The latest from Intel – The Core 2 Extreme QX9650

The newest high-end processor from Intel is the Core 2 Extreme QX9650. It is a quad-core chip running at 3 GHz produced on a 45 nanometer assembly line. It has a total of 12 megabytes of cache on the chip. Here is a complete review, including a summary of the 45 nm production process:
Penryn Arrives: Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Review
In this article they were able to boost the memory speed to 1600 MHz and overclock the chip to 3.6 GHz (a 20% increase) without any trouble, which bodes well for the speed of future chips.
Here are two other announcements:- Intel’s 45nm Penryn/Yorkfield architecture packs serious punch- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 – Penryn Ticks Ahead
The Anandtech article talks about the future: “The other important item to note on the roadmap going forward is that top line in the table – yep, the one that says Bloomfield. Bloomfield is none other than Nehalem, the 45nm successor to Penryn. It’s a brand new architecture complete with an on-die memory controller, SMT (Symmetric Multi-Threading – 2 threads per core) and 8MB of shared cache (probably L3 shared among all four cores). While it’s still a year away, it’s very nice to see it on an Intel roadmap this far in advance of its launch.” That chip will probably crack the billion transistor barrier.

For PC gaming, this week was the best of times and the worst of times—new graphics hardware on display from AMD and Intel, but aimed at an ailing PC g

It works like an Intel chip, but looks like the Cell processor.
That's one way of describing the energy-efficient multiple core processors being devised by secretive Montalvo Systems. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has come up with a design for a chip for portable computers and devices that--when finished and manufactured--will theoretically be capable of running the same software as chips from Intel or Advanced Micro Devices.
Montalvo's chips, however, will fundamentally differ from the latest Core or Opteron processors from Intel and AMD in that the cores on its chip won't be symmetrical, i.e. identical to each other. Instead, Montalvo's chips will sport a mix of high-performance cores and lower-performance cores on the same piece of silicon, similar to the Cell chip devised by IBM, Toshiba, and Sony, according to sources close to the company.
By merging asymmetrical cores onto the same piece of silicon, Montalvo can cut power consumption by dishing applications that don't require a lot of computing firepower onto less-powerful, more energy-efficient cores. Applications could conceivably also be shuttled to low-power cores after their need for high-performance elapses: Microsoft Outlook, for instance, requires a burst of performance during the launch phase but far less once it's running.
Asymmetrical cores can also provide better performance on applications such as video if programmed for that purpose, say proponents of the architecture. The Cell processor became the first chip to successfully champion this idea. The Cell consists of a primary microprocessor core and an array of "synergistic processing elements" that can be programmed to perform discrete tasks like managing networking or video streaming.
Cell chips have primarily been used inside Sony's PlayStation 3, but IBM has inserted Cell chips in some server blades. Toshiba plans to put the chip inside TVs and may put it inside PCs. (While the initial Cell comes with eight synergistic cores, chips can be made with fewer.) Mercury Computer Systems has also adopted Cell for some computers.
Montalvo has not stated whether it has adopted an asymmetrical core to save power, boost performance on media applications, or both. In fact, the company doesn't say anything at all. The closest it has come to a public statement are shirts handed out to employees saying that the company can't say what it is up to. Montalvo declined to comment for this story.
The somewhat different, asymmetrical nature of Montalvo's chip in part helps explain why investors have put more than $73 million into the Sisyphean task of taking on Intel. Montalvo wants to land its chips into all sorts of portable computers: notebooks, handheld devices such as the OQO, and ornate smartphones. Several companies, however, have tried this and failed because of the daunting nature of trying to compete against Intel. Cyrix, Transmeta, Rise--none of them ever lived up to its advance billing. Only AMD has survived, and AMD has lost more money that it has made in its 30-year plus existence.
Montalvo is funded by people who've tangled or been entangled with Intel before too. NEA-IndoUS's Vinod Dham, who sits on Montalvo's board, was one of Intel's chief chip architects during the Pentium era. He then went to NexGen, which designed an Intel-compatible chip, and then AMD when it bought NexGen.
Montalvo's CEO is Matt Perry, who also served as chief executive of Transmeta, which once tried to take on Intel in notebooks but now largely concentrates on technology licensing. Peter Song, Montalvo's chief architect, earlier founded a company called MemoryLogix, which tried to build low-power Intel-compatible chips. Other current and former employees include Greg Favor (formerly of NexGen and AMD) and Mike Yamamura. (CNET Networks blogger Peter Glaskowsky is chief systems architect for Montalvo and is listed as a co-inventor on two published Montalvo patent applications, but he was not involved in any way in this story. CNET is the publisher of News.com.)

