Intel Corp. plans to release the most powerful microprocessors based on the code-named “Haswell” micro-architecture in the second quarter of next year, according to a media report. The new chips will be aimed at ultra-high-end servers and will feature various reliability, availability, serviceability (RAS) features that are required by mission …
Read More »Inspur to build servers featuring IBM’s Power processors, software
Inspur, a leading server maker from China, and IBM have agreed to jointly develop servers featuring IBM software and Power microprocessors. In particular, the two companies ported IBM DB2 and IBM WebSphere application server software to operate on Inspur TSK1 mission-critical servers. “Inspur looks forward to teaming with IBM to …
Read More »U.S. authorities okay sale of IBM’s x86 server business unit
International Business Machines Corp. said that it had received notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that the organization allows IBM to sell its x86 server business unit to Lenovo Group. The decision to sell-off x86 server business was criticized by multiple analysts, but it …
Read More »AMD ready to build custom 64-bit ARM processors for servers
Advanced Micro Devices yet has to commercially ship its first ARMv8-based system-on-chip for servers code-named Seattle. Nonetheless, the company already says that it is ready to develop semi-custom server-class SoCs for servers based on the 64-bit ARMv8 architecture. The company already offers customized Opteron chips powered by its x86 cores. …
Read More »ARM server eco-system developing slower than expected – Dell
Although many market observers expect processors based on the ARM architecture to capture a significant part of server market going forward, delays of hardware and infrastructure development reduces ARM’s chances on this market. Intel Corp. is quickly developing new low-power x86 server chips that reduce appeal of ARM for server …
Read More »HGST unveils new-generation enterprise-grade SAS-12Gb/s SSDs
HGST, a subsidiary of Western Digital Corp., on Monday unveiled its new enterprise-class solid-state drives with Serial Attached SCSI-12Gb/s interface. The new drives boast with up to 1.6TB capacity and up to 1.1GB/s read throughput, which puts them among the fastest and most reliable SSDs on the market today. The new family …
Read More »First non-IBM Power8 servers set to emerge early in 2015
Last year IBM established the OpenPower consortium and opened up Power8 processor specifications and architecture to its partners. The goal of the organization is to create an eco-system of Power8-based servers designed for future data centers and cloud computing. The first fruits of the collaboration may become available already early …
Read More »IBM faces roadblocks with sale of server, semiconductor businesses
International Business Machines Corp. is expected to accomplish two important transactions this year: it is projected to complete sale of its x86 server division to Lenovo Group and it is rumoured that the company will also agree to sell its semiconductor manufacturing business to GlobalFoundries. However, the U.S. regulators may …
Read More »Nvidia and Samsung drop development ARM chips for servers
Nvidia Corp. and Samsung Electronics have decided to withdraw from development of server-class system-on-chips based on the ARMv8 instruction set. Since there are too many similar server chips in development, the two companies most likely do not want to compete in an extremely crowded market. Both Nvidia and Samsung design …
Read More »SanDisk to acquire Fusion-io for $1.1 billion
SanDisk on Monday said that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Fusion-io, a leading maker of high-performance solid-state drives for enterprise and hyperscale datacenters. The takeover will help SanDisk to enter a new market and gain numerous technologies as well as new intellectual property. “Fusion-io will accelerate our …
Read More »HGST to demo Ethernet HDD/SSD architecture at upcoming summit
HGST, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Digital Corp., said this week that it would demonstrate a new open Ethernet drive architecture offering new flexibility and capabilities for developers and operators of OpenStack cloud software. The completely new storage hardware architecture will allow to expand datacenters easier than today. The open …
Read More »Amazon Web Services reportedly begins to develop its own chips
Amazon Web Services, a service arm of Amazon and one of the world’s largest providers of cloud services, recently established silicon optimization engineering team (SOET) with the aim to create custom server platforms and microprocessors. The company has already begun to hire specialists to develop highly-tailored server platforms. Nowadays companies …
Read More »HP and Foxconn team up to make cloud servers for hyperscale datacenters
Hewlett-Packard and Foxconn Electronics, the world’s largest contract maker of electronics devices, on Wednesday signed a joint venture agreement under which the two companies would produce low-cost cloud-servers aimed at big online service providers. The machines will be tailored for individual customers. The changing needs of cloud computing require a …
Read More »SanDisk reveals 4TB SSDs with SAS interface for data-centers
SanDisk Corp. on Wednesday announced a new solid-state drive designed for enterprises that could change the way storage systems are built today. The new Optimus Max SSD boasts 4TB capacity, high reliability as well as leading-edge performance, the qualities that are crucial for large data-centers. Nowadays data-centers use multi-tier storage …
Read More »AMD’s x86 processor market share rises, thanks to game consoles
New-generation video game consoles from Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. not only help AMD to offset declines of PC chips sales, but actually drive the company’s share on the market of x86 microprocessors. In the first quarter of 2014 AMD managed to gain share, whereas Intel Corp. lost some ground. …
