Intel 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" ES Shown Running PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

[erek]

"According to alleged "Rocket Lake-S" + Intel 500-series chipset platform maps leaked to the web by VideoCardz, "Rocket Lake-S" will finally take forward strides in the area of I/O. The CPU socket puts out not just its usual PEG slot (16 lanes meant for PCI-Express graphics cards), but also a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe slot with 4 PCI-Express gen 4.0 lanes, much like Socket AM4 motherboards based on AMD X570 or B550 chipsets. What's more, Intel fattened the chipset bus with 8 lanes. While the bus is still DMI 3.0 (with PCI-Express gen 3.0 physical layer), 8 lanes mean a doubling in bandwidth compared to Intel 400-series chipsets (or older). The 500-series PCH itself will still be PCI-Express gen 3.0 based, putting out only gen 3.0 downstream PCIe lanes, unlike the AMD X570, which puts out gen 4.0 downstream general purpose lanes, and uses a PCI-Express 4.0 x4 pipe to the CPU. Quite a few Intel 400-series chipset motherboards have preparation for PCIe gen 4.0 PEG slot when paired with a "Rocket Lake-S" processors."

https://www.techpowerup.com/270435/...ket-lake-s-es-shown-running-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd

 

[erek]

Intel Ice Lake-SP Processors Get Benchmarked Against AMD EPYC Rome

 

[drescherjm]

I see that the Intel system has 512 GB of ram with the Epyc having only 128GB also obviously the 1.5GHz frequency of Intel vs 3.4GHz and the OS difference. I am not sure we can make much of this benchmark.

 

[DanNeely]

It's disappointing that the DMI and Southbridge are still running at 3.0 speeds; although I suspect the higher costs of making boards capable of 4.0 signalling (as seen in the much higher prices for AMDs 5xx mobos) is to blame. Widening the DMI to an x8 though is something that's been badly needed since the first NVME SSDs capable of more or less maxing out an x4 PCIe link came out a few years ago. With Intel's mainstream socket being much more heavily used by cost sensitive OEMs (Dell, hp, etc) I wasn't really expecting them to do it after the previous generation added an x4 off the CPU itself. I do hope that Intel's 6xx series chipsets at least offer full PCIe4 support on the upper end enthusiast versions even if the cheaper crappy ones used by the big oems continue to save a few bucks by staying with cheaper 3.0 signaling.

 

[Lakados]

It's disappointing that the DMI and Southbridge are still running at 3.0 speeds; although I suspect the higher costs of making boards capable of 4.0 signalling (as seen in the much higher prices for AMDs 5xx mobos) is to blame. Widening the DMI to an x8 though is something that's been badly needed since the first NVME SSDs capable of more or less maxing out an x4 PCIe link came out a few years ago. With Intel's mainstream socket being much more heavily used by cost sensitive OEMs (Dell, hp, etc) I wasn't really expecting them to do it after the previous generation added an x4 off the CPU itself. I do hope that Intel's 6xx series chipsets at least offer full PCIe4 support on the upper end enthusiast versions even if the cheaper crappy ones used by the big oems continue to save a few bucks by staying with cheaper 3.0 signaling.

Agreed, but this also leaves Intel room for their Xeons or HEDT parts to have that as a PCIE4.0. There aren’t many residential use cases where there would be a need for costly x4 links there. Better to cut the costs for consumer parts to keep the OEM’s happy.

 

[ChadD]

I see that the Intel system has 512 GB of ram with the Epyc having only 128GB also obviously the 1.5GHz frequency of Intel vs 3.4GHz and the OS difference. I am not sure we can make much of this benchmark.

The intel chips had a boost freq around the same I think. Still ya doubt this means much.

 

[DanNeely]

Agreed, but this also leaves Intel room for their Xeons or HEDT parts to have that as a PCIE4.0. There aren’t many residential use cases where there would be a need for costly x4 links there. Better to cut the costs for consumer parts to keep the OEM’s happy.

I'm sure that thinking is part of Intel's strategy; unfortunately their HEDT systems have been too expensive for too little gain to ever capture a large portion of the enthusiast market where most of us are.

At the same time though, with the 5xx platform levelling up to 28 CPU lanes (PCIe + DMI) from 24 in 4xx and only 20 in numerous prior generations, Intel's killed a big part of what would have otherwise made HEDT attractive by allowing for more than 1 NVME drive without bottlenecking. Which is why - even if they don't bifurcate their mainstream design into pure CPU and CPU with large IGP like AMD does - I'm hoping their next generation will offer an enthusiast chipset or two at the top of the product stack for people willing to pay the $100ish premium for PCIe everywhere.

Unless they can figure out how to drive the PCB manufacturing costs down and elminate the need for re-driver chips heavily, I don't see the mass market OEMs having any interest unless compelling components needing more than a single 3.0 lane (other than a GPU and single SDD) start showing up in sufficient quantity that just throwing multiple cheap 3.0 lanes at them become a thing.

 

[bal3wolf]

running difffernt app versions also not sure if that does affect scores or not on geekbench.

 

[whateverer]

So basically, through a series of hacks, Intel has now matched AMD on the bandwidth of the x570 chipset a year and a half after it was released?

(and that's assuming we will see Rocket lake AND these new motherboards just 6 months after the first generation? Not seeing that as all that probable.

You need new motherboards because you're adding 8 PCIe lanes onboard. You need a new chipset revision because you're doubling the southbridge lane (even if you're not doubling the speed I doubt cost-conscious Intel will have the lanes already set-aside?)

I don't see them having all these ready for launch until next year. In the meantime, they're probably developing Rocket Lake on existing motherboards. Early benchmarks for Rocket Lake show unimpressive results versus Skylake, so of course they're touting the connectivity upgrade they should have launched with.

 

[Lakados]

I'm sure that thinking is part of Intel's strategy; unfortunately their HEDT systems have been too expensive for too little gain to ever capture a large portion of the enthusiast market where most of us are.

At the same time though, with the 5xx platform levelling up to 28 CPU lanes (PCIe + DMI) from 24 in 4xx and only 20 in numerous prior generations, Intel's killed a big part of what would have otherwise made HEDT attractive by allowing for more than 1 NVME drive without bottlenecking. Which is why - even if they don't bifurcate their mainstream design into pure CPU and CPU with large IGP like AMD does - I'm hoping their next generation will offer an enthusiast chipset or two at the top of the product stack for people willing to pay the $100ish premium for PCIe everywhere.

Unless they can figure out how to drive the PCB manufacturing costs down and elminate the need for re-driver chips heavily, I don't see the mass market OEMs having any interest unless compelling components needing more than a single 3.0 lane (other than a GPU and single SDD) start showing up in sufficient quantity that just throwing multiple cheap 3.0 lanes at them become a thing.

Yeah Enthusiast generally don't need most of the features baked into the HEDT parts, similarly the tech AMD has cooked into their Pro CPU's, but when you have to managed a bunch of them the added features come in super handy. Its why I am happily looking forward to the Threadripper Pro's I have a number of aging Xeons that need to be retired and the TR's give me some compatibility with the EPYC's that could make my life potentially easier should the worst ever occur.