Intel Launches Xeon 6+ 'Clearwater Forest': Pioneering 18A Process Node with Up to 288 Efficiency Cores for Cloud-Scale InfrastructureIn a major bid to cement its dominance in high-density cloud computing, Intel has officially introduced its next-generation server processor family: Xeon 6+, codenamed Clearwater Forest. Built entirely on an all-E-core (Efficiency Core) architecture, the new flagship processors top out at a staggering 288 cores per socket, matching the dense core count of its predecessor, the Xeon 6 Sierra Forest, while retaining full drop-in compatibility with the existing LGA 4710 socket.
The Intel 18A Breakthrough: Next-Gen Performance-per-Watt
The true crown jewel of the Xeon 6+ lineup is its manufacturing foundation. Clearwater Forest marks Intel’s first-ever enterprise server silicon built on the state-of-the-art Intel 18A process node—the same bleeding-edge fabrication technology underpinning this year’s Core Ultra Series 3 consumer chips. By migrating to 18A, Intel delivers an unprecedented leap in performance-per-watt efficiency, allowing hyperscalers to drastically lower their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and maximize compute density within fixed data center thermal envelopes.
Enterprise-Grade I/O and Application-Level Energy Telemetry
Beyond its raw core count, Clearwater Forest introduces robust architectural capabilities engineered for massive cloud-native workloads:
Memory Architecture: Supports an advanced 12-channel DDR5 memory configuration to eliminate bandwidth bottlenecks in memory-intensive applications.
Expansion & I/O: Features 96 lanes of PCIe Gen 5 for lightning-fast high-speed storage and accelerator interconnectivity.
Granular Power Management: Introduces Intel Application Energy Telemetry (AET), a breakthrough hardware-level feature capable of monitoring and reporting exact CPU power consumption on a per-application basis, allowing cloud providers to optimize software efficiency and billing accuracy.
The Xeon 6+ Clearwater Forest Product Lineup
Intel is rolling out the Clearwater Forest architecture across four distinct high-density SKUs tailored for specific compute demands:
Xeon 6990E+: 288 Cores | 576MB L3 Cache | 450W TDP
Xeon 6980E+: 264 Cores | 528MB L3 Cache | 400W TDP
Xeon 6970E+: 192 Cores | 480MB L3 Cache | 400W TDP
Xeon 6960E+: 144 Cores | 432MB L3 Cache | 330W TDP
The energy efficiency of this 18A node is due to the use of a new transistor architecture called RibbonFET (Gate-All-Around) coupled with Backside Power Delivery (PowerVia). This system separates the power supply path from the data signal path, drastically reducing cabling bottlenecks in the chipset. As a result, the Xeon 6+ chips can run more stably, consume less power, and generate less heat than competitors, even with a densely packed 288 cores.
The Intel AET feature included with this chip isn't just about specs; it's a game-changer tool for hyperscalers (such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud) for FinOps and sustainability monitoring. Previously, data centers only knew how much power each server consumed, but the AET feature reveals a blueprint of which cloud applications... "Or, how many watts of CPU power are each customer's container consuming?" This allows the system to orchestrate workloads, or move power-intensive applications to run on the most suitable cores in real time.
Intel's "All E-Core" strategy in the Clearwater Forest family is intended to directly compete with rivals in the cloud-native computing sector, which includes AMD EPYC high-core processors (such as Bergamo) and Arm architecture chips (such as Ampere or custom chips from other cloud providers). Web servers, microservices, and containerized applications don't necessarily need large P-cores to process complex instructions, but rather the maximum number of cores to run multiple customer tasks concurrently. By using the existing socket (LGA 4710) but changing the internal architecture to 18A, enterprise customers can immediately upgrade server performance in their existing racks without investing in completely new cooling systems or motherboards.
Twitch New Dual Format Feature Streams Vertical and Horizontal Layouts Simultaneously.
