News Coffee Lake variant including on-package Vega GPU

Combines a Core-H CPU part (45W) with an as yet unspecified semi-custom Vega Polaris GPU plus at least one HBM2 stack. Uses Intel's EMIB rather than a monolithic interposer, but appears to be doing so just for the GPU-HBM link rather than for the CPU-GPU link judging by the mockup image provided by Intel, which could just end up being PCIe x16 for simplicity (using an existing interface both GPU and CPU already posses).

All signs point to this being an "Apple wanted us to make it" SKU like the Iris Pro line, but there's a non-zero chance it could make its way to other products too. Probably in the form of NUCs rather than as installable LGA chips.

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Alternate headline: today's weather in hades; heavy snow with chances of hail.

 

[Phuncz]

These have a targeted 100W TDP if I remember correctly reading that somewhere. That's not something easily done in a NUC-sized case who use 15W TDP processors I believe. Though this would be more than perfect for 1-3L sized computers like VR backpacks or living room PCs.

 

[Therandomness]

It's apparently a Polaris chip with 24 CUs (1536 shaders) running at around 1GHz.

 

[Kmpkt]

So slightly less than half the power of Vega 56 before accounting for what will likely be lower clocks? I hope it hits 1050ti performance with that sort of spec, but not holding my breath.

 

[whum]

You guys can rest assured that big SFF boosts are coming in 2018 and 2019 because I just spent my upgrade budget for the next 2-4 years and I always gamble wrong and buy my PCs right before the big changes hit the market. Having said that this is pretty exciting news. I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for small form factor and when Intel inevitably buys AMD we will really be on our way.

 

[AleksandarK]

Manufactured on 14++ HP process(at Intel!), which should, in theory, give it adventage over Glo Fo manufacturing process. This one is intended for High-Performance(HP). Maybe the Polaris GPU could be clocked way higher than "regualar" model.

Also i am wondering two things:

1. At what speed EMIB bridge runs at? I suspect it is near infinity fabric, maybe better?

2. This could "eat" some of NVIDIAs market share, so it is natural that they try to respond. Just when and with what. It is not like they can use ARM based CPU.
Maybe ARM will release a desktop core(for laptop use) capabe of x86, AVX, SSE(i only know Intels ISAs) instruction set.
The more i write about this, it makes more sense.

 

[jØrd]

Manufactured on 14++ HP process(at Intel!),

Do you have a link for this? Everything ive seen so far seems to suggest GloFo will be fabbing the AMD GPU's and then shipping the finished dies to Intel for package integration.

At what speed EMIB bridge runs at?

I've been wondering about this too, is it a clocked part or just a slightly better interposer. I havent yet had oppertunity to read up on this, anyone have a TLDR?

Maybe ARM will release a desktop core(for laptop use)

Given the dominance of Windows in this market and the utter catastrophe that was WindowsRT im not confidant it will happen any time soon. I doubt ARM will ever put out anything x86 compatible (either through binary translation or otherwise) ever, ignoring technical, licensing and legal minefields its just not in their market interests to do it & would negate their key USP's. IIRC they do have some ISA extensions that have similar functionality to some of the x86 ones though, NEON comes to mind & im pretty sure they have something similar to AES-NI as well as some others.

 

[AleksandarK]

Do you have a link for this? Everything ive seen so far seems to suggest GloFo will be fabbing the AMD GPU's and then shipping the finished dies to Intel for package integration.

Everyone has OP, but i think that Bits and Chips is reliable source. Their predictions are proven.

I've been wondering about this too, is it a clocked part or just a slightly better interposer. I havent yet had oppertunity to read up on this, anyone have a TLDR?

I didnt read about it specs either lol. Will do tommorow if there are any articles written.

Btw,

 

[SeñorDonut]

2. This could "eat" some of NVIDIAs market share, so it is natural that they try to respond. Just when and with what. It is not like they can use ARM based CPU.

Nvidia GPU with AMD CPU?

 

[EdZ]

1. At what speed EMIB bridge runs at? I suspect it is near infinity fabric, maybe better?

EMIB is basically all the advantages of an interposer (putting your interconnect in a silicon wafer with high-density chip connections) without the disadvantages (cost due to reticle-bustingly massive sizes, needing to use complex Through-Silicon Vias to connect from the chip to the substrate). There should be no difference in link speed between EMIB and a full-package interposer.
'Infinity Fabric' is a PCIe-like protocol for linking devices. EMIB is a PHY-layer technology (or lower still, it's a vehicle on which you can fab your PHY layer). You could run Infinity Fabric, DMI, PCIe, UPI, HBM, etc over it if you implemented the PHY links on-die to use those protocols over a silicon bridge.

 

[AleksandarK]

NUC based on this solution:

 

[K888D]

NUC based on this solution:

Is that board Mini-STX form factor?!

 

[AleksandarK]

Is that board Mini-STX form factor?!

It looks like it is Mini-STX. Maybe Intel is pushing their form factor with this new product.

 

[EdZ]

NUC based on this solution:

That'll be Hades Canyon I'd assume.

 

[IntoxicatedPuma]

Hades Canyon sounds like the deepest pits of hell. Is Intel trying to say these chips will run a bit hot?

 

[EdZ]

Even with only a ~45W desktop CPU, putting a 100W GPU into the same package is going to be a real challenge for cooling.

 

[Therandomness]

NUC based on this solution:

Hell, if this got released I'd buy the system and make the Breadbox even smaller.

 

[alexep7]

Really excited after seeing this NUC leak, I just hope yhey figure out how to cool it.

 

[whum]

It looks like it is Mini-STX. Maybe Intel is pushing their form factor with this new product.

I need to try and find the release to confirm it, but I distinctly remember hearing Intel was making a successor to the skull canyon NUC but essentially rebuilding the form factor 'from the ground up' or something similar to that. I feel like this leak might confirm some very exciting changes. I heard endless woes of heat and noise from the 2016 skull canyon NUC. I always wanted to buy one myself, but I agree with those who feel that they might have tried to push the form factor too small. If they are going to expand it just a bit with an stx like this, and maybe get a little closer to the zotac boxes AND drop in some intel-vega goodness? Well that is going to make 2018 very exciting for SFF.

 

[CC Ricers]

Skull Canyon NUCs felt too weak for gaming performance. I never saw much value for the price of the Iris Pro chips. They might make it a bit larger this time to accommodate the cooling.