CPU Comparison

Intel Xeon 6962P vs Intel Xeon 6978P

A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Xeon 6962P is a 72-core, 144-thread server processor based on the Granite Rapids-AP (Redwood Cove P-core) architecture, built on Intel 3 process technology with 432 MB of shared L3 cache and a 500 W TDP, designed for high-performance computing, AI inference, and dense virtualization in dual-socket platforms.

Intel · Xeon 6900P Series

Intel Xeon 6962P

72C / 144T3.9 GHz500 W

8.8

Full review

Intel · Xeon 6900P Series

Intel Xeon 6978P

120C / 240T3.9 GHz500 W

8.8

Full review

Overview & Launch

Attribute

Intel Xeon 6962PIntel

Intel Xeon 6978PIntel

Brand

Intel

Market

Server / Data Center / HPC / AI

Server / Data Center

Segment

Server / HPC / AI

Server / High-Performance Computing

Generation

Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-AP)

Launched

2025

Status

Launched

Codename

Granite Rapids-AP

Series

Xeon 6900P Series

Family

Intel Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-AP)

Xeon 6

Predecessor

Intel Xeon Platinum 9200 / 8300 series (Cascade Lake-SP / Ice Lake-SP)

Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H (Sapphire Rapids)

Successor

Intel Xeon 6980P / Granite Rapids-D (next-gen Xeon 6+ and Diamond Rapids)

—

Specifications Compared

Specification

Intel Xeon 6962PIntel

Intel Xeon 6978PIntel

Cores & Clocks

Cores

120

Threads

144

240

Base Clock

2.7 GHz

2.1 GHz

Boost Clock

3.9 GHz

Cache & Power

L3 Cache

432 MB

504 MB

L2 Cache

144 MB

—

TDP

500 W

Architecture

Granite Rapids-AP (Redwood Cove P-cores)

Granite Rapids-AP (Xeon 6 P‑core)

Process Node

Intel 3 (compute dies) / Intel 7 (I/O die)

Intel 3

Memory

Memory Type

DDR5 / MRDIMM

Memory Speed

DDR5-6400; MRDIMM up to 8800 MT/s

DDR5-6400; MRDIMM-8800

Memory Channels

12× (12)

Max Memory

3072 GB

Platform & I/O

Socket

FCLGA7529

PCIe Version

PCIe 5.0

5.0

PCIe Lanes

Integrated GPU

None

Unlocked

Performance Compared

Productivity

Intel Xeon 6962P0

Intel Xeon 6978P0

Gaming

Intel Xeon 6962P0

Intel Xeon 6978P0

Virtualization

Intel Xeon 6962P0

Intel Xeon 6978P0

Efficiency

Intel Xeon 6962P0

Intel Xeon 6978P0

Specialized Performance

AI / ML

Intel Xeon 6962PStrong (CPU-based)

72 P-cores with AMX and AVX-512 for matrix and vector workloads.
High memory bandwidth via 12-channel DDR5/MRDIMM benefits AI inference.
No official AI benchmark scores; real-world performance depends on framework and model.

Intel Xeon 6978PVery Good (CPU‑side)

Supports Intel AMX, DL Boost, and AVX‑512 for CPU‑based AI inference
No integrated AI accelerator beyond CPU instructions
Best used as a host CPU for discrete AI accelerators

Content Creation

Intel Xeon 6962PTargeted (server/accelerator)

Render Farms (Backend)Video Transcoding Clusters3D Rendering PipelinesSimulation and Visualization Clusters

Intel Xeon 6978PNot Applicable

Gaming

Intel Xeon 6962PNot applicable

Server-focused SKU with no integrated graphics or gaming-optimized firmware.
No official gaming benchmarks from Intel or independent labs.
Not a target use case for this processor.

Intel Xeon 6978PNot Applicable

No integrated graphics
Server platform, not validated for gaming
Client‑side gaming not a target use case

Industry Impact

Sector

Intel Xeon 6962PIntel

Intel Xeon 6978PIntel

Gaming

None

Workstations

Moderate – Granite Rapids-WS derivatives target high-end workstations, but 6962P itself is server-first.

Moderate

Content Creation

Moderate – Indirect via render and simulation farms; not a direct desktop creator CPU.

Low

Virtualization

High – Excellent for large VM farms and VDI due to 72 cores and high memory capacity.

