In February 2020, Intel launched eighteen new Xeon Scalable second technology processors. These mid-cycle additions to Intel’s product portfolio have been designed to bolder up Intel’s server choices on a very fashionable and really profitable platform, including in additional cores, additional frequency, or extra cache than the earlier choices at roughly the identical value. The purpose of those ‘performance-oriented’ processors was to handle buyer requests in providing a extra palatable performance-per-dollar providing. One of the brand new CPUs caught our eye: the Xeon Gold 6258R.
Skylake, Cascade Lake, Refresh
Colloquially often known as ‘Cascade Lake Refresh’, these processors are the identical silicon because the second technology Cascade Lake Xeon Scalable processors that have been initially launched in April 2019. In most circumstances, the Refresh processors concentrate on each efficiency and performance-per-dollar metrics, particularly provided that Intel’s competitors on this area have been in a really aggressive place and specializing in these values. Despite Intel’s information middle income rising quickly by 2019 and into 2020, there was a have to successfully substitute or add new merchandise into the areas the place Intel believed it may maintain a robust grasp on the client base.
In our authentic announcement for the refresh components, Intel touted a median efficiency achieve of 36%, and a performance-per-dollar of 42%, though that was pictured as a 1st Gen to 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable leap. For quite a lot of the eighteen new processors on provide, they both added additional cores, extra cache, or extra frequency for a similar value because the components they successfully substitute. This normally comes with a rise in energy consumption (there’s no escaping the physics), given there was no precise change to the underlying silicon, it merely was a operate of binning and product margin.
One of the brand new components was the Xeon Gold 6258R, with the R indicating ‘Refresh’. This processor was really the very best core depend refresh half, providing 28 cores at 2.7 GHz base and 4.zero GHz turbo inside 205W.
For anybody who follows Intel’s server processor portfolio, these specs look *very* acquainted. Looking by the listing, there’s one very fashionable processor that has the very same specs: the Xeon Platinum 8280. Here’s the total breakdown:
| Intel 2nd Generation Xeon Scalable 28-Core Comparison |
||
| Platinum 8280 |
AnandTech | Gold 6258R |
| 28 Cores / 56 Threads | Cores / Threads | 28 Cores / 56 Threads |
| 2700 MHz | Base Frequency | 2700 MHz |
| 4000 MHz | Turbo Frequency | 4000 MHz |
| 38.5 MB | L3 Cache | 38.5 MB |
| three x 10.Four GT/s | UPI Links | three x 10.Four GT/s |
| 8 | Max Socket Suport | 2 |
| 6 x DDR4-2933 | DDR4 Support | 6 x DDR4-2933 |
| 1 TB | DDR4 Capacity | 1 TB |
| LGA3647 | Socket | LGA3647 |
| 205 W | TDP | 205 W |
| $10009 | List Price | $3950 |
The Platinum 8280 and the Gold 6258R are equivalent, nearly to a fault. The similar cores, the identical frequency, the identical energy, and each assist Optane DCPMM. The implementation distinction could be very delicate: the place the 8280 helps 8-way socket deployments, the 6258R solely helps 2-way. Intel has separated up the 8200 collection and the 6200 collection on this sole distinction of socket assist, which is definitely extra a firmware distinction than the rest.
Oh, and the 6258R has an inventory value over $6000 cheaper.
Now, the rationale why that is necessary comes all the way down to the place the 8280 sits in Intel’s Xeon portfolio. It is, for all intents and functions, the processor that will get probably the most consideration. It sits on the high of its public processor choices*, it gives probably the most cores, and the listing value is $10009**. If a non-technical govt is requesting ‘the best’ {hardware} for deployment, they…
