AMD Naples: 32C/64T, dual CPU = 64C/128T, 8-channel DDR4

AMD launched its Ryzen CPU family - at least the high-end 8C/16T parts in the Ryzen 7 range, but the server CPU market is about to be disrupted by their upcoming Naples CPU family.

Naples is a massively scalable 32C/64T system-on-chip (SoC) design, with support for two high-performance threads per core. We have 8-channel DDR4 support with room for 32 DIMMs on server boards, and so much more.

AMD Naples Features:

• A highly scalable, 32-core System on Chip (SoC) design, with support for two high-performance threads per core
• Industry-leading memory bandwidth, with 8-channels of memory per "Naples" device. In a 2-socket server, support for up to 32 DIMMS of DDR4 on 16 memory channels, delivering up to 4 terabytes of total memory capacity.
• The processor is a complete SoC with fully integrated, high-speed I/O supporting 128 lanes of PCIe 3, negating the need for a separate chipset
• A highly-optimized cache structure for high-performance, energy efficient compute
• AMD Infinity Fabric coherent interconnect for two "Naples" CPUs in a 2-socket system
• Dedicated security hardware

Naples = More EVERYTHING Than Competitor

AMD is offering some massive improvements in Naples - not just in overall core count, but memory bandwidth, and I/O compared to the current slate of Intel Xeon processors.

AMD is comparing its current Naples prototype with 2 x 32C/64T CPUs for a total of 64C/128T (!!!) against Intel's current 88-threaded (44C/88T) Xeon E5-2699A V4 processor. Intel loses here with total memory channels, total memory capacity, RAM frequency, and even the total PCIe 3.0 lanes available.

Naples will also see huge workload speeds, with a 1 billion sample grid with 10 iterations being 2x faster on Naples - at just 18 seconds, compared to 35 seconds. AMD even knocked down its core count to 44 cores to compete directly against Intel's 44-core Xeon processor - and still beat it, in a big way.

When the full 64C/128T is enabled on Naples with the DDR4 clocked at 2400MHz (instead of the 1866MHz on the Xeon CPU setup) - Naples is then 2.5x faster at just 14 seconds (18 seconds on the 44C run with Naples) compared to the 35-second run on Intel's current 44C/88T chip.

When AMD bumped up the load to 4 billion sample gr id with 10 iterations - the Naples CPU took 64 seconds with its full 64C/128T processor taking 54 seconds - while Intel's processor errored with 'insufficient memory to load' the dataset.

128 PCIe 3.0 Lanes: 32 x NVMe Devices + 4 x GPUs

AMD's next-gen Naples platform will allow for a massive 128 PCIe 3.0 lanes, which will support 32 x NVMe devices and 4 x GPUs in a 1U rack, sporting 2 x InfiniBand EDR interconnects for some insane transfer rates between storage, and server systems.

Better yet, the 2U rack can take 26 x NVMe devices + 8 x GPUs for some rather serious number crunching.

Naples: 8-channel DDR4 Support

AMD is upping its game in every area of the server CPU market with Naples, so not only do we have 32C/64T processors - that in dual-CPU boards will push 64C/128T (!!!) but we'll have 8-channel DDR4 RAM support.

This means that each rakc can support 2 x DDR4 DIMMs, with a total of 16 x DIMMs across the 8 channels. 2P servers can take 32 x DDR4 DIMMs, housing up to 4TB of RAM with 170GB/sec memory bandwidth.

Naples-powered racks will be optimized for massive workloads in HPC environments, with molecular dynamics, rendering, graphics, data analytics, and so much more.

Naples + Radeon Instinct = Unstoppable

AMD unveiled its next-gen Radeon Instinct graphics accelerators late last year during its event in Sonoma, California - but now a 2-socket Naples solution can be seen as a truly next-gen server option with 64C/128T of CPU performance and 4 x Radeon Instinct graphics cards based on the Vega GPU architecture for some serious power.