Core Viewpoint - Intel's upcoming Xeon "Diamond Rapids" processors are expected to feature significant advancements, including up to 192 cores, support for 8 or 16 DDR5 memory channels, and a thermal design power (TDP) of 500W, indicating a substantial upgrade over previous generations [1][3][4]. Group 1: Processor Specifications - The Diamond Rapids processors will utilize a new LGA 9324 socket platform, enhancing memory subsystem and PCIe channel configurations [1]. - The processors are anticipated to support data transfer rates exceeding 12,800 MT/s, potentially achieving over 1.6 TB/s peak bandwidth, a notable increase from the Granite Rapids' approximately 844 GB/s [3]. - The architecture will include up to six chiplets, with a maximum of four compute blocks and two I/O blocks, facilitating advanced memory and PCIe connectivity [3][4]. Group 2: Architectural Features - The processors will be based on the Panther Cove microarchitecture, which aims to improve the efficiency of AMX extensions and support for FP8 and TF32 data formats [4][6]. - Diamond Rapids will be part of the Oak Stream platform, supporting single, dual, or quad-socket configurations, and PCIe Gen 6 interconnects [4]. Group 3: Market Positioning and Competition - Intel plans to release the Diamond Rapids processors in 2026, potentially aligning with the launch of the "Jaguar Shores" AI accelerator, creating a comprehensive AI system [6]. - The Diamond Rapids processors will compete directly with AMD's EPYC "Venice" CPUs, which are based on the Zen 6 architecture and can support up to 256 cores [7].