Intel Xeon 6 processors look to take the fight to Nvidia when it comes to powering your next data center and AI workloads

(Image credit: Intel)

Intel unveils new Xeon 6 with P-core hardware
New offerings promise increased performance and efficiency in data center and with AI
Xeon 6 SoCs for network and edge also revealed

Intel has unveiled its latest range of data center hardware as it looks to keep pace with the likes of Nvidia and AMD.

The new Xeon 6 processors with P-cores provide a major boost in power and intelligence as Intel states its claim to stay at the top of the charts when it comes to AI processing and other crucial enterprise tasks.

But the new series isn't limited to the data center, with Intel promising improved performance across network and edge infrastructure alongside server and data center workloads.

Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores

“We are intensely focused on bringing cutting-edge leadership products to market that solve our customers’ greatest challenges and help drive the growth of their business,” said Michelle Johnston Holthaus, interim co-CEO of Intel and CEO of Intel Products.

“The Xeon 6 family delivers the industry’s best CPU for AI and groundbreaking features for networking, while simultaneously driving efficiency and bringing down the total cost of ownership.”

Designed for the data center, the new Intel Xeon 6700P/6500P series features the company's P-cores, offering what it says is the "perfect balance between performance and energy efficiency".

Offering up to 86 cores, Intel is promising an average of 1.4x improved performance on a number of enterprise workloads compared to the previous generation, and 1.5x better performance in AI inference on chip compared to AMD's 5th-Gen EPYC, whilst also using one-third fewer cores.

But this power also brings improved efficiency, allowing for much greater consolidation on five or even ten-year-old servers, with Intel saying the Xeon 6 with P-cores is an ideal option for businesses looking to refresh aging infrastructure to better deal with new AI tasks.

Describing the new offerings as the, "world's best CPU for AI", the Xeon P-core chips offer more bandwidth and cache, with up to 504MB low latency LLC and support for MRDIMM memory, alongside built-in AI accelerators and a comprehensive software suite across classical ML and small GenAI models.

Intel Xeon 6 SoC — (Image credit: Intel)

The Xeon 6 for network and edge is Intel's most-developed SoC, designed for a wide range of use cases, and again promising greater performance and efficiency than ever. The chip includes Intel vRAN Boost built-in, allowing for up to 2.4x the capacity for RAN networks, which could be vital as demand for such connections continues to increase.

The Xeon 6 will also be the first in the industry to feature a built-in media accelerator, with the Intel Media Transcode Accelator offering up to 14x performance per watt gain versus previous models.

Intel says both releases will be ideal for businesses looking to expand and evolve their AI-ready workforces and processes, allowing them to optimize workloads, reduce costs and build network which are flexible and scalable when needed.

The company says more than 500 designs are either available now or in progress, with top OEMs such as Dell, Samsung, Ericsson, HPE, Lenovo and many others already signed up.

These are the best mobile workstations around
We've also rounded up the best dedicated server hosting options
And here are the best VPS servers picks

TOPICS

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.