Intel Xeon 6 Core Launch Enhances MRDIMM and Liquid Cooling

Intel has recently unveiled its Xeon 6 Performance Core, a significant addition to its data center processing lineup. Built on the advanced Intel 3 process technology, this processor boasts exceptional single-core performance, enhanced memory bandwidth, and optimized energy efficiency. As it gradually integrates into data centers, the Xeon 6 Performance Core is set to accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of society.

The Xeon 6 processors represent Intel's latest generation of server technology, designed to meet diverse workload demands through two distinct CPU microarchitectures: Performance Cores (P-cores) and Efficient Cores (E-cores). The Efficient Core variant was released in June, while the focus of this latest announcement is on high-performance computing with the Xeon 6 Performance Core.

Notably, the Xeon 6 Performance Core delivers up to double the performance of its predecessor, featuring increased core counts, doubled memory bandwidth, and built-in AI acceleration capabilities. This processor is engineered to tackle AI challenges across various environments, from edge computing to data centers and cloud settings. The modular SoC architecture provides cloud service providers, OEMs, and ISVs with enhanced flexibility and scalability.

One standout feature of the Xeon 6 Performance Core is its higher core count. Current Intel Xeon processors commonly operate with 32 or 48 cores in domestic data center servers. The newly announced Xeon 6900P series processors, codenamed Granite Rapids-AP, can be configured with up to 128 cores—representing a 2-3 times increase in core availability. This expansion translates to a substantial boost in computational performance.

Liang Yali, Vice President of Intel’s Marketing Group and General Manager of Cloud and Industry Solutions and Data Center Sales in China, emphasized four key areas of improvement: computational density, memory enhancement, data processing, and energy efficiency optimization.

The Xeon 6900P series, which supports up to 128 cores, features DDR5 memory speeds of up to 6400 MT/s and MRDIMM speeds of 8800 MT/s, alongside six UPI 2.0 links (with speeds up to 24 GT/s), 96 PCIe 5.0 channels, and 504 MB of L3 cache, all supporting advanced matrix extensions for FP16 data formats (Intel AMX).

Memory bandwidth is critical for AI computing and is one of the key highlights of the Xeon 6 Performance Core. The processor supports faster DDR5 memory and offers MRDIMM options for memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads. The previous generation had a memory speed of 5600 MT/s, now upgraded to 6400 MT/s, enabling significant performance enhancements for scientific calculations and rapid data transfer from SSDs to memory.

Furthermore, the launch of the Xeon 6 Performance Core is expected to drive the adoption and advancement of liquid cooling technologies. As server performance and power consumption continue to rise, achieving 100% liquid cooling coverage will become essential, potentially extending to memory, storage, and power supply cooling mechanisms.