Read More »AMD shows off next-generation Opteron X “Berlin” APU in action
Advanced Micro Devices this week demonstrated its next-generation AMD Opteron X-series accelerated processing unit code-named “Berlin” running Fedora Linux operating system. The new APU is projected to significantly boost performance of servers running APUs and bring heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) capabilities to servers. AMD Opteron X-series “Berlin” APU in many …
Read More »SK Hynix reveals 128GB DDR4 memory module [UPDATED]
UPDATE: The initial news-story contained an image of an SK Hynix memory module which did not feature 128GB capacity. As SK Hynix has released the correct images of its new memory modules, we can now publish the photos of 128GB DDR4 memory sticks. SK Hynix on Monday unveiled the industry’s …
Read More »Micron starts volume production of DDR4 memory
Micron Technology, one of the world’s leading makers of dynamic random access memory, said Wednesday that it had started to produce next-generation DDR4 memory in volume. The company and its partners will begin to officially ship servers featuring Intel Corp.’s Xeon E5-2600 v3 and Micron’s DDR4 memory in the second …
Read More »Micron joins OpenPower, set to co-develop next-gen datacenters
Micron Technology, one of the world’s leading makers of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory and various storage solutions for enterprise datacenters, on Friday said it had joined the OpenPower foundation, an open development community based on the Power microprocessor architecture, as a platinum member. The OpenPower foundation, …
Read More »Supermicro prepares to render more of Hollywood
One of the biggest releases of 2014 will be the Hollywood extravaganza Jupiter Ascending. With a special effects budget likely to be larger than the GDP of some small countries, you might be wondering what kind of hardware sits in the background to make it all possible. KitGuru got some …
Read More »How many CPU’s does it take to run a Microsoft stand?
During the second week in March, hundreds of stands, spread across dozens of halls, all scream for your attention. So how many computers does it take to run a Microsoft stand at CeBIT? While the familiar brands we all know from the PC industry populate halls 14 to 18, the …
Read More »Intel reveals new Xeon E7 v2 processors with up to 15 cores
Intel Corp. on Wednesday unveiled its new family of Xeon E7 processors for enterprise-class servers that brings unprecedented compute performance and introduces new reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features never-before-seen on Xeon products. The new central processing units are designed for up to 32-socket servers and will power various machines …
Read More »Dell forms research division, set to invest more into R&D
Dell, a leading maker of personal computers, servers and other hardware that is trying to diversify its businesses these days, has quietly formed a research division for the first time in its history. Traditionally, Dell approached research and development (R&D) in a very minimalist way since for years it had …
Read More »ARM and partners reveal initial server platform standard
Data centers demand standards-based software and hardware offerings to ensure ease of deployment and manageability. ARM Holdings and its partners on Monday released the first standard for servers based on ARMv8-A 64-bit micro-architecture. The guidelines will help server makers to build similar machines. ARM ‘server base system architecture' (SBSA) platform …
Read More »AMD details ARM-based Opteron, plans sampling this quarter
Advanced Micro Devices has released additional details regarding the first server-class AMD Opteron A1100 microprocessor code-named “Seattle” based on ARMv8 micro-architecture. In addition, the company said that it would begin to send the chips to software developers to help programmers to tune their apps to 64-bit ARM technology already this …
Read More »Lenovo reorganizes into four business groups
Lenovo, one of the world’s top PC makers, decided to reorganize itself to better respond to market situation and needs. Starting from the 1st of April, Lenovo will have four business groups addressing completely different market segments. “Today, Lenovo is in one of the most important and exciting phases in …
Read More »Lenovo reveals plans to take over IBM’s x86 server business
Lenovo Group and IBM Corp. on Thursday inked an agreement in which Lenovo plans to acquire IBM’s x86 server business for about $2.3 billion. In addition to the division, Lenovo will also get software, networking and maintenance operations. Thanks to the deal, Lenovo will become one of the leading x86 …
Read More »AMD officially announces Opteron ‘Warsaw’ microprocessors
Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday introduced two new server-class Opteron central processing units (CPUs) based on the code-named “Warsaw” design. The new chips boast slightly better power efficiency compared to predecessors, but feature similar performance and a set of technologies compared to existing code-named “Abu Dhabi” multi-core processors. Initially, there …
Read More »Dell, Lenovo in talks to acquire x86 server business from IBM
For IBM, many of its low-margin business units are no longer important since they do not bring desired revenues and in many cases make losses without providing any strategic advantages. But there are companies, who are interested in acquiring select IBM’s businesses in order to boost their market shares and …
Read More »Supermicro 7047AX-TRF/72RF SuperWorkstation Preview
At KitGuru we are used to analysing the very first products in each new line-up. By and large, they come into the KitGuru Lab in the same way that they would off the shelf when one of our readers makes a purchase later. Today we have a very unusual first …
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