Intel Xeon Processors Buyers Guide

What is an Intel Xeon CPU or processor?

The Central Processing Unit, or the CPU, is one of the most critical components to consider when buying or building a server or upgrading an existing one. Intel offers a vast range of Xeon server CPUs and in this buyer's guide we'll provide an overview of the key families. We’ll also cover suggestions of which to choose depending on your business needs and server workloads – from everyday business continuity tasks to digital content creation, commercial VR applications all the way through to high performance computing (HPC). It is worth mentioning that the Xeon CPU range also includes a family - Xeon W - dedicated to workstation use, but we cover these in our Desktop Processor Buyers Guide.

It is essential when choosing your Xeon server CPU (or CPUs if multiple are required) that you choose a compatible motherboard so we'll indicate this for each processor family as we go through them. As Intel has a regular upgrade cycle for their product range it is vital to know if you are looking at the latest generation, and if you’re considering an upgrade what CPU supersedes your current one, so we’ll cover this too.

The Intel Xeon range is primarily aimed at servers, with the CPUs typically offering more cores than mainstream PC counterparts - however clock speeds don’t necessarily directly compare to the Core i7 and i9 models. Xeon CPUs tend to have a lot more built-in, business-critical technology - for example, they support error-correcting code (ECC) memory, which prevents data corruption and system crashes. For businesses where continuous workloads are mission-critical, even a few hours downtime can cost far more than ECC memory is worth. Also Xeon processors support far more RAM than the Core range CPUs do, as well as many more PCIe lanes for connecting expansion cards. With all these extra features, scalability and fail-safes, naturally, the price reflects this.

Intel Xeon Scalable Processors

The fastest and most powerful server and workstation processors are from the Intel Xeon Scalable series, of which the latest are the 5th generation. These CPUs deliver industry leading, workload optimised performance, with built-in AI acceleration to help speed data’s transformative impact. The range is so extensive it is subdivided into four types, each designated a colour, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Most models can be deployed in at least two processors per system, with some models even supporting up to eight CPUs per server. These four families of CPU cover all workstation and server uses from entry-level tasks in small organisations all the way up to HPC clusters. It is fair to say that there is overlap between these families and it is always important to view a processor choice with your current and future workloads in mind.

To discuss the most suitable Xeon Scalable CPU option for your serve
contact our team of system architects on 01204 474747 or [email protected].

Summary

Still not sure which Intel Xeon server processor is right for you? This table shows the relative performance and features of the main ranges of Xeon processor.

We hope this guide has proved helpful in providing some insight as to which Intel Xeon processor may best suit your server requirement, but if you’re still in need of guidance don’t hesitate to contact our team of system architects on 01204 474747 or [email protected].