New Google Cloud VMs will be the first to run on Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. New Google Cloud VMs will be the first to run on Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids By Joel Khalili published 11 October 2022 Google combines Sapphire Rapids CPUs with custom Intel IPU for new C3 VMs (Image credit: Google Cloud) Audio player loading… Google has announced a new family of virtual machines that will become the first in the public cloud market to be powered by Intel's fourth-generation Xeon server processors. At Google Cloud Next '22, the company lifted the lid on its new C3 VMs, which it says can provide more predictable and efficient compute performance, courtesy of architecture that allows for certain tasks to be offloaded to supporting hardware. The addition of new Hyperdisk block storage to the mix, meanwhile, means C3 VMs offer 4x the throughput and 10x higher IOPS per vCPU than the previous generation, C2. Powered by custom silicon The key to the performance increases on offer with the new generation of VMs, Google says, is the system-on-chip (SoC) design, which couples a fourth-gen Xeon CPU with a custom-built Intel infrastructure processing unit (IPU). Launched by Intel in the summer of 2021, IPUs are designed to help cloud and network providers free up CPU performance by offloading functions like storage and network virtualization, which also yields various security benefits. In essence, IPUs are almost identical to data processing units (DPUs). "We are pleased to have co-designed the first ASIC Infrastructure Processing Unit with Google Cloud, which has now launched in the new C3 machine series," said Nick McKeown, SVP and GM of Network and Edge at Intel. "A first of its kind in any public cloud, C3 VMs will run workloads on 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors while they free up programmable packet processing to the IPUs securely at line rates of 200Gb/s. This Intel and Google collaboration enables customers through infrastructure that is more secure, flexible, and performant." Separately, Intel will be relieved to see its new Xeon CPUs (codenamed Sapphire Rapids) in place in a production environment. The new chips were originally slated for launch in 2021, but the rollout has been punctuated by repeated delays and Intel is still wrestling to bring them to mass market.Read more> Google Cloud is cutting the price of some virtual machines > Our list of the best virtual desktop services around > Google Cloud unveils its first Arm-powered VMs Although select customers (presumably including Google Cloud) gained access to Sapphire Rapids silicon earlier this year, it now looks like the rest of the world will have to wait until Q1 2023. But according to Google, the new Xeon CPUs were at least worth the wait, conferring a performance advantage of 20% for some VM customers, when paired with the custom Intel IPU. The new C3 family of VMs are now available in private preview. TechRadar Pro has asked Google Cloud to provide a timeline for general availability.Also check out our list of the best bare metal server hosting providers Joel KhaliliNews and Features EditorJoel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He's responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4RTX 4090 too expensive? Nvidia resurrects another old favorite5More than one million credit card details leaked online1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4If this feature succeeds for Modern Warfare 2, Microsoft can't ignore it5Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)