Intel used the Hot Chips conference to reveal fresh details of its long-delayed Xeon 7 server chips, codenamed Diamond Rapids, confirming the top model will pack 256 performance cores rather than the previously touted 192. The launch has slipped to 2027, but the chip's chiplet-based design marks a significant architectural shift for Intel, bringing it closer to parity with AMD's rival high-end server processors and representing what the article describes as Intel's most sophisticated Xeon design to date.

Diamond Rapids will only be available in high-core-count variants aimed at HPC workloads, since the mainstream eight-channel version has been cancelled, meaning it will compete with AMD's upcoming 256-core Epyc "Venice" chips only at the very top end of the market. The processor is built from up to 22 chiplets combining compute dies made on Intel's advanced 18A-P process, base dies fabricated on Intel 3-T carrying up to 1.28GB of combined L3 cache, and fabric hub dies on Intel 3, with Intel claiming the process technology offers notable power or performance gains over previous generations.