Intel’s unannounced 14nm Xeon will not be competitive

Updated: Computex 2018: OEMs and customers not pleased by server changes

Jun 20, 2018 by

Intel LogoIntel’s server roadmap is a mess, and when SemiAccurate asked about it at Computex, we got an earful. The comments were both a bit bewildered and universally negative among OEMs, ODMs, and it is for cause.

Update July 10, 2018 @ 8:00am: We got some more details on Cooper Lake, you can read it here.

Last week we told you the name of one of the two new 14nm lakes Intel has just planted on their roadmap, and it was the server version. A lot of people are fixated on Intel’s ever slipping consumer roadmap, there is another 14nm lake after Whiskey too mind you, but ignore the woes 10nm is bringing to the server front.

If you look at the revenue Intel gets from server you will see it is is growing, fast, while desktop units whither. Most in the know are a bit skeptical about desktop units, margins, and revenue, lets just agree that the reality in this segment is open for debate. On the server front there is no such ambiguity, Intel is rocking it for units, revenue, and margins. Why? Things like this.

Anything that disturbs this roadmap will have profound effects on Intel’s pocketbook, and the cracks are already starting to appear. If you go back and listen to Intel’s Q1/2018 financial analyst call, you might notice a slight hint at which way Intel sees things moving later in the year, something SemiAccurate found was backed up by the Taiwanese ecosystem at Computex.

All that said, what does Intel have planned for their server roadmap? Why is it causing such consternation among OEMs, ODMs, and major customers? For the same reason the 14/10nm messaging is causing consternation among investors, but the server side is in much worse shape. How bad is it? Three major roadmap updates in 29 days (To be fair they came out every two weeks) with serious spec changes, and it got worse from there. That an messaging that is coming back to bite them, hard.

Note: The following is analysis for professional level subscribers only.

Disclosures: Charlie Demerjian and Stone Arch Networking Services, Inc. have no consulting relationships, investment relationships, or hold any investment positions with any of the companies mentioned in this report.

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Charlie Demerjian

Roving engine of chaos and snide remarks at SemiAccurate
Charlie Demerjian is the founder of Stone Arch Networking Services and SemiAccurate.com. SemiAccurate.com is a technology news site; addressing hardware design, software selection, customization, securing and maintenance, with over one million views per month. He is a technologist and analyst specializing in semiconductors, system and network architecture. As head writer of SemiAccurate.com, he regularly advises writers, analysts, and industry executives on technical matters and long lead industry trends. Charlie is also available through Guidepoint and Mosaic. FullyAccurate