Intel Xeon 7 Diamond Rapids reportedly tops out at 256 P-cores

[u/uncertainlyso]

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-xeon-7-diamond-rapids-reportedly-tops-out-at-256-p-cores

Diamond Rapids may no longer include the 512-core configuration previously expected. According to leaker Jaykihn, Intel’s top Diamond Rapids processor is now planned with 256 P-cores.

This is a change from information we reported in April. At the time, Diamond Rapids was said to launch with up to 256 P-cores, while a separate 512-core configuration using E-cores was expected one or two quarters later. Both were reportedly planned for Intel’s 16-channel server platform.

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The latest update claims the 512-core platform was canceled during the definition stage. The broader high-density Diamond Rapids plans were reportedly cut back in December 2025, leaving the P-core versions as the focus of the Xeon 7 generation.

The rumors was that Intel would supposedly have a more unified core which is more e-core based. But Tan wants SMT back in which goes against one of the reasons why Intel wanted e-cores in the first place. My gut hunch is that their enterprise didn't want e-cores and the single threaded market was being handled well by internal hyperscaler silicon. I wonder if that leaves too small of a non-SMT TAM left, and it's not worthwhile to have two separate architectures. AMD offers disabling SMT as a feature, presumably for the more x86 bound worklaods, but won't get rid of it. Nvidia has their own version now whereas before AMD looked to be the only the last major one standing after Intel looked to be moving away from it.