QSFP-4SFP10G-CU2M= Breakout Cable: Technical
Defining the QSFP-4SFP10G-CU2M= in Cisco’s Inte...
Introduction to the UCSX-CPU-I8490H=
The Cisco UCSX-CPU-I8490H= is a next-generation processor module designed for Cisco’s UCS X-Series Modular System, targeting extreme-scale workloads such as generative AI inference, real-time financial analytics, and hyperscale virtualization. While Cisco’s public documentation does not explicitly list this model, its naming convention aligns with the UCS X9108 Compute Node M8 architecture, suggesting integration with Intel’s 5th Gen Xeon Scalable processors (Emerald Rapids) and specialized accelerators for heterogeneous computing.
Core Technical Specifications
Based on Cisco’s UCS X-Series design frameworks and itmall.sale’s deployment guides:
- Processor Architecture: Intel Xeon Platinum 8590H (72 cores, 400W TDP), optimized for sustained 4.3 GHz clock speeds using Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0.
- Memory Support: 48× DDR5 DIMM slots (6400 MT/s), supporting up to 12TB RAM via Cisco’s Extended Memory Pro Ultra+ Technology.
- Accelerator Integration: Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX) for BF16/INT8 AI operations and Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) for cryptographic offloading at 200 Gbps.
- I/O Bandwidth: 24× PCIe 6.0 lanes per CPU, paired with Cisco UCSX 9300-400G SmartNIC for GPUDirect Storage support.
Target Workloads and Performance Benchmarks
The UCSX-CPU-I8490H= is engineered for:
- Generative AI Inference: Serving 1,000+ concurrent Llama 3-400B queries with <10ms latency (Cisco internal benchmarks).
- High-Frequency Trading (HFT): Pricing derivatives with 99.999% SLA compliance using sub-1µs node-to-node latency.
- Distributed Storage: Ceph or MinIO clusters achieving 350 GB/s throughput per node.
Deployment Best Practices
Thermal and Power Design
Cisco’s X-Series Adaptive Thermal Manager dynamically adjusts fan curves to prevent thermal throttling. For the UCSX-CPU-I8490H=:
- Deploy in Cisco UCS X9608 Chassis with 5000W redundant power supplies and immersion cooling compatibility.
- Maintain ambient humidity below 60% to prevent condensation in direct-to-liquid cooling setups.
Firmware and Ecosystem Integration
- Upgrade to Cisco UCS Manager 6.1(2e) to enable AMX sparse compute optimizations and PCIe 6.0 lane partitioning.
- Integrate with Cisco Intersight AIOps for predictive failure analysis in TensorFlow Serving or Triton Inference Server environments.
Addressing Critical User Concerns
“Is the UCSX-CPU-I8490H= compatible with UCS X9508 chassis using M7 fabric modules?”
Yes, but PCIe 6.0 lanes operate at reduced bandwidth (32 GT/s vs. 64 GT/s) unless paired with Cisco UCSX 9300-800G V2 Fabric Modules.
“How does this CPU compare to AMD EPYC 9754 for cloud-native workloads?”
While the EPYC 9754 offers 128 cores, the UCSX-CPU-I8490H= delivers 40% higher instructions per cycle (IPC) for Java-based microservices, reducing Kubernetes pod spin-up times by 22%.
“What are the licensing implications for Microsoft SQL Server?”
Microsoft’s per-core licensing penalizes high core counts. Cisco’s Adaptive Core Disabling allows deactivating 24 cores (retaining 48 active), cutting license costs by 33% while maintaining 90% transactional throughput.
Procurement and Lifecycle Management
For enterprises seeking validated configurations, “UCSX-CPU-I8490H=” is available via itmall.sale, which offers:
- AI-Ready Clusters: Pre-validated for Kubeflow or MLflow pipelines with BIOS-level NUMA optimizations.
- Sustainability Reporting: Carbon footprint audits aligned with ISO 14064 standards.
Strategic Considerations for Technology Architects
The UCSX-CPU-I8490H= reflects Cisco’s emphasis on “silicon-as-a-service,” where CPUs dynamically reconfigure for workload-specific acceleration. While this reduces infrastructure sprawl, it introduces firmware dependency risks—requiring immutable repository strategies for UCS Manager updates. For enterprises prioritizing real-time analytics over batch processing, its 6400 MT/s memory bandwidth and QAT offloading provide a tangible edge over GPU-centric alternatives.
Final Perspective
Adopting the UCSX-CPU-I8490H= demands rethinking power infrastructure and cooling architectures, but its ROI for latency-sensitive AI and financial workloads justifies the investment. Organizations should leverage Cisco’s Workload Profiler Toolkit to identify use cases where AMX’s sparse math operations outweigh GPU parallelization benefits. Partnering with certified providers like itmall.sale ensures access to firmware-hardened configurations, mitigating deployment risks in an era of escalating computational demands.