Qualcomm teases 48-core processor on 10nm process

Qualcomm has announced that it has started commercial sampling of the world's first 48-core SoC on the 10nm node, with ARM-based Falkor 10nm CPU used in the upcoming chip family 'Centriq 2400'.

Senior VP and GM of Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc. Anand Chandrasekher, explains: "The Qualcomm Centriq 2400 series processors will drive high performance, power efficient ARM-based servers from concept to reality. Qualcomm requires the leading edge of integrated circuit technology to deliver high performance at low power for the newest premium smartphones. We are first in 10nm IC technology for mobile, and leveraging our expertise in ARM processors and system on chip design, we are the first with our Qualcomm Centriq family of server processors to bring the leading edge to the datacenter".

We have no idea about the technical and performance side of the processor, so we don't know how to compare it against current x86 offerings - but Qualcomm has beaten Intel to the 48-core/10nm CPU game in 2017.

What we do know is that it will use the new Falkor 10nm CPU that Qualcomm developed from the ground up, and is "highly optimized to deliver both high performance and power efficiency, and designed to tackle the most common data center workloads", according to our friends at Fudzilla.

Where will Qualcomm use the new processor?

Qualcomm will be pushing the new Centriq 2400 series processors in servers, so don't go expecting to run Overwatch or Battlefield 1 on a new 48-core CPU on the 10nm node just yet.

This is the most complicated and largest chip Qualcomm has ever built, so the early dominance in the server market is a big win for the company - especially against the likes of Intel, which dominates the server industry right now. Intel is still cranking out 14nm CPUs in various designs, but 10nm... well, Qualcomm is making great strides by the looks of things.