During HotChips symposium, George Chrysos, the leading architect of Intel Xeon Phi co-processor shared the new architecture details of upcoming Intel's HPC powerhouse. Designed for highly-parallel applications, Intel Xeon Phi co-processor based on Intel Mani Integrated Core architecture will deliver the combination of industry leading performance per watt with the ability to re-use the existing code and applications without necessity of re-writing them.Equipped with more than 50 cores and built using Intel's latest 22nm 3D Tri-gate transistor technology, new co-processors will be in production this year with first supercomputers from top500 list already taking advantage of this technology. In his blog here, George shares his aspirations and goals during designing the co-processor and summarizes all new disclosed information. The HotChips presentation is also available below.

24 Comments on Intel Reveals Architecture Details of Intel Xeon Phi Co-Processor

#1 Eva01Master

This is just what I was looking for, now my browser games will run smoothly XD. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 4:46 Reply

#2 m1dg3t

Ha ha! Yes! :) Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 5:48 Reply

#3 Mussels

Moderprator so this is what became of larrabee Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 6:07 Reply

#4 TRWOV

It's like the Ageia PPU all over again... also, when would I be able to put one in my tower to encode my porn? :) Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 6:11 Reply

#5 eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman TRWOV It's like the Ageia PPU all over again... also, when would I be able to put one in my tower to encode my porn? :) Go Get Laid Heh Go Get Laid Heh Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:12 Reply

#6 INSTG8R

Vanguard Beta Tester Mussels so this is what became of larrabee That's the bells that went off in my head as well. That's the bells that went off in my head as well. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:15 Reply

#7 Completely Bonkers

Rather lackluster in my opinion. It is a "me too". Intel Knights Corner does not make any leaps ahead of the competition. It is neck and neck. And performance per watt improvements? Marginal given they havent launched yet and the competitors architecture is more than a year old. According to Moore, Intel should be at least 2x ahead of last years offerings from nV and AMD.



In fact, they are probably behind. That chart (slide 5) with 1381 vs. 1380 was finagled for the boss so that the team didn't lose their jobs! Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:21 Reply

#8 FordGT90Concept

"I go fast!1!11!1!" It is x86. That is the "leaps ahead of the competition." You don't need to code for it, just recompile for it. It makes developing software so much easier. Not to mention, it's also better at scientific applications because it has higher double precision float performance because x86 is designed to do that--not so much GPUs converted to GPGPU use. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:24 Reply

#9 Delta6326

Sounds interesting still wish intel would join the other GPU makers so that prices would go down. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:27 Reply

#10 largon



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Nobody has (yet) complained about PCB color (slide 4). eidairaman1 TRWOV [...] when would I be able to put one in my tower to encode my porn? Go Get Laid Heh Well, he is encoding it. Perhaps he's a home cinematics aficionado?

:p Strange.Nobody has (yet) complained about PCB color (slide 4).Well, he isit. Perhaps he's a home cinematics aficionado?:p Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 8:45 Reply

#11 Completely Bonkers

FordGT90Concept Not to mention, it's also better at scientific applications because it has higher double precision float performance because x86 is designed to do that--not so much GPUs converted to GPGPU use. Without doubt, x86 means quicker and cheaper re-use/factor of existing code. Great. But looking at slide 5 it doesnt look that KC is computationally much faster. Cheaper. Faster to code. But not necessarily faster to compute. I don't know the details of the Floating Point tests that were done, but it may well be that there are a set of problems where KC will clearly win (ie. double precision problems). However, most computational problems are not double-precision, and also keep in mind that KC is double-precision and not x86 (which is extended 80-bit float since the x87 days). So when moving x87 code to KC you need to be careful! Without doubt, x86 means quicker and cheaper re-use/factor of existing code. Great. But looking at slide 5 it doesnt look that KC is computationally much faster. Cheaper. Faster to code. But not necessarily faster to compute. I don't know the details of the Floating Point tests that were done, but it may well be that there are a set of problems where KC will clearly win (ie. double precision problems). However, most computational problems are not double-precision, and also keep in mind that KC is double-precision and not x86 (which is extended 80-bit float since the x87 days). So when moving x87 code to KC you need to be careful! Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 9:15 Reply

#12 FordGT90Concept

"I go fast!1!11!1!" There is a penalty for x86 versus what is effectively machine code on other GPGPUs but Intel makes up for that with smaller fab.