AMD's latest takes GPU crown, Intel's Larrabee takes a bow

For PC gaming, this week was the best of times and the worst of times—new graphics hardware on display from AMD and Intel, but aimed at an ailing PC gaming market that's in its worst shape ever.
At AMD's big VISION event earlier this month, the company gave a technical deep dive on its next-gen GPU family, codenamed Evergreen. The embargoes are now up on the technical details and reviews of the first product in this family, the Radeon 5870, an embargo lift that was no doubt timed to take a little of the wind out of Intel's long-awaited Larrabee reveal yesterday.
The verdict? AMD's debut DirectX 11 GPU now has the single-GPU performance crown by a comfortable margin, and with a significant timing lead on NVIDIA's upcoming DX11 hardware. A single new 5870 outperforms two 4870s, and without a major increase in power or cooling requirements. A 2X performance boost versus the previous generation in the same thermal envelope is quite an achievement, and it reinforces yet again the fact that the real action at AMD is on the ATI side of the campus.
As for Larrabee, Intel's Sean Maloney showed a real-time ray-tracing demo that seemed to run at somewhere around 25 FPS or less. The demo was interesting graphically the way that, say, solo bassist Stanley Clark is interesting musically—you're mightily impressed by the sight of something so difficult being done with such speed, but the end result isn't really the kind of thing you want to rock out to on a regular basis. The real-time ray tracing stuff just doesn't look that great yet, and it probably won't look as good as rasterized graphics anytime soon.
Of course, Larrabee will also do rasterized graphics, and probably about as well as a midrange GPU from ATI or NVIDIA. But running games that use the traditional rasterization pipeline isn't where Larrabee is designed to shine. Intel really needs two things to happen with Larrabee: 1) a killer app, like GLQuake was for 3Dfx, and 2) a console win.
I can't really speak to #2 (I think it's going to happen, but what do I know), and for #1, all I can say is that Tim Sweeney is pretty fired up about being the guy who codes that killer app. And what Tim Sweeney codes, the rest of the industry licenses.
All of this power and potential, though, is a moot point if game developers continue to target consoles and then port their games to the PC. Scott Wasson goes on a little mini-rant about this subject at the end of his Radeon 5870 review, and I also heard quite a bit about this problem from some other prominent PC hardware personalities at IDF.
Current PC CPU + GPU combinations are already at some large theoretical multiple of the performance of gaming consoles, but you'd never know it from looking at 3D PC games, all of which are written with the console market in mind. It's to the point where there's almost a chicken-and-egg problem, where nobody shells out for a PC gaming rig because the games don't look that much better than their console counterparts, and nobody develops PC-only titles because gamers aren't shelling out for PC gaming rigs. All of this is compounded by the downturn, which has hit the high-end GPU market especially hard.

Latest Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500 Series Adopted for Japanese Cloud Computing Service Designed to Meet Local Needs

With the aim of being "number one in customer satisfaction", KDDI Corporation operates high-quality services with convenient features that meet the expectations of modern customers. Based on this consistent principle, KDDI introduced the KDDI Cloud Server Service in June 2009. The service has been recognized as the first cloud computing solution to be provided by a Japanese company for Japanese companies. The service runs on servers that use the latest Intel processor, the Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500 Series.

