Intel's New 18-Core Xeon Chip could shake Self-driving Cars and IoT Technology

INTEL WANTS to raise all the internal devices that stand at the edge of the nets with its new Xeon D-2100 18-core processor. Traditionally, Xeon chips were the domain of server workstations and machines, shaking video rendering or creating corporate workloads.

But Intel's new Xeon chipset is a SoC designed to deliver robust performance to devices that are at the "edge of the network," from routers and remote servers to Things Internet (IoT) systems and connected cars.

Intel is proud to promote the Xeon D-2100 as the ideal solution for optimizing cloud workloads and storage, delivering better delivery of content to networks for streaming media and large files, and improving the overall performance of the enterprise network ... to yawn.

"The Intel Xeon D-2100 processor allows service providers and enterprises to deliver the maximum amount of computing intelligence at the edge or web-level while using less power," said Sandra Rivera, general manager of the network at Intel. But before starting to eat, the interesting aspect of the Xeon D-2100 is the idea of ​​bringing computing intelligence to devices sitting at the edges of networks.

Think of connected cars and self-driving systems, it seems like everyone is working, they need powerful chips to crush all the data they need not to hit a child at 30 mph.

With an 18-core chip at the heart of an autonomous driving system, a vehicle could curb data as employees of INQ chug pints. This may also, over time, make self-steering systems smarter, as more data they process, the more they learn.

Intel's processors can already be found in cars, but the aspects of self-driving tend to be the domain of Nvidia with Drive PX technology and Pegasus. But with a powerful yet energy-efficient Xeon chip, Intel could enter some Nvidia territory.

Alternatively, the Xeon chip could find its way into intelligent home systems that can deliver its intelligent functions without relying on an internet connection with privacy because bringing 18 cores to support tasks like natural language processing means that demanding tasks can be computed locally.

Of course we are reading between the lines here and, given that Intel has not announced pricing for the Xeon D-2100, there is a chance that it can be very expensive for developers and businesses to simply try.

We will have to wait and see if the new Xeon chip really stops the server world, but if nothing else, Intel says it will come with integrated protection against the failures of Meltdown and Specter, so this is a positive step at least.