Rewriting the Rules of 5G with AMD EPYC™ Processors
Feb 22, 2022
As we enter the 5G era, new opportunities continue to emerge for Communication Service Providers (COSPs). Video streaming, smart cities, and data analytics are all innovative new use cases COSPs can provide using the scale of their networks and 5G services. But COSPs need to modernize their platforms to be more scalable, powerful, and flexible. And companies need to ensure that they balance modernization goals and increasing performance with cost and environmental efficiency. That requires getting more performance per core, helping reduce power, lower admin costs, and less required space.
Tackling Power Consumption Challenges Head On
Meeting the data challenges of the 5G era is only one part of the battle. In addition to trying to drive new revenue streams and meet the growing needs of customers, COSPs also need to navigate rising energy costs while maintaining, or reducing, their energy footprint.
Providers are working with AMD to solve these problems and modernize in an economic and environmentally friendly way. In January, Nokia announced that their Core Networks business is using 3rd Gen AMD EPYC™ processors to power the servers that deliver Nokia Core cloud-native software products. Nokia is targeting up to a 40% reduction in server power consumption to run Core workloads using AMD EPYC™ processors. This offering expands Nokia server processor choices available to customers, while allowing them to drive new levels of performance and energy efficiency.
Achieving World Record Packet Core Performance
In addition to helping improve sustainability, AMD EPYC™ processors are tailor-made to help COSPs take full advantage of the 5G era with stellar performance. Telecommunications companies can get exceptional performance out of their 5G upgrade when radio, software, and core are all part of one seamless solution. As a leading provider of ultra-broadband 5G solutions, Casa Systems uniquely offers end-to-end 5G solutions spanning core, edge, and access devices with an unwavering goal to provide market-leading performance. Casa Systems recently achieved a record breaking 750 Gbps of packet core throughput with AMD EPYC™ CPUs. In addition to enabling unprecedented 5G bandwidth, this was achieved without any CPU offload to smartNICs. For customers, this result means delivering outstanding performance, software simplicity, and efficiency.
Better Together: AMD + Xilinx Provide a Broader, Deeper Offering for Communication Service Providers
This month, AMD finalized the acquisition of Xilinx. Xilinx brings industry-renown expertise and deep strategic relationships in 5G and wired communications. AMD EPYC™ processors power the most energy efficient x86 servers, delivering exceptional performance and reducing energy costs to help COSPs improve workload performance, meet energy efficiency goals, and maximize infrastructure investment.1 Together, the combined company provides an innovative portfolio of solutions to support COSPs and the 5G ecosystem based on leading-edge FPGAs and Adaptive SoCs for 5G and multi-terabit networking solutions that can be combined with AMD EPYC™ processors.
Join AMD and Xilinx at Mobile World Congress Barcelona
At Mobile World Congress Barcelona AMD is excited to showcase the possibilities for a modern network with AMD EPYC™ processors and Xilinx FPGAs. Attend our in-person Power Hour to learn how the combination of Xilinx and AMD can help the Telco industry transform wireless infrastructure.
Visit the AMD booth, located at 2M61 in Hall 2, to see demos of a breadth of modern partner solutions including:
- F5 Networks – demonstrating exceptional performance improvement of BIG IP application services.
- JMA Wireless – showing XRAN – the 100% software 5G vRAN platform on AMD EPYC™ processors.
- Open Air Interface (OAI) – showcasing the 5G NR Open Source System using Xilinx Telco Accelerator card running into an AMD server.
- Radian Arc – showing Hybrid Cloud Gaming and Remote Desktop with partners including Blacknut and Loudplay.
- Synamedia – showcasing 8K Ultra-HD video real-time software-based encoding on AMD EPYC™ processors.
- VVDN - demonstrating 5G Cloud RAN from UE to 5G Core using Xilinx devices and Telco Accelerator card.
- Viavi – demonstrating 5G Testing with TMLite solution on AMD EPYC™ processors.
- 5G vRAN platform demonstration with Radisys, Phluido, AMD, AccelerComm, and Xilinx.
