Intel expands Xeon 6 Performance core line-up with 6500P and 6700P

Contents:

• Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids explained
• Xeon 6 - 6500P and 6700P arrive
• Xeon 6500P and 6700P SKUs
• Boston Servers designed for Xeon 6500P and 6700P
• Final Words

Introduction

In 2024, Intel began rolling out its next generation of server CPUs with the introduction of Intel® Xeon® 6. This new lineup is being released in stages, featuring two distinct architectures: Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids, each designed for different workloads.

The rollout started with the 6700E series, which leverages Efficient cores (Sierra Forest) to optimise power efficiency. Intel later followed up with the 6900P series, built on Performance cores (Granite Rapids), targeting high-end markets such as HPC and AI.

Now, Intel has expanded its Performance-core lineup further with the 6500P and 6700P. To understand where these new CPUs fit within the Xeon 6 family, let's first examine the two architectures.

Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids explained

With energy efficiency now a key priority for cloud computing and data centres, Intel has developed the Sierra Forest architecture to maximise performance-per-watt while minimising power consumption. These processors feature Efficient cores (E-cores), which are physically smaller and optimised for high efficiency and parallel workloads.

In contrast, the Granite Rapids architecture utilises Performance cores (P-cores), aligning more closely with Intel’s previous high-end Xeon Scalable 5th generation (Emerald Rapids). Designed for compute-intensive tasks, Granite Rapids delivers higher single-threaded performance, making it ideal for workloads such as AI, HPC and real-time analytics.

The two Xeon 6 platforms side by side, sockets LGA 4710 and LGA 7529.

As shown in the image above, the product line features two socket types: LGA 4710 (smaller) and LGA 7529 (larger). Intel has adopted a chiplet design, where compute tile dies—containing cores and cache—are separate from I/O controllers, UPI links and other components.

Intel Xeon 6 compute tile design.

Xeon 6 under the hood.

It's important to note that socket size does not determine core type—the LGA 4710 and LGA 7529 sockets can support CPUs with either E-cores or P-cores. Server platforms using the LGA 4710 socket, which currently supports the Intel Xeon 6 6700E, will also be compatible with the new 6500P and 6700P CPUs, though a BIOS update may be required.

Xeon 6 – 6500P and 6700P arrive

While the 6900P series, launching in late 2024, is aimed at high-end AI and HPC workloads, the 6500P and 6700P target the mid-range server market. Built for the LGA 4710 socket, these CPUs continue to use P-cores, offering a balance between power efficiency and compute performance. The Xeon 6 6500P and 6700P officially launch on February 24th, expanding Intel’s Performance-core offerings.

An overview of the new Xeon 6 6700P and 6500P.

Xeon 6500P and 6700P SKUs

There are several new SKUs across this range, broadly split out into different target markets: Performance, Mainline, Single socket and Scalable. These are all based on the LGA 4710 socket and core counts top out at 86, compared to 128 in the 6900P series. The TDP range is 150W-350W allowing these SKUs to fit into lower power budgets.

The SKUs are summarised in the tables below.

Another key thing to highlight is the multi socket options. There are 7 SKUs that support up to 8 socket scaling, offering something that Intel’s competitors do not.

Intel now has a range of Xeon 6 SKUs that scale to 8 socket systems.

As mentioned earlier, the smaller LGA 4710 socket does not equate to lower performance. These CPUs offer unique features, including support for up to 8-socket scaling and single-socket options with significantly more PCIe lanes. While they are designed for different workloads than the 6900P, which targets HPC and high-end AI, they introduce other valuable capabilities tailored to mid-range server deployments.

Some key differences vs the 6900P:

• 8 DDR5 memory channels vs 12
• 8000MT/s MRDIMMs support vs 8800MT/s (MRDIMMs are not supported across all SKUs)
• 88 PCIe lanes vs 96. But 136 lanes in the single socket SKUs 6500P/6700P
• 4 UPI links vs 6

While dual-socket platforms remain popular, many businesses are transitioning to single-socket solutions to reduce power consumption, cooling costs and total cost of ownership (TCO). The single-socket SKUs offer a compelling alternative, featuring 136 PCIe lanes—around 50% more than standard SKUs—which significantly enhances I/O performance for peripherals and storage devices.

