Intel claims that its newly introduced Intel Xeon processor E7-8800/4800 v3 product families are the fastest processors currently available for
data analytics. The new 22nm chips follow Intel's tick-tock redesign schedule — where "tick" is a process improvement while "tock" is an architectural improvement. The the Xeon E7v3 is a tock,meaning that work has been done on its architecture rather than advancing to the next process node. Intel's "tick" phase is coming later this year with 14nm chips.

Implemented already in server designs by Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, Lenovo, NEC, Oracle, and others, the new chips feature up to 18 cores and offer significant performance and efficiency advantages over the competition (IBM Power8), according to Intel. The company quotes performance improvements up to
25-40% percent and 60% less power consumption thatn IBM's Power 8 processor. In addition, the high-end version of the Xeon E7v3 has the largest memory space available today - up to 1.4 terabytes per core. This high amount of memory allows for companies to run their big data analytics easier using the provided memory resources.

Compared to the previous E7 version 2 (E7v2), the E7V3 packs sixe more cores into a die with the same size. Provided that the manufacturing process remained the same for both generations, the additional space was required was saved by removing the third ring for processor intercommunications and instead putting buffers between the two remaining rings for inter-processor communications between cores on the two main rings. The result is 18cores per chip running at 165 watts.

The processors support configurations up to 32 sockets with support for the industry's largest memory capacity per socket7 (8-socket systems are capable of supporting up to 12 terabytes of DDR3 or DDR4 memory technology).The new processors also feature the same "Run-Sure Technology" used for the version 2 chips, in order to maximize the up time.

The product family comprises 12 processor models, including multiple segment optimized processors such as two high-frequency models that are designed for a subset of database applications requiring the fastest cores available.

Prices for the Xeon e7v3 range from $1,225-to-$7,175.