel whereas the AMD will use 64 of its PCIe lanes to do the same job, also note that QPI has more than twice the bandwidth than PCIe - meaning socket-to-socket comms will be much slower on the AMD.

So yes if you have a uni-processor server you get all those channels but really it's a 40 vs. 64 situation and very few server users use more than 32 or so per socket, we tend to balance devices across CPUs.

Oh and the AMD clock rates are quite slow.

Is there any mention of CPU functions supported by these AMD chips - in particular AVX2 and AES-NI - it they don't support them then many applications will run considerably slower.

 

[barnsley]

The PCIe lanes thing is erroneous as the Xeon uses QPI to act as a socket-to-socket communication channel whereas the AMD will use 64 of its PCIe lanes to do the same job, also note that QPI has more than twice the bandwidth than PCIe - meaning socket-to-socket comms will be much slower on the AMD.

So yes if you have a uni-processor server you get all those channels but really it's a 40 vs. 64 situation and very few server users use more than 32 or so per socket, we tend to balance devices across CPUs.

Oh and the AMD clock rates are quite slow.

Is there any mention of CPU functions supported by these AMD chips - in particular AVX2 and AES-NI - it they don't support them then many applications will run considerably slower.

It does support those functions. AMD have supported both since bulldozer at least.

Epyc is supposed to replace existing dual xeons setups with single chips. That is what they seem to be targeting anyway. The price is good and as long as the performance (and arguably Linux support) is good it'll do well.

 

[Chopper3]

It does support those functions. AMD have supported both since bulldozer at least.

Epyc is supposed to replace existing dual xeons setups with single chips. That is what they seem to be targeting anyway. The price is good and as long as the performance (and arguably Linux support) is good it'll do well.

Who's replacing dual-xeons with single AMD though - Everyone i know is looking forward to the Purley Xeons with 28c/56t (and soon 32c/64t), I'll still want two per server.

 

[dario]

Who's replacing dual-xeons with single AMD though - Everyone i know is looking forward to the Purley Xeons with 28c/56t (and soon 32c/64t), I'll still want two per server.

All of us who are interested in price/performance ratio. Just thinking of how much I will save on not having to buy software licences for two CPUs is very exciting!

 

[Kleptobot]

Currently AMD's server market share is next to nothing, so as long as they can carve out a profitable chunk then they're doing pretty well.