New Optimizations Improve Deep Learning Frameworks For CPUs

Since most of us need more than a "machine learning only" server, I'll focus on the reality of how Intel Xeon SP Platinum processors remain the best choice for servers, including servers needing to do machine learning as part of their workload. Here is a partial run down of key software for accelerating deep learning on Intel Xeon Platinum processor versions enough that the best performance advantage of GPUs is closer to 2X than to 100X. There is also a good article in Parallel Universe Magazine, Issue 28, starting on page 26, titled Solving Real-World Machine Learning Problems with Intel Data Analytics Acceleration Library. High-core count CPUs (the Intel Xeon Phi processors – in particular the upcoming "Knights Mill" version), and FPGAs (Intel Xeon processors coupled with Intel/Altera FPGAs), offer highly flexible options excellent price/performance and power efficiencies.