Ampere Computing has quietly added several new processors to its AmpereOne family without a formal announcement or press briefings. This discreet move comes after the company was acquired by SoftBank. The new AmpereOne M CPUs are designed to handle applications requiring substantial memory capacity and bandwidth, boasting a 12-channel DDR5 memory subsystem. These latest additions feature core counts ranging from 96 to 192 and require new motherboards. The CPUs use a 7228-pin FCLGA socket and include six models with different core configurations and power ratings. Each processor is equipped with custom Armv8.6+ single-threaded cores, operating at frequencies up to 3.60 GHz, and contains a 2MB L2 cache per core. Additionally, they feature a 64 MB system-level cache. The standout feature of the AmpereOne M family is the 12-channel memory subsystem, supporting a maximum of 3TB of DDR5-5600 memory with one DIMM per channel. This advanced memory system is protected by SECDED and Symbol ECC, making it highly reliable for cloud datacenter workloads. AmpereOne M Specifications: - Cores: 96 to 192 - Frequency: Up to 3.60 GHz - Power Consumption: 239W to 348W - Memory Support: 3TB DDR5-5600 (12 channels) - Cache: 2MB L2 cache per core, 64 MB system cache - I/O Capabilities: 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes with bifurcation down to x4 and 24 device controllers Here’s a breakdown of the six models: AmpereOne A192-32M: 192 cores, 3.20 GHz, 348W AmpereOne A192-26M: 192 cores, 2.60 GHz, 278W AmpereOne A160-28M: 160 cores, 2.80 GHz, 262W AmpereOne A144-33M: 144 cores, 3.30 GHz, 334W AmpereOne A144-26M: 144 cores, 2.60 GHz, 239W AmpereOne A96-36M: 96 cores, 3.60 GHz, 331W Power management is a critical aspect of these new processors. They support dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, adaptive voltage control, and fine-grained thermal sensors to manage power consumption effectively. Despite the high core count and significant memory capacity, the power consumption ranges from 239W to 348W. On the I/O front, the processors offer 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes, which can be split down to x4 for flexibility. They also come with 24 device controllers, enabling seamless integration with multiple accelerators, SSDs, network cards, and other high-performance components essential for AI and cloud deployments. While the AmpereOne M CPUs can process up to 192 threads per socket, this is fewer than AMD's 192-core EPYC 9965 CPUs, which support simultaneous multi-threading for up to 384 threads. However, the primary goal of the AmpereOne M processors may be to bridge the gap with the upcoming AmpereOne MX, which will feature 256 cores and 12 DDR5 memory channels. Manufactured on TSMC's N3 process technology, the AmpereOne MX will likely bring enhanced features and better performance efficiency to the table. This strategic addition to the AmpereOne family underscores Ampere's commitment to advancing its position in the AI and cloud computing markets, where the ability to handle large datasets and complex workloads is crucial. The quiet release suggests a cautious approach, possibly to avoid drawing attention from competitors and to allow for a smooth transition into these new capabilities.