According to a Microsoft engineer, the company is putting pressure on Intel to try and persuade it to develop a 16-core version of its Atom CPU for use in data centres.
IDG News reports that Dileep Bhandarkar, a 'distinguished' member of the software-giant's Global Foundation Services group - which runs its server facilities - noted the request at a conference in Silicon Valley.
Although the puny processors are no match for a high-end Xeon CPU, certain server workloads are better suited to a large number of small chips than one very fast one. Specifically, Bhandarkar explained that the move could significantly reduce power-consumption in the facilities that run Microsoft's web-based services, including Bing, Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Sharepoint and Exchange.
He went on to note that a focus on integrated system on a chip (SoC) designs was important to improve efficiency for these sorts of processors even further. Bhandarkar added that there was a possibility of ARM-based chips being used in the company's data centres in the future. However, there would have to be a "sustainable improvement per dollar per watt of at least 2x" to justify the headaches associated with an architecture transition.
Of course, Microsoft isn't a big enough customer to be able to demand that chip-giant design it a custom processor. However, the increased pressure might give Intel pause for thought.
Although an increasing number of companies have shown an interest in using low-power processors for use in servers - including ARM and AMD - Intel has largely dismissed the idea so far. To a certain extent, this is understandable, given the fact that cheap Atom CPUs designed for servers would eat into the sales of pricey - and profitable - Xeon processors.
Of course, it isn't as simple as putting existing low-power processors into a server box. There are numerous enterprise level features that simply aren't included in the Atom architecture that would need to be included before it could find a home in a data centre.
