Intel confirms its Xeon roadmap for the next two years

Intel remains committed to their plans to launch four new Xeon architectures in 2 years.

Intel Data-Center Xeon roadmap, Source: Intel

During the Data Center and AI Investor Webinar, Intel has confirmed its plans how to tackle the upcoming launch of the AMD EPYC CPU codenamed Bergamo. This product is to utilize a high-core density architecture based on Zen4c design. Intel has plans for its own “Atom/Efficient” core architecture for its Xeon series.

The company will split its Xeon CPU offering between Performance and Efficient optimized architectures. Thus far Intel Xeon series only included the former. The E-core based Xeons will deliver better power efficiency.

Intel Xeon split between Performance and Efficiency optimized designs, Source: Intel

Sierra and Clearwater Forest, Xeon with Efficient cores

In 2024 Intel will launch a product codenamed Sierra Forest. The company today confirms that this design will feature up to 144 Efficient cores. According to Intel, this architecture is in ‘excellent silicon health’ and remains on track to launch in the first half of 2023. The company reaffirms its plans to use Intel 3 process node for this architecture.

The company also revealed that Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids will share the same platform, codenamed “Birch Stream”. As per the presentation, Granite is to follow the Sierra Forest ‘closely’.

Furthermore, Intel is also confirming a successor for Sierra. A product codenamed “Clearwater Forest” was already a topic of rumors, but as of today, it is official. This architecture is to be launched in 2025, and it will utilize an Intel 18A node. This is the first Xeon CPU confirmed to use this process technology.

Intel Xeon with Efficient cores, Source: Intel

Emeralds and Granite Rapids, Xeon with Performance cores

Intel is also reiterating its plans to launch 5th Gen Xeon Scalable “Emerald Rapids” in the fourth quarter of this year. This product will be a direct successor to Sapphire Rapids to using the same platform.

At the event, Intel showcased the first die of Emeralds Rapids consisting of two compute dies:

Intel Xeon “Emerald Rapids” cores, Source: Intel

Furthermore, 6th Gen Xeon series “Granite Rapids” was demoed at the webinar showing 1.5 TB/s of DDR5 memory bandwidth. It is an 80% improvement over the current server product. The series is confirmed to support up to DDR5-8800 in MCR mode (Multiplexer Combined Rank).