Intel has pulled the covers off its newest generation Xeon W and X series platforms, slashing prices in the face of growing competition from AMD, and introducing a new technology designed to help software – e.g. for financial simulation and modeling – run as fast as possible by identifying and prioritising the fastest available cores.
Intel said eight new high-end W-series Xeon processors (for business and performance workstations) and four new X-series processors (gaming and enthusiasts) will be available November, priced from $294 to $1,333.
The range tops out [pdf] at up to 4.8Ghz and be configured with up to 18 cores, 36 threads and 1TB DDR4 with ECC memory in a single-socket solution.
The W-series CPUs deliver “outstanding performance and expanded platform capabilities for data science, visual effects, 3D rendering, complex 3D CAD, AI development and edge deployments”, Intel said.
As an example of performance boost, the 3D architectural rendering process on Autodesk Revit (building information modelling software) accelerates up to 10 percent faster on the W-2295 than on the previous generation W-2195, Intel said.
Four new mid-range X-series processors, meanwhile – the i9-10980XE, i9-10940X, i9-10920X, and i9-10900X – are aimed at less specialised “advanced workflows that vary in need for photo/video editing, game development, and 3D animation.”
These are priced from $590 to $979. Both the new X series and new W series chips are available from November.
New Intel Processors: “It Was Not a Rational Pricing Stack”
Prices on the products in some instances represent a 40-50 percent discount on previous models’ starting prices. Frank Soqui, Intel’s GM of desktop, workstation, and channel group told Venture Beat’s Dean Takehashi.
He said: “We did that because what we’re trying to do is make sure that the people at the top end of our mainstream stack don’t see this as a bridge too far when they want more performance. There was a big gap before, and it was not a rational pricing stack. And that’s why we’ve moved to this new pricing.”
The processors equip high-end desktop PC and mainstream workstations with AI acceleration for the first time, with the integration of Intel Deep Learning Boost, Intel said in a release, claiming an AI inference boost of 2.2 times previous products.
In addition to Intel Xeon W and X-series, Intel is also introducing new pricing to its Intel Core S-series processors without integrated graphics. The new prices are effective starting today, with the 9th Gen Intel Core desktop processors currently in market.
Read this: AMD EPYC Rome Launch: The Specs, the Reaction to the new 7nm CPUs
