Intel’s next many-core chip will be a true stand-alone processor

Intel’s current Xeon Phi doesn’t really fulfill the promise of many-core computing — it’s a co-processor that needs a ‘real’ CPU to function. That will change when the next-generation Knights Landing model arrives, Intel revealed at the Supercomputing Conference this week.

In the rush to exascale computing, Intel is making a small change that could have a big impact on system design with its upcoming Xeon Phi chip. The 14-nanometer chip will be available as a stand-alone model that can run all software, like a traditional processor; since it won’t have to shuttle data between two components, it should be faster, easier to program and cheaper, too.