CPU Comparison

Intel Xeon 6731P vs Intel Xeon 6736P

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Xeon 6731P is a 32-core, 64-thread server and workstation processor based on the Granite Rapids-SP architecture, targeting single-socket platforms with 8-channel DDR5-6400, 136 PCIe 5.0 lanes, and built-in accelerators for AI, storage, and networking workloads.

Intel · Xeon 6

Intel Xeon 6731P

32C / 64T4.1 GHz245 W

8.6

Full review

Top pick

Intel · Xeon 6

Intel Xeon 6736P

36C / 72T4.1 GHz205 W

8.8

Full review

The Bottom Line

Best overall

Intel Xeon 6736P

8.8

Rating

Best for multi-core

Intel Xeon 6736P

Score

Best for gaming

Intel Xeon 6736P

Score

Most efficient

Intel Xeon 6736P

205

W TDP

Overview & Launch

Attribute

Intel Xeon 6731PIntel

Intel Xeon 6736PIntel

Brand

Intel

Market

1S Server & Workstation

Server / Enterprise

Segment

Server / Workstation

Generation

6th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable (Granite Rapids-SP)

6th Gen Xeon Scalable (Granite Rapids-SP)

Launched

2025

Status

Launched

Codename

Granite Rapids-SP

Series

Xeon 6

Family

Intel Xeon 6 with P-Cores

Intel Xeon

Predecessor

Intel Xeon Gold/Platinum 32-core 3rd/4th Gen Scalable CPUs

Intel Xeon Gold 6430 / similar 32–36 core Sapphire Rapids SKUs

Successor

—

Next-generation Xeon platform (not yet announced at time of writing)

Specifications Compared

Specification

Intel Xeon 6731PIntel

Intel Xeon 6736PIntel

Cores & Clocks

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

2.5 GHz

2 GHz

Boost Clock

4.1 GHz

Cache & Power

L3 Cache

144 MB

TDP

245 W

205 W

Architecture

Granite Rapids-SP (Redwood Cove P-cores)

Granite Rapids-SP (P-cores only)

Process Node

Intel 3 (approx. 3 nm-class) compute dies with Intel 7 I/O dies

Intel 3 (~3nm-class)

Memory

Memory Type

DDR5

Memory Speed

DDR5-6400 MT/s (1DPC); DDR5-5200 MT/s (2DPC)

DDR5-6400

Memory Channels

Octa (8)

Max Memory

4096 GB

Platform & I/O

Socket

FCLGA4710 (LGA4710)

FCLGA4710

PCIe Version

PCIe 5.0

PCIe Lanes

136

Integrated GPU

None

Unlocked

Performance Compared

Productivity

Intel Xeon 6731P—

Intel Xeon 6736P88

Gaming

Intel Xeon 6731P—

Intel Xeon 6736P30

Virtualization

Intel Xeon 6731P—

Intel Xeon 6736P92

Efficiency

Intel Xeon 6731P—

Intel Xeon 6736P78

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Intel Xeon 6731PVery Good (CPU-based)

AMX and AVX-512 provide strong CPU-based AI inference and small-batch training
Not a replacement for dedicated GPUs or accelerators for large models
Well-suited for edge inference, analytics, and MLPerf inference workloads

Intel Xeon 6736PGood (for CPU-based inference)

AMX and DL Boost accelerate matrix operations for inference.
Best suited for CPU-hosted inference models or pre-/post-processing alongside discrete accelerators.
Not a replacement for high-end GPUs or specialized AI accelerators for training.

Content Creation

Intel Xeon 6731PGood

Blender CPU renderingV-Ray / Arnold CPU renderingHandBrake encodingCompiler workloadsScientific simulations

Intel Xeon 6736PGood (for server-adjacent workloads)

Blender (CPU rendering)V-Ray / Corona CPU renderingHandBrake encodingFFmpeg software encodingDaVinci Resolve (CPU mode)

Gaming

Intel Xeon 6731PNot applicable

Server-focused SKU without official gaming benchmarks
Single-threaded performance is strong, but gaming is not a target workload
Use desktop or consumer HEDT CPUs for gaming-focused builds

Intel Xeon 6736PNot Recommended

No integrated graphics; requires discrete GPU.
Platform optimized for server workloads, not client gaming.
Latency and driver stack not tuned for gaming.
Single-thread performance is good, but not competitive with best gaming CPUs.

Industry Impact

Sector

Intel Xeon 6731PIntel

Intel Xeon 6736PIntel

Gaming

Low

Workstations

High

Moderate

Content Creation

Moderate

Virtualization

High

Best CPU by Use Case

Use Case

Intel Xeon 6731PIntel

Intel Xeon 6736PIntel

Virtualization (Hyper-V, KVM, VMware)

Excellent

—

Database & Analytics (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Spark)

Excellent

—

AI Inference & Lightweight Training

Very Good

—

Storage Appliances (NVMe-oF, HCI)

Excellent

—

Networking & Edge Appliances

Excellent

—

Virtualization / VDI

—

Excellent

Database Servers (OLTP / OLAP)

—

Excellent

In-Memory Analytics

—

Excellent

AI Inference (CPU + AMX)

