Intel Xeon 6 Processors: E-Cores vs P-cores Explained
October 8, 2024Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, with new discoveries emerging every day! It has transformed industries and reshaped our daily lives, making it a challenge to stay updated on the latest innovations. To help you navigate this crazy world, we’ve done the research on the Intel Xeon 6 processors so that you don’t have to. Designed for enterprise AI, data centers, cloud, and edge computing environments, the Intel Xeon 6 processor family includes the 6500-series, 6700-series and 6900-series processors offering significant upgrades across two performance levels: E-Cores and P-Cores.
Performance Levels
The Intel Xeon 6 processors with E-Cores (Efficiency Cores), codenamed Sierra Forest, are physically smaller and more energy-efficient than their P-Core counterparts. While they don’t support hyper-threading, they do support single-threading. With Intel hyperthreading technology there are two virtual cores for each physical core. With single threading there is one virtual thread for each physical core. These Efficiency Cores excel at managing background tasks that require less power, making them ideal for energy-conscious operations.
On the other hand, the Intel Xeon 6 processors with P-Cores (Performance Cores), codenamed Granite Rapids, are engineered for high performance. With impressive clock speeds and support for hyper-threading, they’re suited for demanding tasks that require a lot of processing power.
Although each type of core is optimized for different workloads, they share a compatible architecture, allowing them to fit into the same server socket and use the same software. Now, it’s time to dive deeper—bear with us!
Intel Xeon 6 6900-series Processors
Intel Xeon 6 6900-series processors offer maximum performance, making them ideal for the most demanding cloud, AI, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. P-Cores support up to 128 cores and 256 threads, with a maximum TDP of 500W. They can be deployed in both single and dual-socket servers, accommodating a 12-channel memory architecture. The P-Core CPUs support DDR5 Registered memory modules and Multiplexor Combined Ranks DIMMs or MCR DIMMs. Supported DDR5 memory offer speed of up to 6400 MT/s. MCR DIMMS, also DDR5, can reach data transfer rates of up to 8800 MT/s. This means that they deliver 37% greater memory bandwidth than RDIMMs. Additionally, P-Cores provide up to 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes for more expansion options and 6x Intel Ultra Path Interconnect or UPI 2.0 links for improved CPU to CPU communication bandwidth.
Similarly, the 6900-series processors with E-Cores can handle up to 288 cores and 288 threads, also with a TDP of up to 500W. They deliver more than 2.6 times the performance of 2nd gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, making them a viable option for data-intensive applications. Like their P-Core counterparts, E-Core CPUs are designed for single or dual-socket server configurations with a 12-channel memory architecture. Intel says E-Core CPUs can replace 4x second-gen Intel Xeon Scalable CPU-based servers with a single server at similar performance! However, E-Core CPUs exclusively support DDR5 RDIMMs running at speeds up to 6400 MT/s and do NOT support MCR DIMMs. They also provide up to 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 6x Intel UPI 2.0 links are supported.
Intel Xeon 6 6500/6700-series Processors
Intel Xeon 6 6500-series and 6700-series processors offer a significant upgrade to established Intel server platforms and are available with either P-cores or E-cores. Supported workloads include AI, web, microservices, plus networking and media. The P-Core level supports up to 86 cores and 172 threads, with a maximum TDP of 350W. These processors can be installed into one, two, four, or eight-socket servers, all supporting an 8-channel memory architecture. With DDR5 memory speeds of up to 6400 MT/s and up to 8000 MT/s for MCR DIMMs, the P-Cores deliver exceptional performance. They also provide up to 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes, with single-socket design configurations offering up to 136 lanes, alongside support for 4x Intel UPI 2.0 links.
E-Core processors can handle up to 144 cores and 144 threads, with a TDP of up to 330W. These CPUs are designed for single or dual-socket systems, also supporting an 8-channel memory architecture. While E-Core CPUs do NOT support MCR DIMMs, they can operate DDR5 memory modules at speeds of up to 6400 MT/s. Additionally, E-Cores offer up to 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes and support 4x Intel UPI 2.0 links.
Still have questions? Check out the image below for a visual overview courtesy of Intel!