High

Best CPU by Use Case

Use Case

Intel Xeon 6962PIntel

Intel Xeon 6978PIntel

HPC Simulations

Excellent

—

AI Inference and Training

Excellent

—

Large-Scale Virtualization

Excellent

—

In-Memory Databases

Excellent

—

Enterprise Server Consolidation

Very Good

—

In‑Memory Databases (e.g., SAP HANA)

—

Excellent

Large‑Scale Virtualization (Hundreds of VMs)

—

Excellent

HPC Simulations & Modeling

—

Very Good

AI Inference & Data Analytics

—

Very Good

General Enterprise Servers (Low Utilization)

—

Poor

Target Audience

Audience

Intel Xeon 6962PIntel

Intel Xeon 6978PIntel

Gamers

—

Content Creators

—

Developers

Targeted

Workstation Users

Targeted

Streamers

—

Office / Productivity

—

Students

—

Strengths & Weaknesses

Intel Xeon 6962P

Pros

72 high-performance Redwood Cove P-cores with SMT for massive throughput
432 MB shared L3 cache reduces memory bottlenecks in data-intensive workloads
12-channel DDR5/MRDIMM memory with up to 3 TB capacity and very high bandwidth
96 PCIe 5.0 lanes plus CXL 2.0 for flexible accelerator and storage expansion
Dual-socket UPI support for coherent 144-core platforms
Strong platform features (AMX, AVX-512, RAS, Intel TDX) for AI and enterprise

Cons

500 W TDP requires robust power delivery and cooling, increasing TCO
FCLGA7529 platform is expensive and limited to server vendor platforms
No integrated graphics and no client-focused use cases
High acquisition cost typical of top-bin server SKUs
Efficiency per watt is lower than lower-core or newer-process alternatives

Intel Xeon 6978P

Pros

Very high core count (120 cores / 240 threads)
12 memory channels with DDR5 and MRDIMM support
96 PCIe 5.0 lanes for I/O‑heavy server designs
Intel 3 process improves density and efficiency
Strong platform for in‑memory databases and virtualization

Cons

500 W TDP requires robust cooling and power delivery
Expensive and typically sold only through OEM channels
Performance per core is modest compared to lower‑core Xeons
Limited use outside large server deployments
No integrated graphics or client‑side validation

Competitors & Alternatives

Intel Xeon 6962P

AMD EPYC 9755
High-End Server / HPC / AI
Rival
AMD EPYC 9654
High-End Server / General Purpose
Rival
Intel Xeon 6980P
High-End Server / HPC / AI
Rival
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon 6972P
High-End Server / General Purpose
Rival
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon Platinum 8480C
4th Gen Xeon Scalable (Sapphire Rapids)
Rival
Intel Xeon 6960P
Alt
Same core count and cache with lower 500 W TDP and slightly lower base clock, potentially better power/performance ratio.
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon 6944P
Alt
Lower TDP (350 W) 72-core Granite Rapids-AP SKU for less cooling and power headroom.
Compare head-to-head

Intel Xeon 6978P

AMD EPYC 9554
Server (64‑core, SP5)
Rival
AMD EPYC 9654
Server (96‑core, SP5)
Rival
Intel Xeon 6980P
Server (128‑core, Granite Rapids‑AP)
Rival
Compare head-to-head
Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H
Server (60‑core, Sapphire Rapids)
Rival
AmpereOne A192‑32
Cloud‑Native ARM Server (192‑core)
Rival
Intel Xeon 6774P
Alt
Lower core count (64) with higher per‑core frequency, better for workloads that don’t scale beyond ~64 threads.
Compare head-to-head
ARM‑based AmpereOne or Graviton3
Alt
Cloud‑native ARM alternatives for scale‑out workloads where software is optimized for ARM and power efficiency is critical.

Our Verdict on Each

Intel Xeon 6962PRecommended

A no-compromise, high-core-count server CPU tailored for HPC, AI, and dense virtualization, where its 72 P-cores, huge cache, and 12-channel DDR5/MRDIMM memory deliver substantial throughput, provided you can supply and cool 500 W per socket.

Best for: New dual-socket server deployments for HPC, AI inference, or dense virtualization where 72 high-performance P-cores and 12-channel memory bandwidth are fully utilized.

Read the full review

Intel Xeon 6978PRecommended

An extremely capable dual‑socket server CPU with best‑in‑class core count and memory bandwidth for its generation, best suited for organizations that can utilize its 120 cores and 12 memory channels rather than treating it as a general‑purpose compute node.

Best for: Dual‑socket servers running memory‑intensive, highly parallel workloads such as large in‑memory databases, virtualization, or HPC where core count and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks.

Read the full review

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Intel Xeon 6962P and Intel Xeon 6978P use the same socket?

Yes — all of these CPUs use the FCLGA7529 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.

Which has more cores?

The Intel Xeon 6978P has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Xeon 6962P (72 cores), Intel Xeon 6978P (120 cores).