The tables below, provided by Intel, outline the key industry sectors and advantages of the 6500P and 6700P single-socket processors. Additionally, some of these SKUs are competitively priced, making them a cost-effective choice for a variety of workloads.

Table 1. High PCIe lane count and improved I/O per socket make single-socket Intel Xeon 6700/6500-series processors with P-cores ideal for many common workloads that businesses rely on. Table courtesy of Intel.

Table 2. Intel Xeon 6700/6500-series processors with P-cores provide single-socket, high I/0 solutions that are well-suited to edge use cases. Table courtesy of Intel.

To summarise overall the 3 lineups of Xeon 6, we have a summary table below.

Intel Xeon 6 portfolio overview.

The below table summarises the target market for each category.

Table 3. The Intel Xeon 6900-, 6700-, and 6500- processors are built to provide ideal performance for a wide range of use cases. Table courtesy of Intel.

Boston Servers designed for Xeon 6500P and 6700P

At Boston, we are at the forefront of server technology, ensuring we are ready to deploy the latest hardware solutions tailored to fit any requirements. For Xeon 6 with P-cores this will be no different, with a range of Supermicro server SKUs ready to go, as well as Xeon 6 CPUs available for testing in our labs, get in touch today to book your test drive.

Utilising Supermicro’s X14 range, Boston can provide server solutions for a plethora of use cases. These servers, offering the highest performance and flexibility, are based on platforms proven over several generations and deployed in some of the world’s largest data centre installations. From large-scale AI Training and Generative AI to scale-out data centres and the intelligent edge, Supermicro X14 systems are based on modular Building Block Architectures with hybrid support for the entire range of Intel Xeon 6 processors, offering complete customisation and optimisation for any workload. With Boston’s complete rack-scale integration services, liquid cooling solutions, paired with Supermicro X14, this serves as the foundation for total IT solutions at any scale – from a single system to a multi-rack cluster.

In terms of specific server hardware, an extensive range of options allow for a multitude of different workloads and market sectors, including but not limited to:

• GPU servers – HPC, AI/ML, Rendering, VDI workloads, and other deployments.
• Hyper – Flagship performance rackmount servers are built to take on the most demanding workloads along with the storage & I/O flexibility.
• CloudDC – All-in-one platform for cloud datacentres.
• SuperBlade – Supermicro's high-performance, density-optimised and energy-efficient multi-node platform.
• Multi-node – 2U 2-Node or 4-Node platform providing superior density, performance and serviceability.
• Enterprise Storage – Optimised for small and large-scale storage workloads.
• Workstations – Delivering data centre performance in portable, under-desk form factors, our workstations are ideal for AI, 3D design and media & entertainment workloads in offices, research labs and field offices.

Plus, more can be seen at the below links:

Boston Limited
Supermicro X14

Final Words

Intel Xeon 6700/6500-series processors with P-cores are ideal for handling the common workhorse applications of most organisations. With flexible high performance plus cost and power efficiency, this family of Intel Xeon processors is built to take on the widest range of workloads while bringing significant TCO gains to the data centre.

Intel now has options across the board, be it the 6700E series with up to 144 Efficient cores for cloud native workloads, and 6500/6700/6900 with P-cores offering higher performance options from 8 to 128 cores perhaps offering more practical options for traditional server workloads. Offering more options means more choices, especially important when you consider power, where 6500P/6700P could shine with lower TDP’s between 150W-350W, much lower than the 500W high end parts of 6900P. Plus the new single socket options offering a lot of I/O bandwidth will allow servers with reduced costs (single CPU) but allow many devices to be connected. We will be sure to put these CPUs to the test, look out for a benchmarking article in the future!

Boston Labs is all about enabling our customers to make informed decisions in selecting the right hardware, software and overall solution for specific and bespoke requirements. If you’d like to request a test drive of Xeon 6 with P-cores, please get in touch by emailing [email protected] or call us on 01727 876100 and one of our experienced sales engineers will gladly guide you through building the perfect solution just for you.

Author

Sukhdip Mander

Field Application Engineer

Boston Limited

Tags: intel, intel xeon, performance, cpu, intel launch, technology launch, intel xeon 6