Intel Launches Granite Rapids Xeon 6900P series with 128 cores — matches AMD EPYC’s core counts for the first time since 2017

Intel announced the on-time launch of its high-performance Xen 6 Granite Rapids ’ 6900P -series models today .

Five new models span from 72 to 128 cores and stretch up to an unprecedented 500W TDP.

The new flagship processors come with new CPU core microarchitectures, the Intel 3 process node, and up to 504MB of L3 cache, along with support for 12 memory channels and MRDIMM memory tech that enables speeds reaching up to 8800 MT/s.

Intel ’s 6700P series consists of designs with three compute dies ( UCC designator), which are fabbed on the Intel 3 process node.

Each die has a minimum of one extra physical CPU core to help defray the impact of defects, thus improving yield.

The I/O die also houses the in-built QAT , DLB , DSA, and IAA accelerators, which boost performance in compression and encryption.

Intel claims MRDIMM-8800 offers up to 1.33x more performance in memory throughput-sensitive workloads, like certain AI and HPC applications, over standard DDR5-6400 memory.

The company also claims to be the first to market with support for this type of DIMM tech.

Memory capacity and bandwidth are becoming more pressing issues, especially for AI workloads and in-memory databases.