Intel Brickland and Grantley server platform plans outlined

Intel is anticipated to reveal details of its future Brickland and Grantley server platforms at next month's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. These platforms will support workstation and server processors from 2013 until late 2016, and will include Ivy Bridge-EX, Haswell-EX, Ivy Bridge-EP and Haswell-EP series processors. Full details at VR Zone.

Unlike the previous high-end platforms, Brickland will spend its time on top for multiple generations, bringing stability in terms of sockets supported - unlike the desktop market. Brickland is expected to debut with Ivy Bridge-EX (22nm) in the second half of 2013, continuing with Haswell-EX (22nm) in the second half of 2014 and wrapping up in 2015 with Broadwell-EX (Haswell, 14nm die-shrink). Brickland's follow up will only debut four years from now, powering the 14nm Skylake-EX (2016) and 10nm Skymont-EX processors (2017).

The platform is expected to enable seamless (glueless) scaling beyond 8S (8-socket systems) thanks to recently signed agreement with Cray, Inc. In order to enable this capability, Intel's own QPI (Quick Path Interconnect or "Intel's Hypertransport", as our sources like to put it) will evolve from current 1.0 to 1.1. Furthermore, processors bring scalable memory buffer "Jordan Creek. Processors will support Registered ECC DDR3-1600 and DDR4-2133/2400/3200 standards, and then expanding with future JEDEC-approved clocks. Given the mission-critical nature of Brickland-powered systems, don't expect much toying about.