Intel Xeon 6960E+ socket: LGA 7529
The Intel Xeon 6960E+ uses the LGA 7529 socket. It is a 144 core Clearwater Forest server processor with a 2.4 GHz base frequency and boost to 3.2 GHz, 432 MB of cache, and DDR5 memory in 12 channels.
- Socket
- LGA 7529
- Launched
- May 2026
- Cores and threads
- 144 and 144
- Base power
- 330 W
- Codename
- Clearwater Forest
- Segment
- Server
- Family
- Intel Xeon
- Clocks
- 2.4 / 3.2 GHz
Intel Xeon 6960E+ specifications
| Cores | 144 |
|---|---|
| Threads | 144 (single thread per core, no Hyper-Threading) |
| Core architecture | Darkmont (E-cores), 0 P-cores |
| Clocks | 2.4 GHz base, up to 3.2 GHz max turbo (3.0 GHz all-core turbo) |
| Cache | 432 MB |
| Processor base power (TDP) | 330 W |
| Manufacturing process | Intel 18A |
| Memory support | DDR5 RDIMM up to 8000 MT/s, 12 channels, up to 1.5 TB |
| PCI Express | PCIe 5.0, up to 96 lanes |
| Integrated graphics | None |
| ECC memory | Yes |
| Package | FCLGA7529 with carrier BR1B (104.5 mm x 70.5 mm) |
| Scalability | 2S (up to 2 sockets) |
| Launch price | $4608 (Intel RCP at launch) |
Motherboard compatibility
Intel Xeon 6960E+ needs a motherboard with a LGA 7529 socket. Chipset by chipset data for this codename is not recorded yet. See the LGA 7529 chipset list and the board maker's CPU support list.
LGA 7529 at a glance
| Type | LGA, 7,529 contacts |
|---|---|
| Package size | n/a |
| Introduced | September 2024 |
| Memory | DDR5, 12 channels |
| Cooler mounting holes | Board specific (server heatsink) |
What the Xeon 6960E+ is
The Xeon 6960E+ is the 144 core entry point of the Xeon 6+ batch under the codename Clearwater Forest. All 144 cores are Darkmont Efficient-cores with zero Performance-cores, giving 144 threads at one thread per core. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, the highest base in the batch, with maximum turbo to 3.2 GHz and 3.0 GHz all-core turbo. Shared last level cache totals 432 MB. The part fits enterprise virtualization, storage heads, build farms, and regional points of presence that want the large socket memory system with the lowest core count and power draw.
Compute silicon uses Intel 18A beside base tiles on Intel 3 and I/O tiles on Intel 7. Processor base power is 330 W, the lightest envelope among the four launch parts. No integrated graphics are present, so baseboard management controllers and discrete cards cover video duties. Four default devices each for QuickAssist, Dynamic Load Balancer, Data Streaming Accelerator, and In-memory Analytics Accelerator ship enabled for offload work. AVX2 with AVX-VNNI handles vector loops, and ECC spans every memory channel.
Market arrival came in May 2026 at 4608 dollars Intel recommended customer price. It sits below the 192 core Xeon 6970E+, the 264 core Xeon 6980E+, and the 288 core Xeon 6990E+, which positions it as the on ramp to the 12 channel platform. Buyers pick it when per core licenses, power caps, or per node budgets rule out denser siblings while still needing 96 PCIe lanes and 1.5 TB memory headroom.
Socket and motherboard compatibility
The Xeon 6960E+ fits the LGA 7529 socket, a land grid array with 7,529 contacts for flagship class servers. Its package is FCLGA7529 with carrier BR1B at 104.5 mm x 70.5 mm. With 2S scalability the chip runs on one socket boards and two socket boards made for Clearwater Forest processors. The final word on any pairing stays with the board vendor CPU support list and its minimum BIOS revision for this microcode.
The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works sets out the gap between a socket that fits and a system that boots, a gap that server generations police through qualified lists. No consumer chipset name attaches to the choice, so firmware age and power staging decide instead. Next to LGA 4710 with 8 memory channels, this socket wires 12 channels per processor, and hardware from the two sockets never interchanges.
