Please note that this post is tagged as a rumor .
Intel Coral Rapids Xeon reportedly brings SMT back in 2028
Intel’s next P-core Xeon platform may now be planned for 2027 rather than 2026. According to leaker Jaykihn, Diamond Rapids is now expected to enter volume launch around mid-2027 on Intel’s 16-channel memory platform. The first wave will scale to 256 cores, followed by 512-core SKUs a few months later.
Diamond Rapids with 16-channel memory
This follows an e arlier Diamond Rapids roadmap change . Intel told ServeTheHome last year that it had removed the 8-channel Diamond Rapids platform from its roadmap and would focus on 16-channel processors instead. That left the high-end Oak Stream platform as the main Diamond Rapids target, with PCIe Gen6 and AI-focused server deployments in mind.
Earlier reports have linked Diamond Rapids with LGA9324, 16 memory channels and MRDIMM Gen 2 support, although Intel has not published final product specifications for the lineup.
Snapshot, subject to change.
Clearwater Forest 1H 2026.
Diamond Rapids mid 2027, 16CH.
Coral Rapids mid 2028, starting with 8CH.
As mentioned in Q1 call, may be accelerated.Crescent Island and Crescent Island Workstation late 2026, Xe3p.
Jaguar Shores late 2027, Xe4.
— Jaykihn (@jaykihn0) April 24, 2026
The new leak adds that standard Diamond Rapids and the higher-core-count 512-core parts will use the same platform. That would avoid a separate socket or board platform for the largest SKUs. Diamond Rapids is also said to use Panther Cove-X P-cores and remain a non-SMT design, making it the last Xeon generation without SMT if the leaked roadmap is accurate.
Yes, 512C, follows DMR 16CH by a quarter or two.
— Jaykihn (@jaykihn0) April 24, 2026
Up next: Coral Rapids
Coral Rapids is mentioned as the follow-up generation. According to the same leak, Coral Rapids is planned for mid-2028 and will bring SMT back to Intel’s P-core Xeon lineup. The first Coral Rapids platforms are reportedly planned with 8-channel memory, although the timing could be pulled forward if Intel changes its data-center roadmap.
- Clearwater Forest: 1H 2026, Xeon 6+ platform, up to 288 E-cores, Intel 18A, Darkmont E-cores, 12-channel DDR5-8000
- Diamond Rapids: Mid-2027, Xeon 16-channel platform, up to 256 cores at launch, Panther Cove-X P-cores, non-SMT, LGA9324 platform
- Diamond Rapids 512C: Late 2027 / early 2028, same 16-channel platform, up to 512 cores, reportedly follows standard Diamond Rapids by one or two quarters
- Coral Rapids: Mid-2028, Xeon 8-channel platform, P-cores with SMT support returning, successor to Diamond Rapids
Intel has not confirmed 256-core or 512-core Diamond Rapids SKUs, nor has it confirmed Coral Rapids timing. For now, the confirmed part of the story is the removal of 8-channel Diamond Rapids and Intel’s focus on the 16-channel platform. The new core counts and 2027 to 2028 timing remain unconfirmed roadmap claims.
Source: Jaykihn
