Intel Unveils Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest: Are Xeon 6 Processors Getting Too Complex?
Intel's rebrand is designed to make things clearer
(Image credit: Intel)
In September 2023, Intel introduced its 288-core Xeon CPU, followed by a preview for the AI processing industry starting at the end of February 2024.
The chip, codenamed “Sierra Forest,” is slated for release in the second half of this year, while customers will have to wait until next year to access its more potent counterpart, “Granite Rapids.”
Intel has revamped its lineup of processors, bidding farewell to the “Xeon Scalable” moniker, which debuted in 2017 with the Xeon Platinum 8100 series, and introducing the “Xeon 6” brand. This fresh branding encompasses both the efficiency-focused Sierra Forest chip (designated with “E”) and its high-performance counterpart, Granite Rapids (designated with “P”).
Amplify performance signals
The Sierra Forest data center chip is the first with an architecture comprised entirely of efficiency cores (E-cores), designed to deliver boost performance of 5G workloads by 2.7 times per rack, according to Intel. When it arrives, Granite Rapids (with P-cores) will build upon the doubled vRAN workload processing capacity offered by Sapphire Rapids and increase performance even further via Intel AVX and vRAN Boost.
Intel’s Sierra Forest data center chip marks a significant milestone as the first to feature an architecture composed entirely of efficiency cores (E-cores). Intel claims it can enhance the performance of 5G workloads by 2.7 times per rack. Meanwhile, Granite Rapids, equipped with performance cores (P-cores), will elevate this capability further. Building upon the doubled vRAN workload processing capacity of Sapphire Rapids, Granite Rapids will leverage Intel AVX and vRAN Boost technologies to further enhance performance.
Both the Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest variants are built on the same platform, featuring chiplet-based design, sockets, memory, and firmware. In a bid to simplify matters for customers, Intel has opted for the shared Xeon 6 nomenclature across both variants.
Intel has decided not to rebrand its existing “Emerald Rapids” 5th-Gen Xeon Scalable Processor models. Acknowledging the potential confusion within its current-gen Xeon product stack, Intel is opting for a fresh start with the new Xeon 6 brand, aiming to simplify its branding moving forward.