INTEL NEWS RELEASE

Intel CEO: Latest Platforms, Processors Form New Foundations For Digital Entertainment And Wireless Computing
Otellini Introduces Intel® Viiv™ Technology; AOL, ClickStar, DIRECTV, NBC Universal Alliances; Launches Next–Generation Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology to Advance Laptops; New Intel® Core™ Duo Processor Redefines Performance-Per–Watt
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS – Jan. 5, 2006 – Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini today unveiled two platforms and several content alliances that provide the foundation for new experiences from digital entertainment and wireless laptops –– and include the new high–performance, low–power Intel® Core™ Duo processor.
Noting the transformation now underway in entertainment, Otellini introduced the company’s new home platform –– Intel® Viiv™ technology –– and several commitments from top U.S. and international entertainment companies including AOL, DIRECTV, NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting’s GameTap, ESPN, Televisa and Eros. ClickStar announced its first feature film, “10 Items or Less,” with a plan for an Internet premiere within weeks of its theatrical release, an industry first. These and other developments will bring millions of songs, movies, programs and games to the PC in 2006.
Intel Viiv technology–based entertainment PCs will help make it easier for families to download, store, view, manage and share all kinds of digital entertainment and information on a choice of TV, PC, laptop and hand–held viewing screens.
Intel® Centrino® Duo mobile technology improves performance and battery life for the fast–growing wireless laptop market segment. Otellini also introduced the ground–breaking Intel® Core™ Duo processor – powerful dual core silicon supporting the Intel Centrino Duo and certain Intel Viiv technology models. The processor is well equipped to deliver performance–per–watt efficiency and sleek designs for entertainment PCs, notebooks and CE–like devices.
“With our new platforms, we’re not only boosting wireless computing, but also advancing digital entertainment a few steps closer to effortless,” said Otellini. “Just as we enabled exciting new norms with wireless broadband laptops, we’re working with computer, CE and entertainment companies to make home entertainment easier. Our unique processors, tailored platform features and joint work with these industries exemplify our push to advance on–demand delivery of movies, TV, music, games and photos to any home on virtually any screen.”
New Intel Home and Mobile PlatformsIntel Viiv (rhymes with “five”) technology includes a suite of Intel–based hardware and software that, along with Microsoft* Windows* XP Media Center Edition 2005, offers exciting new entertainment experiences. Based on a choice of powerful Intel® Pentium® D, Pentium Processor Extreme Edition and Intel Core Duo processors, these PCs will reflect a variety of features, prices and stylish designs – including “all–in–one” hybrid TVs and book–sized PCs.
PCs based on the platform will have a variety of entertainment options including support for both a minimum of 5.1 or higher surround sound and high–definition video. Systems may also instantly turn on and off with the touch of a button (when enabled, after initial boot) and could be used with TV–like remote controls when included with the system or purchased separately. Intel Viiv technology platforms will include the new Intel® 945/955/975 Express Chipset family and Intel PRO/1000 PM or Intel PRO/100 VE/VM network connection.
Later this year, the platform will add features that will simplify the set–up of a home network and the ability to transfer digital content from the PC to other devices.
Otellini also pointed out a number of features that can make Centrino® Duo mobile technology the ultimate on–the–go entertainment system. In addition to performance, battery life and wireless connectivity options, systems will be available in a variety of sizes from thin and light laptops to more powerful ones with 17–inch plus widescreens –– and surround sound, enhanced graphics and high–definition TV support depending on the model. The Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset family and Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection also are new.
Intel plans to introduce more than 20 new processors, chipsets and other products this month. Pricing for each varies and processors will be listed by product numbers. For more information, visit www.intc.com/pricelist/processor_price_list.pdf.
More than 200 PC makers plan to sell hundreds of unique PC and laptop models using these new products and platforms. Intel expects to sell tens of millions of these platforms and processors in 2006 using its industry–leading 65–nanometer and 300–millimeter manufacturing capabilities that enable more energy efficient and affordable consumer products.
Goal: Infinite Hours of Digital Programming Available WorldwideOtellini also highlighted several new worldwide entertainment commitments to make digital programming available through Intel Viiv technology and PCs, including:
AOL –AOL Music On Demand*, AOL Radio* featuring XM* Satellite Radio and AOL Pictures* this month; AOL Music Now and AOL Video* AOL Video featuring the “AOL Hi–Q” high–quality video format coming later this year.
ClickStar – The entertainment company will introduce its first film, “10 Items or Less,” via the Internet just weeks after its theatrical release.
DIRECTV – The leading digital TV service provider will make its programming seamlessly available on PCs, laptops and media players through its verified set–top.
ESPN – ESPN.com Motion* will feature sports highlights in high definition plus Full Court* with 300 collegiate basketball games in full–screen broadcast quality.
Eros – The largest international distributor in the Indian film industry (“Bollywood”) plans to make its digital content portal and future digital video services available on–demand.
Grupo Televisa – The largest media company in the Spanish–speaking world will provide a wide choice of popular soap operas, sporting events, news and music.
MTV Networks – MTV said it will optimize a number of its channels for Intel Viiv technology ranging from Comedy Central’s “MotherLoad” to MTV’s “Overdrive.”
NBC Universal – NBC Universal will deliver select highlights in high resolution of all 17 days of the 2006 Winter Olympics to Intel Viiv technology–based PCs, with other joint efforts later.
Shanghai Media Group – China’s top media group will deliver its digital movies, TV dramas, exclusive interactive programming and other live content.
Turner Broadcasting’s GameTap – A first–of–its–kind broadband entertainment network, GameTap will bring hundreds of diverse videos and games to the “10–foot” TV screen.

Intel Security Summit

Last week I was invited to Hillsboro to speak at the Intel's internal conference on security. My presentation title was "A Quest To The Core: Thoughts on present and future attacks on system core technologies", and my goal was to somehow make a quick summary of the recent research our team has done over the last 12 months or so, and explain why we're so keen on hacking the low-level system components, while all the rest of the world is excited about browser and flash player bugs.The slides (converted to PDF) can be found here. As you will see, I decided to remove most of the slides from the "Future" chapter. One reason for that was that we didn't want to hint Loic our competition as to some of our new toys we're working on;) The other reason was that, I think, the value of presenting only thoughts about attacks, i.e. unproven thoughts, or, should I even say, feelings about future attacks, has little research value, and while I can understand such information being important to Intel, I don't see how others could benefit from them.I must say it was nice and interesting to meet in person with various Intel architects, i.e. the people that actually design and create our basic "universe" we all operate in. You can always change the OS (or even write your own!), but still you must stick to the rules, or "laws", of the platform (unless you can break them ;)