Pairing two modules over six UPI links at 24 GT/s yields 288 cores and 288 threads per system, matching a single top bin part in count while splitting memory controllers across two sockets. Heatsinks for the 330 W class come from the board vendor catalog in air and liquid forms matched to chassis depth and fan walls. Trays include no cooler. Qualification runs hold the node at 3.0 GHz all-core turbo across a long soak before wider rollout.
Memory, PCIe and cooling
Memory arrives as DDR5 RDIMM up to 8000 MT/s with one DIMM per channel in 12 channels, capped at 1.5 TB per socket. ECC is present throughout, and full speed bandwidth peaks at 768.0 GB/s. The headline rate needs one DIMM per channel, and vendor tables map which slot counts preserve it at large capacities. Storage heavy builds that favor terabytes over transfer rates trade a little speed for fuller slots.
Expansion gives 96 lanes of PCI Express 5.0 straight from the processor for fabric cards, flash, and accelerators, plus 64 CXL 2.0 lanes shared with PCI Express for memory devices and coherent cards. Six UPI links at 24 GT/s keep pairs in step. A common pattern dedicates lanes to redundant network ports and a flash pool first, then banks the remainder for accelerators that arrive later in the refresh cycle.
Cooling budgets around 330 W base power, 98 degrees C maximum junction from the digital sensor, and 72 degrees C maximum case temperature, the coolest case limit in the batch. Even at the lowest wattage here, dense racks feed the node continuous power and steady airflow rather than brief peaks. The 104.5 mm x 70.5 mm form seats with the board carrier hardware. Site planning pairs the 330 W figure with warm aisle margins and with power feeds that tolerate both sockets at full turbo.
Upgrade paths
Growth inside LGA 7529 runs from 144 to 288 cores, so the Xeon 6960E+ can hand off to the 192 core Xeon 6970E+, the 264 core Xeon 6980E+, or the 288 core Xeon 6990E+ on the same board family where cooling and firmware allow. Channels hold at 12 and lanes at 96 across that climb, so the decision turns on threads, cache depth, and watts per node. Each candidate needs a line item on the vendor support list for the exact board revision.
Exiting the socket rewrites the bill of materials. Boards, retention parts, heatsinks, and the RDIMM population all change on a move to LGA 4710 or to desktop platforms. Older boards may lack Clearwater Forest microcode entirely, which strands a new processor at power on. Procurement checks carrier revision, BIOS date, and power staging together instead of trusting socket name alone.
Nodes that retain the Xeon 6960E+ still stretch through memory, flash, and fabric additions. Channels can fill toward 1.5 TB, drive counts can rise, and network generations can turn over before 144 threads give out. A second identical socket then doubles the system to 288 threads with no platform swap. The denser siblings wait for the day tenant growth or analytics demand outruns that doubled node.
Frequently asked questions
What socket does the Intel Xeon 6960E+ use?
The Intel Xeon 6960E+ uses LGA 7529. It fits single socket and dual socket server boards built for Clearwater Forest parts in the FCLGA7529 package. Always confirm the part on the board vendor CPU support list with the planned BIOS revision.
What does the E+ suffix in Xeon 6960E+ mean?
Intel groups the part under Xeon 6+ processors on ARK and lists 144 Efficient-cores with 0 Performance-cores, so buyers read E+ as the E-core branch of the Xeon 6+ family. The plus sign matches the family name rather than a higher clock tier.
How many threads does the Xeon 6960E+ have, and does it use Hyper-Threading?
The part has 144 threads, one per core. ARK lists 144 total threads against 144 Efficient-cores and 0 Performance-cores, and these E-cores run a single thread each, so there is no Hyper-Threading to enable or license per core.
What memory and expansion does the Xeon 6960E+ support?
DDR5 RDIMM up to 8000 MT/s in 12 channels up to 1.5 TB per socket with ECC, plus 96 lanes of PCI Express 5.0 and 64 CXL 2.0 lanes shared with PCI Express. Final memory speed follows the DIMM type and the vendor tested layout for the planned capacity.
Sources and verification
- Intel Xeon 6960E+ Processor specifications (Intel ARK)
- Intel Xeon 6960E+ Specs (TechPowerUp CPU Database)
Facts last checked against these sources on . Page last edited on .