—

Very Good

General Enterprise Applications

—

Excellent

Target Audience

Audience

Intel Xeon 6731PIntel

Intel Xeon 6736PIntel

Gamers

—

Content Creators

—

Developers

Targeted

Workstation Users

Targeted

Streamers

—

Office / Productivity

—

Students

—

Strengths & Weaknesses

Intel Xeon 6731P

Pros

32 P-cores with strong per-core performance and AVX-512/AMX
136 PCIe 5.0 lanes for dense NVMe/GPU configurations
8-channel DDR5-6400 with up to 4 TB capacity
Integrated QAT/DLB/DSA/IAA accelerators for storage, networking, and analytics
1S platform reduces board and licensing complexity

Cons

245 W TDP requires robust cooling and power delivery
1S-only; no multi-socket upgrade path
Not on the densest process node; some EPYC competitors are more power-efficient per core
No integrated graphics (typical for server CPUs)
Platform cost is high compared to mainstream desktop parts

Intel Xeon 6736P

Pros

36 high-efficiency P-cores with 72 threads for dense server workloads.
8-channel DDR5-6400 with up to 4 TB per socket and high bandwidth.
88 PCIe 5.0 lanes for GPUs, NVMe, and SmartNICs.
Integrated accelerators (AMX, QAT, DLB, DSA, IAA) for AI, crypto, and data processing.
Granular SST-PP and SST-BF tuning for per-core clock and TDP optimization.
Strong security feature set including TDX, SGX, and MK-TME for confidential computing.

Cons

No integrated graphics; requires discrete GPU for any display output.
Not optimized for gaming or client workloads.
Platform is server-only; LGA4710 motherboards are not desktop boards.
Higher platform cost compared to older Sapphire Rapids systems.
Core count is modest versus top Granite Rapids-SP SKUs that reach 86+ cores.

Competitors & Alternatives

Intel Xeon 6731P

AMD EPYC 9355 (32-core, 2S)
2S Server / HPC
Rival
AMD EPYC 9455 (48-core, 2S)
2S Server / AI
Rival
Intel Xeon 6741P (48-core, 1S)
1S Server / Workstation
Rival
Intel Xeon 6737P (32-core, higher clocks)
1S Server / Workstation
Rival
Intel Xeon 6787P (86-core, 1S/8S)
High-core-count 1S/8S
Rival
Intel Xeon 6741P
Alt
48 cores and 288 MB L3 for workloads that can use more threads, same platform and feature set.
Compare head-to-head
AMD EPYC 9355
Alt
32-core EPYC with strong FP performance and 12-channel DDR5; good for 2S configurations.
AMD EPYC 9455
Alt
96 cores (2S) with high SPEC CPU2017 scores; better for heavily parallel workloads.
Intel Xeon 6737P
Alt
Similar core count with slightly higher clocks for workloads sensitive to frequency.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon 6787P
Alt
When you need many more cores and can accept higher power and cost.
Compare head-to-head

Intel Xeon 6736P

AMD EPYC 9334
Server
Rival
AMD EPYC 8324P
Server
Rival
Intel Xeon 6706P-B
Server
Rival
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon 6726P-B
Server
Rival
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon Gold 6530
Server
Rival
Intel Xeon 6724P
Alt
Lower core count (16) but higher base and turbo clocks for workloads that benefit more from per-core performance than raw core count.
Compare head-to-head

Our Verdict on Each

Intel Xeon 6731PRecommended

A well-balanced 32-core Granite Rapids-SP CPU that shines in 1S servers and workstations needing strong per-core performance, massive I/O, and built-in acceleration, though power efficiency lags newer process nodes.

Best for: Single-socket servers, storage appliances, and workstations needing high PCIe lane count and DDR5 bandwidth with moderate core count.

Read the full review

Intel Xeon 6736PRecommended

A balanced Granite Rapids-SP SKU that pairs 36 P-cores with strong I/O and accelerators, ideal for consolidating older 2S clusters or building new general-purpose + AI inference nodes.

Best for: New or refreshed dual-socket servers for virtualization, databases, and mixed enterprise + AI inference workloads where you want strong per-core performance, high memory bandwidth, and integrated accelerators without moving to the highest core-count SKUs.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Intel Xeon 6731P or Intel Xeon 6736P?

Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Xeon 6736P comes out ahead with a score of 8.8/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.

Which is faster for gaming, Intel Xeon 6731P or Intel Xeon 6736P?

For gaming, the Intel Xeon 6736P leads with a gaming performance score of 30/100 among Intel Xeon 6731P and Intel Xeon 6736P.

Which uses less power?

The Intel Xeon 6736P has the lowest rated TDP. Power draw across these chips: Intel Xeon 6731P (245 W), Intel Xeon 6736P (205 W).

Do Intel Xeon 6731P and Intel Xeon 6736P use the same socket?

No. They use different sockets (Intel Xeon 6731P: FCLGA4710 (LGA4710), Intel Xeon 6736P: FCLGA4710), so each needs a compatible motherboard.

Which has more cores?

The Intel Xeon 6736P has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Xeon 6731P (32 cores), Intel Xeon 6736P (36 cores).

Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?

The Intel Xeon 6736P posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Xeon 6736P (44,000). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.