Microsoft convinced AMD and Nvidia to build a CPU with extraordinary features but it will never go on sale: 4th gen 9V64H has 88 cores and uses InfiniBand technology

Build exclusively for Microsoft Azure, this processor is set to deliver jaw-dropping performance

· TechRadar

News By Desire Athow published 19 November 2024

(Image credit: Microsoft)
  • Microsoft has unveiled a custom-designed AMD CPU
  • Available only on Azure, it uses ultra-fast HBM memory
  • Nvidia's InfiniBand technology has also been used

Earlier today at Ignite, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, pulled the curtain on a new AMD processor destined to become the most powerful CPU to run on its Azure cloud computing infrastructure, one that comes with a few surprises. You can request a preview access to the Azure HBv5 VMs by filling this form.

The 9V64H is a custom made, 4th generation EPYC server CPU, not one based on the latest 5th generation one, codenamed Turin. It has 88 cores and clocked at up to 4GHz; the closest existing model is the 9634, an 84-core CPU with a top speed of 3.7GHz.

According to Fernando Aznar, HPC + AI Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, it will focus on “most memory bandwidth-intensive HPC applications, such as computational fluid dynamics, automotive and aerospace simulation, weather modeling, energy research, molecular dynamics, computer aided engineering”. But no word on AI.

What makes the CPU so special is that a cluster of four of these, as part of Azure HBv5 VMs (set to be launched in 2025), it has access to up to 450GB of RAM, in that case HBM3, with a combined memory bandwidth of nearly 7.0TBps.

That’s more than the AMD Instinct MI300A accelerator sans the GPU part (24 cores, 3.7GHz peak, 128GB HBM memory, 5.3TBps peak performance) and almost an order of magnitude higher than the rest of the competition (including AMD’s own).

A very unique CPU

But there’s more to it: this is AMD first quad-socket project which is an interesting take on what AMD told me earlier this year when I interviewed Robert Hormuth, the company’s corporate vice president, architecture and strategy.

Clearly, single socket is where the market is going, except when there’s a clear case - and a hyperscale client with near unlimited funds - to go for quads.

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors