Intel's 256-core Xeon 7 CPUs are a Diamond in the rough

Intel's Xeon 7 platform, codenamed Diamond Rapids, was initially set to release this year with up to 192 cores and 16 memory channels. However, the launch has been delayed until 2027, during which time Intel claims they have polished the chip. At the Hot Chips show, Intel revealed the chip will not ship with 192 cores, but will instead pack 256 performance cores into a single socket.

This chip is positioned to compete with AMD's sixth-gen Venice Epycs, which also tops out at 256 cores. Unlike mainstream CPUs, Diamond Rapids lacks hyperthreading and is only intended for high-core-count, HPC applications. The chip features up to 22 chiplets, which can be added or removed depending on the desired compute, cache, and memory ratio.

These chiplets include 16 core dies, four compute building block dies, and two fabric hub dies. The chip's 3D packaging technology allows for uniform memory access and increased connectivity, setting it apart from competitors.