There's still a fair bit of time before Intel releases server chips based upon the Ivy Bridge architecture, but that isn't stopping avid readers and power users from questioning what comes next. Next, by the way, is Haswell, which is the successor to the current Ivy Bridge architecture and is a completely new design.

The leaked slides would appear to be real and detail some of the chip's features that we should expect when it releases. As far out as it still is, some of these details could be subject to change. The slide claims that there will be minimum of 10 cores per CPU and will sport up to 35MB of total LLC, about 2.5MB a core.

It is said to have 40 PCI-e lanes and will sport Hyperthreading and Turbo Boost. It appears that the new CPU will be getting a new socket (of course) called R3 or Socket R3. This is most likely so that it can handle the 4 channels of DDR4 operating from 1333MTS all the way up to 2133MTS. Additionally, it sports two QPI paths so there will be a max of two CPUs per system.

Intel DDR4 servers are supposed to debut in 2014, so don't be expecting Haswell-EP before then. That puts 2014 as the most probable time for when Haswell-EP will shed its NDA and more information will come available.