The News: Intel launched its 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors, code-named Emerald Rapids, that are designed to deliver increased performance per watt and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) across critical workloads for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), networking, storage, database, and security including especially across demanding network and edge environments. Read the full press release on the Intel website.
Intel 5th Gen Xeon Scalable Processors Make Breakthroughs
Analyst Take: The debut of 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors represents the second Xeon family upgrade in less than a year, developed to provide customers faster memory and more compute at the same power envelope as the prior generation. The processors are software- and platform-compatible with 4th Gen Intel Xeon processors, enabling customers to upgrade and optimize the durability of infrastructure investments while decreasing costs and carbon emissions.
The new generation of Xeon processors are directly targeted at fulfilling ecosystem-wide and customer demand to consistently maximize their AI workloads. Through AI acceleration built into every core, 5th Gen Xeon processors can meet the rapidly escalating demands of scaling and optimizing end-to-end AI workloads before customers need to use discrete accelerators, including up to 42% higher inference performance and less than 100 millisecond latency on large language models (LLMs) under 20 billion parameters.
Intel spotlights that, compared with the previous generation of Xeon, these processors deliver 21% average performance gain for general compute performance and enable 36% higher average performance per watt across an array of customer workloads. Customers following a typical 5-year refresh cycle and upgrading from older generations can reduce their TCO by up to 77%.
From my view, the 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors are precisely aimed at fulfilling the Goldilocks zone of most Intel customers. For organizations using 4th Gen Xeon processors, the 5th Gen Xeon offering is a straightforward, smooth upgrade. Plus, today’s network and edge environments generate unabated demand for 16 cores or 32 cores per socker in accordance with Microsoft and Broadcom/VMware licensing practices. As such, while 5th Gen Xeon processors do not surpass the core counts of AMD’s topmost core offerings, such as the 128-core EPYC Bergamo processors, Intel is ensuring customers attain more performance and value per core for the core counts they require. Moreover, Intel’s roadmap highlights the advent of 288-core Sierra Forest in 6 months. So, the core battles at the top-end of density counts are by no stretch over or conceded.
The 5th Gen Intel Xeon processor launch reinforces that organizations are using CPUs to handle critical AI/machine learning (ML) workloads on a cost-advantage basis. In comparison, adding GPUs or other accelerators to meet AI/ML workload demands is more expensive or cost-prohibitive than relying on CPU instances across cloud environments.
5th Gen Intel Xeon Debut: Focused on AI and LLMs
Moreover, I find that the 5th Gen Xeon processors are built and ready to unlock new network and edge opportunities, including especially the efficient scaling of general AI and LLMs. Through integrated accelerators, organizations can attain breakthrough performance per watt for rigorous network and edge workloads, including AI, and help decrease TCO. For instance, the processors can overcome data bottlenecks to accelerate compute performance with up to 16% memory bandwidth improvement and up to threefold increased last-level cache (LLC) in relation to 4th Gen Xeon processors.
5th Gen Intel Xeon Debut: Catalyzing Confidential Computing
Built for confidential computing, I find that 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors can enhance the security of sensitive intellectual property (IP) and workload data at the edge with Intel Trust Domain Extensions (Intel TDX) and Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX). These technologies are designed to enable confidential computing capabilities such as isolating applications and virtual environments, including increasing confidentiality and integrity at the virtual machine (VM) level with enhanced protection against a vast array of software attacks.
5th Gen Intel Xeon Debut: Maximizing Value of Investments
Additionally, 5th Gen Xeon builds on previous investments and accelerates system upgrades from the previous generation with pin and software compatibility that enable drop-in ease of use and minimal validation and testing, as well as briefer development timeframes. Organizations can reduce downtime with firmware updates and use enhanced telemetry capabilities to run systems more efficiently. As a result, organizations are primed to leverage Intel’s extensive ecosystem of partners to improve their business outcomes alongside accelerating time to market with Intel Market Ready Solutions and reference architectures for networking and software that is purpose-built for the topmost use cases.
Key Takeaway: 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors Deliver Breakthrough Network and Edge Benefits
Overall, I believe that 5th Gen Intel Xeon processors can ensure organizations gain better performance per watt for demanding network and edge workloads. The new Intel Xeon platform supports specialized AI and virtualized workloads while lowering TCO with built-in accelerators that ensure organizations can build on their existing investments with a solution that is fully compatible with previous generation processor offerings while needing only minimal testing and validation.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
