CPU Comparison
Intel Xeon 6787P vs Intel Xeon 6788P
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Xeon 6787P is an 86-core, 172-thread server processor based on the Granite Rapids-SP (Redwood Cove) P-core architecture, targeting high-throughput data center, HPC, and AI inference workloads with 8-channel DDR5/MRDIMM support and 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Gaming
Virtualization
Efficiency
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- AMX and DL Boost accelerate CPU‑side inference and low‑precision math
- Best used as a complement to dedicated AI accelerators rather than a replacement
- AMX accelerates INT8 and BF16 matrix operations
- Suitable for small to medium AI inference models
- Large training workloads typically still use GPUs
Content Creation
Gaming
- Server-focused SKU with no integrated graphics
- Can be paired with GPUs for GPU‑limited workloads, but client CPUs or specialized GPUs are better for pure gaming
- Not designed for gaming use cases
- Single-threaded performance is modest compared to gaming CPUs
- Platform optimized for server I/O and RAS, not latency-sensitive gaming
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- 86 cores and 172 threads for massive parallelism
- 8‑channel DDR5/MRDIMM with high bandwidth and capacity
- 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes and CXL 2.0 for I/O‑heavy servers
- Integrated QAT, DLB, DSA, IAA, AMX accelerators
- Intel 3 process and Redwood Cove IPC gains vs prior Xeons
Cons
- 350 W TDP requires robust cooling and power
- High platform cost (CPU + DDR5/MRDIMM + platform)
- Overkill for small business or light workloads
- No integrated graphics and limited client‑use ecosystem
- New platform; early BIOS/firmware maturity considerations
Pros
- 86 cores and 172 threads for massive parallelism
- 336 MB L3 cache and 8-channel DDR5-6400 (MRDIMM up to 8000 MT/s)
- 88 PCIe 5.0 lanes with CXL 2.0 support
- AMX, QAT, DSA, DLB, IAA accelerators for AI, compression, and analytics
- Strong RAS and security features (TDX, SGX, MK-TME, etc.)
Cons
- High 350 W TDP and cooling requirements
- Very high platform and processor cost
- Limited single-threaded gains over prior-gen Xeons
- Software licensing costs can scale with core count
- Overkill for small business or branch-office servers
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Xeon 6787P
- AMD EPYC 9754 (Bergamo, 128 cores, 256 threads)Rival
Cloud‑optimized / High‑density server
- AMD EPYC 9005 series (Turin, up to 192 Zen 5 cores)Rival
High‑end server / AI / HPC
- Intel Xeon 6980P (128 cores, Granite Rapids‑AP)Rival
High‑core‑count server / HPC
- Intel Xeon 6780E (144 E‑cores, Sierra Forest)Rival
Scale‑out / Cloud‑native
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+ (5th Gen, 64 cores)Rival
Previous‑gen enterprise server
Fewer cores (64) but similar platform and lower price if 86 cores are not required.
Compare head-to-headHigher core count (128) for workloads that can leverage more threads in a single socket.
Compare head-to-head- AMD EPYC 9754Alt
Higher core density (128 Zen 4c cores) for cloud‑native workloads where TCO matters more than per‑core performance.
- AMD EPYC 9005 seriesAlt
Latest Zen 5/5c cores with higher IPC and core counts, strong alternative for new server deployments.
- Intel Xeon Platinum 8592+Alt
Lower‑cost 5th‑gen option with good performance if Granite Rapids features are not required.
Intel Xeon 6788P
- AMD EPYC 9965Rival
High-Core-Count Server
- AMD EPYC 9755Rival
High-Core-Count Server
- Compare head-to-headIntel Xeon 6980PRival
High-End 2P Server
- Compare head-to-headIntel Xeon 6960PRival
High-End 2P Server
- Compare head-to-headIntel Xeon 6768PRival
Mainstream 2P/4P Server
48-core SKU with lower TDP and cost for balanced workloads.
Compare head-to-head32-core, higher-clock variant for less heavily threaded applications.
Compare head-to-head
Our Verdict on Each
An extremely powerful dual-socket server CPU with huge core counts, strong per-thread performance, and rich integrated acceleration, best suited for new data center builds where its platform cost and power can be justified.
Best for: New dual‑socket server builds for VM‑heavy, database, HPC, or AI inference where 86 cores and 8‑channel memory can be fully utilized.
Read the full reviewA no-compromise, high-core-count Xeon for enterprises that need maximum per-socket density and strong AI acceleration, but its 350 W TDP and premium pricing demand a careful TCO analysis.
Best for: 2S/4S/8S servers or high-end workstations running large in-memory databases, dense virtualization, or CPU-based AI inference where per-socket core count and memory bandwidth are critical.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Xeon 6787P or Intel Xeon 6788P?
For gaming, the Intel Xeon 6787P leads with a gaming performance score of 50/100 among Intel Xeon 6787P and Intel Xeon 6788P.
Do Intel Xeon 6787P and Intel Xeon 6788P use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the FCLGA4710 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.