Intel's Next-Generation Platform

Intel's upcoming "Diamond Rapids" Xeon CPU generation is set to be supported by the next-generation "Oak Stream" platform. More details have been revealed about the top-end configurations that Intel will offer.

According to the HEPiX TechWatch working group, the Diamond Rapids Intel Xeon 7 will have up to 192 P-cores in the top-end SKU, spread across four 48-core tiles. Intel has designated two main SKU variants, with some models featuring eight-channel DDR5 memory, while the top SKUs will come with 16-channel DDR5 memory. By using MRDIMM Gen 2 for memory, Intel will be able to achieve transfer rates of up to 12,800 MT/s per DIMM, providing high bandwidth across 16 channels and keeping the "Panther Cove" cores busy with ample data. Intel has designed the SoC to reach up to 500 W in a single socket.

As the first mass-produced 18A node product, Diamond Rapids will be the initial product to support Intel's APX, with various enhancements to the efficiency of AMX. Intel also plans to include native support for additional floating-point number formats, such as NVIDIA's TF32 and lower-precision FP8. With most inference tasks suitable for running on a CPU, Intel aims to speed up basic inference operations for smaller models, allowing power users to handle advanced workloads on CPUs alone. Diamond Rapids will offer configurations for 1S, 2S, and 4S LGA 9324, providing 768 cores in a single server rack with a power consumption of just 2000 W. Support for external accelerators will be available through the PCIe Gen 6 connector. Expected to be released in 2026, Intel is likely to coordinate the launch with its upcoming "Jaguar Shores" AI accelerators, creating a comprehensive AI system.