Intel debuts 5G server and base station chips, plus a PC network card

Intel's sale of its consumer 5G modem unit signaled its exit from the smartphone business last year, but the company remains heavily committed to participating in the growing 5G marketplace -- primarily on the carrier and enterprise sides. Today, the company announced three chips built for various types of 5G computers, plus a 5G-optimized network adapter for PCs. Up first is an updated second-generation Xeon Scalable processor, now at a top speed of 3.9GHz and bolstered by additional AI capabilities to aid with inference applications. The new chip promises up to 36% more performance than the first-generation version, with up to 42% more performance per dollar, though early second-generation chips were introduced in April 2019. Intel says the Xeon Scalable is the "only CPU with AI built in" -- a pitch that's not exactly accurate, given the range of existing laptop and mobile CPUs with AI features, but one Intel further explains means "the only CPU on the market that features integrated deep learning acceleration."