Intel Xeon 6 6980P 128-core 2.0 GHz server processor PK8072006129500

128-Core Xeon 6 for dense compute

The Intel Xeon 6 6980P delivers 128 cores and 256 threads in a single socket. Base frequency sits at 2.0 GHz with an all-core turbo of 3.2 GHz and a maximum turbo of 3.9 GHz. It targets data-centre workloads that scale across many parallel threads such as large-scale virtualization, high-performance computing and in-memory databases.

FCLGA 7529 socket and 500 W TDP

The processor mounts in an FCLGA 7529 socket and carries a 500 W thermal design power, so the platform must provide robust cooling and power delivery. Twelve memory channels support DDR5 at 6400 MHz and MRDIMM at 8800 MHz for high bandwidth. Six UPI links at 24 GT/s enable two-socket scaling, while PCIe 5.0 provides 96 lanes for fast I/O.

Replaces lower-core-count Xeon 6

Moving from a 64-core or 96-core part adds 504 MB of shared L3 cache and doubles thread density per socket, reducing the node count needed for a given throughput. The jump is worth it when licensing, rack space or interconnect latency favour fewer, larger sockets. Buyers who need only modest thread counts or cannot accommodate 500 W cooling should evaluate smaller SKUs.