Qualcomm takes aim at Intel's Xeon with new 48-core server chip

Qualcomm is making waves this week: first with its plans to bring Windows 10 x86 application compatibility to its ARM Snapdragon CPUs, and now with the news that its readying a high-performance 48-core ARM server processor. Qualcomm says that it is the first ever server-grade CPU built on a 10-nm manufacturing process and that the Centriq 2400 will offer the power to compete with Intel's Xeon while maintaining the power efficiency that has helped make ARM designs so successful.

While Qualcomm's Snapdragon CPUs are ubiquitous in smartphones, they are certainly the underdog in the datacenter market, dominated by Intel's Xeon processors. According to IDC, Intel held 99.2% of the server market in 2015. Other companies have tried to enter the server market before with ARM chips, and it hasn't gone so well.

Qualcomm says that they expect to be shipping their new CPU to customers in the second half of 2017. We'll have to wait and see whether 2017 will be the year of ARM notebooks and servers.

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