Intel Xeon 6543P-B socket: BGA 4368

What the Xeon 6543P-B is

The Intel Xeon 6543P-B is the efficient 32-core member of the Xeon 6 Granite Rapids-D soldered edge stack on BGA 4368. It runs 32 Performance-cores with Hyper-Threading for 64 threads at 2.0 GHz base with boost to 3.3 GHz, backed by 128 MB of cache and a 160 W TDP. Intel launched the P-B range in the first quarter of 2025 at a 2471 USD recommended price, built on Intel 3 for single-socket edge servers.

Thirty-two cores at 160 W suit remote gateways, retail controllers, branch storage and factory servers where power budgets stay modest. The 2.0 GHz base keeps the envelope in reach for standard edge chassis, while bursts to 3.3 GHz clear control plane spikes. The 128 MB cache pool keeps packet and metadata work near the cores.

Against the 32-core Intel Xeon 6546P-B above it, the 6543P-B gives up base frequency for a 35 W lower envelope. Against the 20-core Intel Xeon 6513P-B below it, the 6543P-B adds 12 cores for busier sites. 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 6543P-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 160 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 BGA 4368 is DDR5 ECC in 4 channels, up to 6400 MT/s on qualified boards. Four channels keep 64 threads supplied in gateway, firewall and light virtualization mixes. Some boards qualify at 5600 MT/s instead, so the vendor memory list governs exact speeds and population rules.

PCI Express connectivity is Gen 5 with x32 lanes plus Gen 4 with x16 lanes from the CPU. That lane budget feeds NVMe storage, 25-gigabit networking and timing cards on a single-socket 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 160 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 6543P-B starts with the 32-core Intel Xeon 6546P-B for higher clocks on BGA 4368 boards where power and cooling allow. The 36-core Intel Xeon 6553P-B follows for more cores. Each move needs a board and BIOS that already support Granite Rapids-D.

The step down to the 20-core Intel Xeon 6513P-B trims cores for a lower price. A move to BGA 5026 is a different soldered platform with 64 cores and 8 memory channels for denser nodes. That change replaces board, memory and cooling from scratch.