Massive HP Leak of Intel Cascade Lake Server CPU Specs

We are still some time away from the next-generation Intel Xeon Scalable platform, codenamed “Cascade Lake” most vendors are not allowed to share information about SKUs publicly. HP seems to either made a mistake or deliberately posted specs of its new HP Z6 G4 Workstation in a newsworthy breach of Intel’s normally strictly followed guidelines. In a published spec sheet for the company’s high-end dual socket professional workstation, there are a number of SKUs popping up that have been previously undisclosed.

We have the HP newsworthy source linked and cached below. We also replaced “with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology” with “Turbo” to make this easier to read. HP also noted 2933MHz memory support which we expect as manufacturers are starting to sell that speed of RAM and it is already readily available.

Intel Xeon Bronze Xeon Scalable CPUs

The Intel Xeon Bronze CPUs is the lower-end of the scale. Here is what HP published as supported configurations for its workstations:

Skylake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Bronze 3104 (1.7 GHz, 8.25 MB cache, 6 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Bronze 3106 (1.7 GHz, 11 MB cache, 8 cores);

Cascade Lake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Bronze 3204 (1.9 GHz base frequency, 8.25 MB cache, 6 cores);

Cliff’s Comments

One can see a minor bump in base frequency by 200MHz. This does not have the turbo clocks listed, so it seems that the Xeon Bronze 3200 series will not have turbo again with this generation. These are the chips that AMD has no direct answer for as Patrick pointed out in his: Channel Cobblers and a Hole in the AMD EPYC Line article. If buyers were getting Xeon Bronze, it was likely so channel cobblers could replace them with higher-end SKUs aftermarket as explained in that article.

Intel Xeon Silver Xeon Scalable CPUs

The Intel Xeon Silver line is the entry line popular with lower-end and lower-cost high-volume servers.

Skylake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Silver 4108 (1.8 GHz base frequency, up to 3 GHz Turbo, 11 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 4110 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.0 GHz Turbo, 11 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4112 (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3 GHz Turbo, 8.25 MB cache, 4 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4114 (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3 GHz Turbo, 13.75 MB cache, 10 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4116 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 12 cores);

Cascade Lake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Silver 4208 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 11 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4210 (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 13.75 MB cache, 10 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4214 (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 12 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4214Y (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 12 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4215 (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 3.5 GHz Turbo, 11 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Silver 4216 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 22 MB cache, 16 cores)

Cliff’s Comments

It appears as though Intel is making a significant move here with increased frequencies as well as increased core counts. The original series stopped at 3.0GHz Turbo while the new series will turbo from 3.2GHz to 3.5GHz.

Intel Xeon Gold 5000 Xeon Scalable CPUs

In our Intel Xeon Gold 5120 benchmarks and review, we suggested that the low feature differentiation of the Intel Xeon Gold 5000 series should instead make it termed Xeon pyrite to distinguish it from the Xeon Gold 6000 series.

Skylake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Gold 5115 (2.4 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 13.75 MB cache, 10 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5118 (2.3 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 12 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold  5120 (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.2 GHz Turbo, 19.25 MB cache, 14 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5122 (3.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 4 cores);

Cascade Lake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Gold 5215 (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 3.4 GHz Turbo, 13.75 MB cache, 10 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5218 (2.3 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 22 MB cache, 16 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5220 (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 5222 (3.8 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 16.5 MB cache, 4 cores);

Cliff’s Comments

Here the Xeon Gold 5222 seems to have gotten a 200MHz bump. It is a 4-core optimized part for per-core licensing. That extra 200MHz will be a welcome addition. We also note that the Intel Xeon Gold 5128 and Intel Xeon Gold 5220 each receive a four core increase along with higher turbo frequencies. That will help it competitively against the AMD EPYC Naples platform.

Intel Xeon Gold 6000 Xeon Scalable CPUs

The Intel Xeon Gold 6000 series is the mainstream performance Xeon Scalable range.

Skylake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Gold 6128 (3.4 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 19.25 MB cache, 6 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6130 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 22 MB cache, 16 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6132 (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 19.25 MB cache, 14 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6134 (3.2 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6136 (3 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 12 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6138 (2.0 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 27.5 MB cache, 20 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6140 (2.3 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6142 (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 22 MB cache, 16 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6144 (3.5 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6146 (3.2 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 12 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6148 (2.4 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 27.5 MB cache, 20 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6152 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 30.25 MB cache, 22 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6154 (3 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);

Cascade Lake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Gold 6230 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 27.5 MB cache, 20 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6240 (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6240Y (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6242 (2.6 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 22 MB cache, 16 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6244 (3.6 GHz base frequency, up to 4.4 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 8 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6248 (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 27.5 MB cache, 20 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6252 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 35.75 MB cache, 24 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6254 (3.1 GHz base frequency, up to 4.0 GHz Turbo, 24.75 MB cache, 18 cores);

Cliff’s Comments

Here again, we see higher turbo frequencies along with more cores. If you look at the Intel Xeon Gold 6230 this is now a 20 core part versus the 16 core Intel Xeon 6130.

Intel Xeon Platinum Xeon Scalable CPUs

The Intel Xeon Platinum is the company’s highest-end chips.

Skylake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8160 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 3.7 GHz Turbo, 33 MB cache, 24 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8180 (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 3.8 GHz Turbo, 38.5 MB cache, 28 cores);

Cascade Lake-SP Generation

Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8260 (2.4 GHz base frequency, up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, 35.75 MB cache, 24 cores);
Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8280 (2.7 GHz base frequency, up to 4.0 GHz Turbo, 38.5 MB cache, 28 cores);

Cliff’s Comments

One can see the same core counts. According to HP, the Platinum 8260 is also getting more cache. Both SKUs are getting 200-300MHz base/turbo speed bumps.

Final Words

This is clearly not a complete list since it is just what is available in the HP Z6 G4 workstation. Still, it shows that Intel is likely going to give more cores and a few hundred MHz more in clock speed with the next generation.

Source Information

Here is the HP Z6 G4 Workstation spec sheet link. In the event that gets taken down, here is our cached version of the HP document that is so newsworthy: 4AA7 1579EEAP.

Credit for spotting the leak where it is due:

https://twitter.com/momomo_us/status/1098967099148398593