Source: Intel
Intel Launches Xeon 6+ 'Clearwater Forest': Pioneering 18A Process Node with Up to 288 Efficiency Cores for Cloud-Scale InfrastructureIn a major bid to cement its dominance in high-density cloud computing, Intel has officially introduced its next-generation server processor family: Xeon 6+, codenamed Clearwater Forest. Built entirely on an all-E-core (Efficiency Core) architecture, the new flagship processors top out at a staggering 288 cores per socket, matching the dense core count of its predecessor, the Xeon 6 Sierra Forest, while retaining full drop-in compatibility with the existing LGA 4710 socket.
The Intel 18A Breakthrough: Next-Gen Performance-per-Watt
The true crown jewel of the Xeon 6+ lineup is its manufacturing foundation. Clearwater Forest marks Intel’s first-ever enterprise server silicon built on the state-of-the-art Intel 18A process node—the same bleeding-edge fabrication technology underpinning this year’s Core Ultra Series 3 consumer chips. By migrating to 18A, Intel delivers an unprecedented leap in performance-per-watt efficiency, allowing hyperscalers to drastically lower their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and maximize compute density within fixed data center thermal envelopes.
Enterprise-Grade I/O and Application-Level Energy Telemetry
Beyond its raw core count, Clearwater Forest introduces robust architectural capabilities engineered for massive cloud-native workloads:
Memory Architecture: Supports an advanced 12-channel DDR5 memory configuration to eliminate bandwidth bottlenecks in memory-intensive applications.
Expansion & I/O: Features 96 lanes of PCIe Gen 5 for lightning-fast high-speed storage and accelerator interconnectivity.
Granular Power Management: Introduces Intel Application Energy Telemetry (AET), a breakthrough hardware-level feature capable of monitoring and reporting exact CPU power consumption on a per-application basis, allowing cloud providers to optimize software efficiency and billing accuracy.
The Xeon 6+ Clearwater Forest Product Lineup
Intel is rolling out the Clearwater Forest architecture across four distinct high-density SKUs tailored for specific compute demands:
Xeon 6990E+: 288 Cores | 576MB L3 Cache | 450W TDP
Xeon 6980E+: 264 Cores | 528MB L3 Cache | 400W TDP
Xeon 6970E+: 192 Cores | 480MB L3 Cache | 400W TDP
Xeon 6960E+: 144 Cores | 432MB L3 Cache | 330W TDP
The energy efficiency of this 18A node is due to the use of a new transistor architecture called RibbonFET (Gate-All-Around) coupled with Backside Power Delivery (PowerVia). This system separates the power supply path from the data signal path, drastically reducing cabling bottlenecks in the chipset. As a result, the Xeon 6+ chips can run more stably, consume less power, and generate less heat than competitors, even with a densely packed 288 cores.
The Intel AET feature included with this chip isn't just about specs; it's a game-changer tool for hyperscalers (such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud) for FinOps and sustainability monitoring. Previously, data centers only knew how much power each server consumed, but the AET feature reveals a blueprint of which cloud applications... "Or, how many watts of CPU power are each customer's container consuming?" This allows the system to orchestrate workloads, or move power-intensive applications to run on the most suitable cores in real time.
Intel's "All E-Core" strategy in the Clearwater Forest family is intended to directly compete with rivals in the cloud-native computing sector, which includes AMD EPYC high-core processors (such as Bergamo) and Arm architecture chips (such as Ampere or custom chips from other cloud providers). Web servers, microservices, and containerized applications don't necessarily need large P-cores to process complex instructions, but rather the maximum number of cores to run multiple customer tasks concurrently. By using the existing socket (LGA 4710) but changing the internal architecture to 18A, enterprise customers can immediately upgrade server performance in their existing racks without investing in completely new cooling systems or motherboards.
Twitch New Dual Format Feature Streams Vertical and Horizontal Layouts Simultaneously.
Source: Intel
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