Boosting Business Efficiency: Intel’s New Xeon Processor Line

Key points

• Intel has unveiled its next-generation Xeon 6+ E-core CPU family, codenamed "Clearwater Forest", with a focus on power and performance efficiency.
• The new Clearwater Forest chips will feature up to 288 next-gen cores, a significant increase from the previous generation’s 144 cores, and will support up to 12-channel DDR5 memory with speeds of up to 8000 MT/s.
• Clearwater Forest processors will be socket-compatible with the prior generation, allowing for easy upgrades with just a chip swap and BIOS flash, and are expected to be available in the first half of 2026.

According to sources, Intel has revealed more details about its next-generation Xeon 6+ E-core CPU family, codenamed "Clearwater Forest". This new line of processors is designed to provide better power and performance efficiency, making them ideal for cloud service providers, microservices, and scale-out workloads. The Clearwater Forest chips will feature up to 288 next-gen cores, which is a significant increase from the previous generation’s 144 cores.

Intel has split its Xeon product line into two categories: the P line for high-performance cores and the E line for efficiency. The E line is designed for tasks and processes that are less performance-sensitive. The company released its first E-Core-only Xeon, codenamed "Sierra Forest", last year, which featured 144 cores. The new Clearwater Forest chips will be about 17% faster than Sierra Forest and will continue to target the same markets.

The Clearwater Forest processors have undergone significant re-architecting, with a comprehensive multi-chiplet package design. This design allows for up to 12-channel DDR5 memory with speeds of up to 8000 MT/s, a substantial increase over the previous generation. The platform will also support up to 6 UPI 2.0 links with up to 24 GT/s per lane, up to 96 PCIe Gen5.0 lanes, and up to 64 CXL 2.0 lanes.

In terms of security, the Clearwater Forest chips will feature Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) and Intel Trust Domain Extensions (TDX). The processors will also have advanced power management features, including Intel Application Energy Telemetry (AET) and Intel Turbo Rate Limiter. Additionally, the chips will support Advanced Vector Extensions 2 with VNNI and INT8 support.

One of the most significant advantages of the Clearwater Forest processors is that they are socket-compatible with the prior generation. This means that users who have already invested in Sierra Forest servers can upgrade to the new chips with just a chip swap and BIOS flash. According to Kira Boyko, product line director of E-Core Xeon Products at Intel, this was a key feature requested by OEMs, who wanted to be able to upgrade their existing servers without having to deploy new ones.

The Clearwater Forest processors are expected to be available in the first half of 2026, and will likely have a significant impact on the cloud computing and data center markets. With their improved performance and efficiency, these chips will be an attractive option for companies looking to upgrade their infrastructure. As Microsoft and Azure continue to expand their services, the availability of these new processors will likely be an important factor in their plans for future growth and development.

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