For Intel and its partners, better processing for emerging workloads like AI isn’t just a matter of performance. With their 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, Intel has taken a comprehensive approach by also adding improvements in efficiency, security, and developer support.
How does Intel meet the needs of emerging workloads?
5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors are meeting the needs of emerging workloads with the following benefits:
- Superior performance over the prior generations in AI inference, AI training, and other measures
- Reduced total cost of ownership thanks to greater efficiency
- Scalability and flexibility advantages with a wide range of configurations
- Hardware-level security to fight the latest threats
- Ongoing developer support like the AI toolkit
Intel’s Development Strategy
Today, Intel takes a modular approach to performance improvement. They’ve moved away from using monolithic cores to perform specialized processing to high-speed, smaller cores surrounded by chiplets or engines for specific operations. The benefit of this approach is twofold. First, the core processor is freed to perform general compute functions faster than ever, while specialized tasks are accelerated on their own. Second, core processors and accelerator chips can be updated separately, allowing users to reap the rewards of better performance on one part of the processor while retaining the time-tested reliability of the other.
The Benefits of 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors
While much of AI’s initial excitement may have faded, more organizations are looking at deployments with real business value. Even organizations that are not ready to deploy are still staying educated on the latest tech to be prepared when the call comes.
Key advantages of the 5th generation include:
- Enhanced AI Performance
As mentioned, the key to Intel’s CPU performance is not just in the core but in the extra chips accompanying it. For AI, two essential engines include:
- Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel AMX)
This optional chipset excels at the matrix math calculations commonly required for AI functions like natural language processing, image recognition, and recommendation systems.
- Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (Intel AVX-512)
This engine accelerates vector-based computations such as those used in AI, financial simulations, scientific simulations, and other calculation-intensive workloads.
When it comes to results, 5th Gen Intel Xeon scalable processors delivered in testing an up to 14x improvement in AI training and inference performance over 3rd Gen Intel Xeon processors and an 84% general compute advantage over the same generation.
- Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Usually, increased compute power comes at the cost of greater heat output and power usage. After all, with present-day technology, there's no way to increase the number of computations performed without increasing heat output. That said, 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors fight heat production and increase efficiency with:
Up to 10x higher average performance per watt
When using accelerator engines like those mentioned above, 5th Gen CPUs can perform more work with less power.
Optimized Power Mode
This option can be enabled in the platform BIOS for certain workloads, providing additional power savings.
When it comes to ROI, 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors offer a 21% overall performance boost compared to the prior generation at the same thermal design power (TDP). Therefore, by accomplishing more per watt, 5th-generation processors help to pay for themselves.
- Scalability and Flexibility
AI deployments have been known to grow rapidly in terms of computational needs. Compatible with prior generations, 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors offer various configurations to suit organizations’ current and future needs, from single-socket configurations for small-scale AI projects to multi-socket systems to drive enterprise-level workloads.
- Security
Security concerns are paramount in AI deployments, particularly when handling sensitive data and executing mission-critical tasks. Intel Xeon processors incorporate hardware-level security features such as Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) and Intel Total Memory Encryption (TME), both of which protect data integrity and confidentiality at the processor level.
- Developer Support
Intel provides a suite of tools and libraries tailored for AI development, including the Intel AI Builders program and Intel AI Analytics Toolkit. These facilitate the development, deployment, and optimization of AI models on Intel platforms.
AI Engine Support and Use Cases
More and more organizations rely on well-known AI engines like large language models (LLMs) and other generative AI applications. With the performance advantages and flexibility they offer, 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors are ideal to be used in conjunction with platforms like:
- Chat GPT
- GPT-4
- Scribe
- Alphacode
- GitHub Copilot
- Bard
- Dall-E3
As a result of Intel’s continued advances, Intel Xeon scalable processors are being leveraged in an ever-growing list of industry verticals, including retail, healthcare, industrial, and energy.
To Align Your AI Strategy With Intel, Partner with UNICOM Engineering
By integrating Intel's advanced processors into comprehensive solutions tailored for diverse industries, UNICOM Engineering ensures that AI's potential is fully realized. Whether facilitating faster time-to-market for technology innovators or providing end-to-end support for complex AI deployments, UNICOM Engineering is at the forefront of bringing these cutting-edge technologies to life.
Schedule a consultation today to dive into the possibilities of AI at the Edge and harness the capabilities of the latest Intel technology.