Intel Xeon Scalable Processors - an Overview

Introduction

On January 10, 2023, Intel launched the fourth generation of the Intel Xeon Scalable processor series. Codenamed Sapphire Rapids, the new Xeon processors offer a slew of performance, efficiency, and security improvements for use in data centers, AI training, edge computing, and supercomputing.

This article will review the previous generations of Intel Xeon Scalable processors and discuss the fourth generation's essential features.

Intel Xeon Scalable Processors - Generations

There have been four generations of Intel Xeon Scalable processors, with the fifth generation expected to be released in Q4 of 2023. The Xeon series caters to business customers, specifically where the workloads do not depend on high single-core performance but rather scale across the available cores.

The sections below present each generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors and provide lists of the released models.

1st Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

The first generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors released in 2017 is based on Skylake microarchitecture and features PCI Express 3 expansion card technology. Its Mesh Architecture, with on-chip interconnected components, facilitates multi-core scalability and improves efficiency. Omni-Path Architecture (OPA) brings high performance and throughput alongside low latency and power consumption.

The Quick-Assist Technology (QAT) feature accelerates data encryption and compression. On the other hand, Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI) replaces QuickPath Interconnect, a point-to-point processor interconnect featured in previous Intel processors.

Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum 8100 Processors

With up to 8 CPU sockets and 28 cores per processor, the 8100 Platinum series offers the highest performance and scalability in this Xeon generation. Below you can find the list of 8100 Platinum series processors:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 6100 Processors

The 6100 Gold processors support up to four-CPU socket configurations and 22 cores per processor to offer high performance that can be optimized for different workloads. The processor models in this series are:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 5100 Processors

The Xeon Gold 5100 processors can be used in a server with up to four CPU sockets with 14 cores per processor. Their design makes them a good fit for mainstream data centers, multi-cloud workloads, storage, and networking. The following is a list of the processors in this series:

Intel Xeon Scalable Silver 4100 Processors

The first generation Xeon Silver processors support up to two-CPU socket servers and 12 cores per processor. Affordable yet fast and performant, processors in this series boast increased energy efficiency. Below is the list of all the Xeon Silver 4100 processors:

Intel Xeon Scalable Bronze 3100 Processors

With up to two CPU sockets per server and eight cores, the Xeon Bronze series is the first generation's entry-level offer. The series featured only two models:

2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

The second generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors, powered by Cascade Lake microarchitecture, became available in late 2019. This generation features PCI Express 3 and Intel Optane DC persistent memory designed to bridge the gap between RAM and flash-based storage.

Aside from memory improvements, this Xeon generation introduces Deep Learning (DL) Boost. This feature provides built-in acceleration for demanding deep learning workloads and Resource Director Technology (RDT), which facilitates shared processor resources monitoring and management.

The following sections list all the 2nd gen Xeon processors.

Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum 9200 Processors

With up to 56 CPU cores per processor, the Platinum 9200 series caters to the HPC and AI fields. Given the specific use case, the processors in this series support only two-CPU socket configurations. Below is a list of the four Platinum 9200 models:

Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum 8200 Processors

The Platinum 8200 series is similar to the 1st gen 8100 series, as it represents the standard high-end offer with up to eight-CPU socket configurations and 28 processor cores per CPU. The processors in this series are designed for mission-critical tasks and demanding workloads such as real-time data analytics and machine learning. The models offered in this series are:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 6200 Processors

With 35 models, the Gold 6200 series is the most numerous in the second generation of Xeon processors. The models supported up to four-CPU socket server configurations and 28 cores per cpu. Below is the list of the models in this series:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 5200 Processors

The Gold 5200 series differs from Gold 6200 in that it supports up to 24 instead of 28 cores per CPU. The models in the 5200 series are:

Intel Xeon Scalable Silver 4200 Processors

With up to two sockets per server and 16 cores, Silver 4200 processors aim at the entry-level data center, storage, and network workloads. Below is the list of Xeon Silver 4200 processors.

Intel Xeon Scalable Bronze 3200 processors

The entry-level offer in the second generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors is the Bronze 3200 series. There are two models in this series, both aimed at small-business and basic storage servers:

• Intel Xeon Bronze 3204
• Intel Xeon Bronze 3206R

3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

The third generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors came out in 2020 and 2021 and is based on the Ice Lake microarchitecture. This generation comes with the PCI Express 4 upgrade and Intel Speed Select (ISS), a powerful new technology providing users with more granular control over CPU performance for different workloads.

Another important new feature is Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (AVX-512). This is a built-in accelerator for scientific simulations, financial analytics, AI, data compression, and other demanding computational tasks.

Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum 8300 Processors

The Platinum 8300 Series increases the number of cores per processor to 40 and supports up to eight-CPU socket server configurations. This high-end offer aims to satisfy the need of demanding workloads such as AI, machine learning, and real-time analytics. Below is the list of the processor models in this series:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 6300 Processors

The Gold 6300 supports four CPU sockets per server and 32 cores per CPU, an increase in the number of cores compared to the second gen's 6200 series. The Gold 6300 models are:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 5300 processors

Like its second-gen counterpart Gold 5200, the Gold 5300 supports up to four CPU sockets per server and up to 24 cores. These specs make it a good choice for users who need the Gold's advanced security and memory capabilities at slightly lower prices. Below is the list of the Gold 5300 models:

Intel Xeon Scalable Silver 4300 Processors

Since the third generation of the Xeon processors did not feature the Bronze series, the Silver 4300 was the entry-level series. It offers essential performance, memory speed, and power efficiency improvements for the lowest price in the generation. The Silver processors support up to two-CPU socket server configurations and 20 cores per processor. Below is the list of the released models:

• Intel Xeon Silver 4309Y
• Intel Xeon Silver 4310
• Intel Xeon Silver 4310T
• Intel Xeon Silver 4314
• Intel Xeon Silver 4316

4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

The current fourth generation of Intel Xeon processors that came out in 2023 is codenamed Sapphire Rapids and powered by the Golden Cove microarchitecture. It achieves a 1.53x average gain in performance over the third generation, ten times higher PyTorch performance. Additionally, the capacity for vRAN workloads is doubled at the same power envelope.

The fourth-gen Xeon processors have more general-purpose cores, with up to 60 CPU cores, compared to the third generation's maximum of 40. DDR5 memory replaces DDR4, and PCI Express 4 got upgraded to the fifth generation. The new PCI Express now offers twice the speed per lane, and up to 80 PCI Express lanes are available per CPU, compared to the maximum of 64 available in the third generation of Xeon processors.

The following are other important features introduced in the 4th generation Intel Xeon CPUs:

• Compute Express Link (CXL). A new link protocol, an extension of the PCIe protocol, which allows coherent communication between the processor and peripherals or discrete accelerators.
• Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX). This feature improves training and inference performance for deep learning.
• Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA). DSA moves data inside the system and offloads the work from general-purpose cores. Every 4th gen Xeon has between 1 and 4 DSA engines built-in.
• In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (IAA). Used for in-memory databases to speed up the access and analytics for in-memory processes and makes them faster.
• Dynamic Load Balancer (DLB). An addition to I/O Acceleration Technology (I/OAT) DMA engine. It spreads data across multiple cores when there are many network streams or network interfaces with a lot of data coming in.

The sections below contain the lists of 4th gen Xeon Scalable processor models.

Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum 8400 Processors

The high-end Platinum 8400 series features up to eight-CPU socket configurations and 60 cores. The processors in this series can be used for advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and high-density infrastructure workloads. Below is the list of available models:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 6400 Processors

The Gold 6400 series features processors with up to eight-CPU socket configurations and 32 cores. The models in this series satisfy the needs of mainstream data centers running network, storage, and multi-cloud workloads. The Gold 6400 processors are:

Intel Xeon Scalable Gold 5400 Processors

The Gold 5400 series has similar use cases as Gold 6400, but at lower prices and featuring more modest configurations. The processors in the list below are used in two-CPU socket servers with a maximum of 28 cores:

Intel Xeon Scalable Silver 4400 Processors

The Silver 4400 series of the 4th gen Intel Xeon processors brings processors with up to 20 cores and two CPUs per server. These processors are designed for entry-level data centers. with a total of three models in the series:

• Intel Xeon Silver 4410T
• Intel Xeon Silver 4410Y
• Intel Xeon Silver 4416+

Intel Xeon Scalable Bronze 3400 Processors

With eight cores and one socket per server support, the Bronze 3400 series aims to offer an entry-level price with good memory speed and power efficiency. So far, only one Bronze 3400 model has been released:

• Intel Xeon Bronze 3408U

Intel Xeon Processors and Scalability

Scalable processors take advantage of the server motherboards that feature multiple sockets for CPU installation. Servers typically have 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 CPU sockets for scaling purposes. By installing multiple CPUs on a single motherboard, users can scale the CPU power up and down depending on the workload requirements.

The 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Platinum processors feature advanced 2, 4, and 8-socket support. This versatility makes them the best choice for demanding edge and cloud workloads. The Gold series supports up to four sockets per server for scalable performance.

The Impact of 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

Arguably the most impactful feature of the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors is the native integration of accelerators in some CPU models. The built-in acceleration, in many cases, eliminates the need for 3rd party discrete acceleration.

Different Xeon Scalable processor versions can now be used to fine-tune the server setup and tailor it for different workloads. Fields such as AI and machine learning may benefit most from built-in accelerators.

Another important feature of the fourth generation of Xeon processors is Intel on Demand. It allows users to purchase a key to unlock additional built-in accelerators on selected processors depending on the need. The ability to use the processors with inactive accelerators ensures that additional cost is paid only when the specific accelerator is necessary to support the workload.

Conclusion

This article summarized the main features of each Intel Xeon Scalable processor generation and provided a comprehensive list of all Intel Xeon Scalable processors. It also focused on the latest fourth generation and analyzed its impact on the industry.