5G is a new start – join us at MWC Barcelona to rewrite the rules with AMD EPYC™ processors.
Visit www.amd.com/telco to learn more about AMD solutions for Communications Service Providers.
Resources
- SP5-069: :SPECrate®2017_int_base estimate based on internal AMD reference platform measurements and published score from www.spec.org as of 11/10/2022. Comparison of estimated 1P AMD EPYC 9554P (631 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 400 Total TDP W, 64 Total Cores, $7104 Total CPU $, AMD Est) is 1.05x the performance of published 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 (602 SPECrate®2017_int_base, 540 Total TDP W, 80 Total Cores, $18718 Total CPU $, http://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2021q2/cpu2017-20210521-26364.html) [at 1.42x the performance/W] [at 2.76x the performance/CPU$]. AMD 1Ku pricing and Intel ARK.intel.com specifications and pricing as of 8/22/22. SPEC®, SPEC CPU®, and SPECrate® are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. See www.spec.org for more information. OEM published scores will vary based on system configuration and determinism mode used (default cTDP performance profile)
- SP5TCO-003: This scenario contains many assumptions and estimates and, while based on AMD internal research and best approximations, should be considered an example for information purposes only, and not used as a basis for decision making over actual testing. The Bare Metal Server Greenhouse Gas Emissions TCO (total cost of ownership) Estimator Tool compares the selected AMD EPYC™ and Intel® Xeon® CPU based server solutions required to deliver a TOTAL_PERFORMANCE of 10000 units of integer performance based on the published scores for Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC CPU based servers. This estimation reflects a 3-year time frame. This analysis compares a 1P AMD EPYC 9654P (96c) CPU powered server with an estimated SPECrate®2017_int_base a score of 895, performance estimated using AMD reference platform; compared to a 2P Intel Xeon 40 core Platinum_8380 based server with a SPECrate®2017_int_base score of 602, https://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2021q2/cpu2017-20210521-26364.pdf. For additional details, see https://www.amd.com/en/legal/claims/epyc.html#q=SP5TCO-003&sortCriteria=%40title%20ascending.
- Based on published results as of 9.12.2023. A single-socket EPYC 9754 running SPECpower® ranges from 59W to 329W delivering max 12.5M ssj_ops at 100% load ((30,602 overall ssj_ops/W, 2U, https://spec.org/power_ssj2008/results/res2023q3/power_ssj2008-20230523-01267.html) vs a dual-socket Intel XEON 8490H ranges from 163W to 915W delivering max 14.9M ss_ops at 100% load ((16,902 overall ssj_ops/W, 2U https://spec.org/power_ssj2008/results/res2023q3/power_ssj2008-20230619-01282.html. The 2P AMD EPYC 9654, is 1.81x the overall ssj_ops/watt performance of best published 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H. SPEC® and SPECpower_ssj® are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. See www.spec.org for more information.
- SP5TCO-029: This scenario contains many assumptions and estimates and, while based on AMD internal research and best approximations, should be considered an example for information purposes only, and not used as a basis for decision making over actual testing. The Bare Metal Server Greenhouse Gas Emissions TCO (total cost of ownership) Estimator Tool - version 6.80, compares the selected AMD EPYC™ and Intel® Xeon® CPU based server solutions required to deliver a TOTAL_PERFORMANCE of 7500 units of integer performance based on the published scores for these specific Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC CPU based servers as of January 10, 2023. This estimation reflects a 3-year time frame with a PUE of 1.7 and a power US power cost of $0.16 / kWh. This analysis compares a 1P AMD 64 core AMD EPYC_9554P powered server with an estimated SPECrate2017_int_base score of 631 * performance estimated using AMD reference platform; to a 2P Intel Xeon 32 core Platinum_8454H based server with a SPECrate2017_int_base score of 522, https://spec.org/cpu2017/results/res2023q1/cpu2017-20221205-32968.pdf. For additional details, see https://www.amd.com/en/legal/claims/epyc.html#q=SP5TCO-029&sortCriteria=%40title%20ascending