Power 9: Details about processors on the new architecture from IBM



    Our company at the Hot Chips conference revealed a number of details regarding the processors on the new Power 9 architecture. These processors will begin to be released in mid-2017. Solutions based on these chips allow our partners to choose systems of different performance depending on the tasks that need to be solved.

    Note that the Power 9 processors are manufactured on a 14-nm process technology. They contain 8 billion transistors. The performance gain compared to previous generation processors ranges from 50% to 100%. The specific number depends on the task being performed. The number of cores for the Power 9 is doubled compared with the previous generation of processors - from 12 to 24. The performance of an individual core has also been improved. Now used block memory (in the block - 10 MB), which is divided into every two cores. The total amount of L3 memory is 120 MB. The access speed to L3 is up to 7 TB / s.

    New processors instead of Centaur memory (a specific form factor of DDR4 memory modules) support server-sided and non-buffered DDR4 memory bars. This allows you to save when configuring servers based on new solutions of our company.

    As for the different versions of Power 9, there will only be 4 solutions. These are two solutions for 12 cores with support for 8 threads per core, and two options with 24-core processors with support for 4 threads per core. The first two solutions are designed for platforms with advanced virtualization. Two other options can be used to solve common problems in a Linux environment. In each of the cases there are two solutions. One is positioned as a solution for dual-processor configurations with support for access to 8 channels of unbuffered DDR4 memory at once, and the second as a solution for a number of configurations with access to buffered DDR4 memory.

    Processors are compatible with PCI Express 4.0 memory bus. Also uses the interface NVIDIA NVLink 2.0. In this case, work with external devices will be carried out through the interface of IBM Bluelink (25 Gb / s). The CAPI 2.0 interface is also saved, it remains closed.

    Here it is worth remembering that new processors are designed exclusively for servers, and not ordinary PCs. Now IBM's Open Power Foundation partners can work with Power processors. Partners of our company will be able to customize processors for their needs by obtaining the appropriate licenses.

    Tasks that can be solved with the help of Power9 - deep learning, a weak form of AI, the creation of self-learning systems.

    Among the first servers equipped with new processors, there will most likely be OpenComputeProject (OCP) servers. In addition, the new generation of chips will work in the Summit supercomputer, which is planned to be created by 2018. It is developed by the US Department of Energy. System performance is 200 petaflops.

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