Intel eyes new 'Sierra Forest' chip to improve power efficiency by over 200% - report
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Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) said that a new data center chip, which will be launched next year, will handle more than double the amount of computing work that can be done for each watt of power used, Reuters reported.
At a semiconductor technology conference at Stanford University, Intel said that its "Sierra Forest" chip will have 240% better performance per watt compared to its current generation of data center chip. It is the first time the tech giant has disclosed such figures, according to the report.
The move is part of a larger industry effort to reduce electricity consumption. The data centers which power the internet and online services take up huge amounts of electricity. Technology companies are increasingly facing pressure to cut down or hold steady the amount of energy they use. Such needs have pushed chip companies to focus on how to get more computing work done per chip, the report added.
Ampere Computing, a startup founded by ex-Intel executives, was first to market a chip focused on handling cloud computing work efficiently. Intel and competitor Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have followed up by announcing similar products. AMD's product entered the market in June, the report noted.
Intel said that the "Sierra Forest" chip is on track to arrive next year. The company is, for the first time, bifurcating its data center chips into two categoriesâ "Granite Rapids" chip which will focus on performance but consume more power, and the more efficient "Sierra Forest" chip.
"I may have things that are four or five, six years old. I can get power savings by moving something that's currently on five, 10 or 15 different servers into a single" new chip, said Ronak Singhal, a senior fellow at Intel. "That density drives their total cost of ownership. The higher the density, the fewer systems they need."

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