Intel Xeon 6503P-B socket: BGA 4368

What the Xeon 6503P-B is

The Intel Xeon 6503P-B is the 12-core entry member of the Xeon 6 Granite Rapids-D soldered edge stack on BGA 4368. It runs 12 Performance-cores with Hyper-Threading for 24 threads at 2.0 GHz base with boost to 3.5 GHz, backed by 48 MB of cache and a 110 W TDP. Intel launched the P-B range in February 2025 at a 1046 USD recommended price, built on Intel 3 for single-socket edge servers.

Twelve cores at 110 W suit small gateways, retail controllers, branch storage and test beds where a modest power budget matters more than peak clocks. The 2.0 GHz base keeps the envelope in reach for compact edge chassis, while bursts to 3.5 GHz clear control plane spikes. The 48 MB cache pool keeps packet work near the cores.

Against the 20-core Intel Xeon 6513P-B above it, the 6503P-B trims cores for the lowest Granite Rapids-D price in this batch. Against older 8-core edge Xeons, it adds cores with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 lanes. Zero UPI links confirm single-socket-only topologies. See Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works for how socket, platform and firmware fit together on server boards.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 6503P-B fits BGA 4368, a 4,368-ball soldered package measuring 77.5 × 50 mm. The chip is soldered once at the factory and stays with the board for life, so there is no retention mechanism and no aftermarket mounting choice. Cooling is part of the board design for the 110 W class with an 85 degree case limit.

Board choice follows the server vendor list for Granite Rapids-D edge systems. Memory is 4-channel DDR5 ECC fixed per board, and expansion rides on 32 Gen 5 plus 16 Gen 4 PCIe lanes. A board revision needs firmware that knows the Granite Rapids-D stepping. Moving from any other socket is a full platform change with board, memory and heatsinks replaced together.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory on this platform is DDR5 ECC in 4 channels, up to 4800 MT/s for up to 1.13 TB. Four channels keep 24 threads supplied in gateway and branch mixes. Population order follows the board manual, and the vendor list governs exact DIMM types.

PCI Express connectivity is Gen 5 with x32 lanes plus Gen 4 with x16 lanes from the CPU. That lane budget feeds NVMe storage and 25-gigabit networking on a small edge node. AVX-512 with two FMA ports and DL Boost accelerate inference where the workload uses them.

Cooling follows the board vendor list for the 110 W class with vendor-qualified heatsinks. No cooler ships with the tray server part. Firmware power limits can cap draw below the default where a compact cabinet demands it, at some cost in sustained clocks.

Upgrade paths

On the same package, the path up from the 6503P-B starts with the 20-core Intel Xeon 6513P-B for more cores on BGA 4368 boards where power and cooling allow. The 20-core Intel Xeon 6516P-B follows for higher clocks. Each move needs a board and BIOS that already support Granite Rapids-D.

There is no smaller Granite Rapids-D part below the 6503P-B in this batch, so a lower power target means a different low-power family. A move to LGA 1700 Xeon 6300P is a different socketed platform with fewer cores for tiny towers. That change replaces board, memory and cooling from scratch.