Rumor: Amazon’s second-generation ARM processor is 20 percent faster

Amazon is working on the second generation of an ARM processor it uses for data centers, Reuters claims. It should be 20 percent faster than the previous generation, which has been in use since last year. Amazon uses a new micro-architecture and more cores.

It concerns Neoverse N1 cores, claims news agency Reuters. In terms of architecture, this is largely the same as Cortex A76, the microarchitecture that is used for smartphone processors, among other things. However, there are changes to make it suitable for use in data centers. The current Amazon-ARM processor uses a Neoverse E1 core, derived from Cortex-A65AE.

In addition, the processor will go from 16 to 32 cores, Reuters says. With the faster chip, Amazon wants to become less dependent on processors from Intel and AMD. However, customers who want to run software must ensure that the software is suitable for ARM architecture. Amazon and ARM both declined to comment on the rumor.

For example, Amazon uses its own processors with EC2 instances. It acquired the expertise to make ARM processors with the acquisition of Israeli Annapurna Labs, which Amazon acquired in 2015 for 320 million euros.