In scientific applications, double precision is yearned for. The only reason why everything isn't double precision is because, until recently, graphics cards either didn't support double precision or took a huge performance penalty if they did double precision. These cards are going to end up in multi-million dollar science-conducting machines. Double precision performance is going to be a huge selling point for these cards. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 9:31 Reply

#13 deleted

The most important thing about these cards is that they're normal x86 processors and don't require any sort of special consideration (although optimization is always nice). It's basically 50 Pentium Is with Sandy Bridge FPUs tacked onto them, fabbed on a 22nm process. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 12:52 Reply

#14 Morgoth

Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 18:12 Reply

#15 suraswami

Is this something to do with Graphics (like video card, APU etc)? Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 18:51 Reply

#16 TRWOV

suraswami Is this something to do with Graphics (like video card, APU etc)? more like physics, rendering and video encoding. Also HPC (its main intended market) but that's hardly of interest for the common folk. :)



Basically it's a 50 Pentium Pro cluster in an add-on card. Can't wait for some of these to appear in retail... in a couple of years. :banghead: more like physics, rendering and video encoding. Also HPC (its main intended market) but that's hardly of interest for the common folk. :)Basically it's a 50 Pentium Pro cluster in an add-on card. Can't wait for some of these to appear in retail... in a couple of years. :banghead: Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 19:37 Reply

#17 theoneandonlymrk

They are Now physics cards lol, its a direct stepping decendant of larrabee, and it from what i have previously seen it would take 3 sli'd or intelied or whatever to run crysis, I do want one though and its interesting to me that they run a lynux kernal on each core of it, linked virtually via regular net protocals, like a hive virually inside your rig, ill takes 3:D:cool: Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 19:45 Reply

#18 Disparia

theoneandonlymrk They are Now physics cards lol, its a direct stepping decendant of larrabee, and it from what i have previously seen it would take 3 sli'd or intelied or whatever to run crysis, I do want one though and its interesting to me that they run a lynux kernal on each core of it, linked virtually via regular net protocals, like a hive virually inside your rig, ill takes 3:D:cool: Yeah, it took 8 of the slower 32-core models to do







Three or four of these new Phi's could do it, and in a couple years it'll only take one. Yeah, it took 8 of the slower 32-core models to do Wolfenstein Three or four of these new Phi's could do it, and in a couple years it'll only take one. Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 21:40 Reply

#19 cadaveca

My name is Dave HOly crap that's an interesting picture! Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 21:44 Reply

#20 ChristTheGreat

can't wait to see the power consumption of this, Might be good for crunching :D Posted on Aug 31st 2012, 21:51 Reply

#21 Nordic

I look at this. I think its cool. I then get an "I want one" feeling. I just don't have a good use for it. I don't encode often or fold. Still though, MOAR POWA! Posted on Sep 1st 2012, 9:48 Reply

#22 Morgoth

i would want to get one if valve batch compile get supports up to 64 threads now it only does 16 threads Posted on Sep 1st 2012, 18:54 Reply

#23 deleted

Jizzler Yeah, it took 8 of the slower 32-core models to do Wolfenstein:



Three or four of these new Phi's could do it, and in a couple years it'll only take one. You forgot the part where it was raytracing the entire thing in real time. Kepler doesn't even come close to that. You forgot the part where it was raytracing the entire thing in real time. Kepler doesn't even come close to that. Posted on Sep 1st 2012, 22:32 Reply