Intel Xeon 6980E+ socket: LGA 7529
The Intel Xeon 6980E+ uses the LGA 7529 socket. It is a 264 core Clearwater Forest server processor with a 2.1 GHz base frequency and boost to 3.2 GHz, 528 MB of cache, and DDR5 memory in 12 channels.
- Socket
- LGA 7529
- Launched
- May 2026
- Cores and threads
- 264 and 264
- Base power
- 400 W
- Codename
- Clearwater Forest
- Segment
- Server
- Family
- Intel Xeon
- Clocks
- 2.1 / 3.2 GHz
Intel Xeon 6980E+ specifications
| Cores | 264 |
|---|---|
| Threads | 264 (single thread per core, no Hyper-Threading) |
| Core architecture | Darkmont (E-cores), 0 P-cores |
| Clocks | 2.1 GHz base, up to 3.2 GHz max turbo (2.7 GHz all-core turbo) |
| Cache | 528 MB |
| Processor base power (TDP) | 400 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 | $9850 (Intel RCP at launch) |
Motherboard compatibility
Intel Xeon 6980E+ 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 6980E+ is
The Xeon 6980E+ is a 264 core member of the Xeon 6+ family under the codename Clearwater Forest. All 264 cores are Darkmont Efficient-cores with no Performance-cores, so the operating system sees 264 threads at one thread per core. The base frequency is 2.1 GHz with maximum turbo to 3.2 GHz and 2.7 GHz all-core turbo. Shared last level cache totals 528 MB. Intel aims the part at cloud providers, hosting farms, and telecom platforms that rent out threads by the thousand and prize steady throughput over peak single thread speed.
The compute tiles use Intel 18A while base tiles use Intel 3 and I/O tiles use Intel 7, a split that keeps the dense cores on the newest process. Intel rates the processor base power at 400 W. There is no integrated graphics, so any console output or accelerator work needs a discrete card. Four default devices each for QuickAssist, Dynamic Load Balancer, Data Streaming Accelerator, and In-memory Analytics Accelerator cover compression, scheduling, and data movement in silicon. Vector code uses AVX2 with AVX-VNNI, and ECC memory is supported on every channel.
The processor launched in May 2026 at 9850 dollars Intel recommended customer price. It sits below the 288 core Xeon 6990E+ and above the 192 core Xeon 6970E+, giving buyers near flagship density at a lower price and a 50 W lower envelope than the top part. Intel publishes a second performance profile at 300 W and 1.6 GHz base through Speed Select Technology, so racks with tight power budgets can run the same 264 cores at reduced base frequency.
Socket and motherboard compatibility
The Xeon 6980E+ fits the LGA 7529 socket, a land grid array with 7,529 contacts for large core count servers. The package is FCLGA7529 with carrier BR1B and measures 104.5 mm x 70.5 mm. Scalability is 2S, so one socket and two socket server boards designed for Clearwater Forest parts accept the chip. Each board model still needs a check against the vendor CPU support list, including the minimum BIOS revision that carries this processor microcode.
Server sockets separate mechanical fit from firmware readiness, and the Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works walks through that split for buyers new to rack platforms. There is no desktop chipset to select, so the vendor qualification decides board choice rather than a retail series name. Against the mainstream LGA 4710 platform with 8 memory channels, this socket offers 12 channels, and parts built for one socket never fit the other.
Two processors in one system connect over six UPI links at 24 GT/s and present 528 cores with 528 threads to the scheduler. Cooling follows the board vendor list for 400 W parts, where front to back airflow chassis take different heatsinks than liquid cooled racks. No cooler ships in the box. Integrators validate sustained turbo under full thread load before signing off on a deployment, since dense nodes run hot for long stretches.
Memory, PCIe and cooling
Memory support covers DDR5 RDIMM up to 8000 MT/s with one DIMM per channel in 12 channels, up to 1.5 TB per socket. ECC protection is standard, and aggregate bandwidth reaches 768.0 GB/s at full speed. The top speed assumes one DIMM per channel, so fully populated boards follow vendor tested layouts to hold the rate. Capacity planners who need more than 1.5 TB per node look to larger configurations rather than denser DIMMs on this socket.
PCI Express 5.0 supplies up to 96 lanes from the processor for network adapters, NVMe drives, and accelerators. Another 64 CXL 2.0 lanes shared with PCI Express attach memory expanders and coherent accelerators. Six UPI links at 24 GT/s tie two sockets together. Operators commonly spend those lanes on 200 and 400 gigabit network cards plus flash arrays, since dense E-core nodes earn their keep by moving packets and serving reads.
Thermal design centers on 400 W base power with 99 degrees C maximum junction from the digital sensor and 79 degrees C maximum case temperature. Power delivery and airflow get sized for continuous all-core turbo at 2.7 GHz, not idle draw. The 104.5 mm x 70.5 mm package seats through the server carrier and retention frame of the board. Rack plans add margin for warm aisles and for neighboring nodes that share the same airflow path.
Upgrade paths
Inside LGA 7529 the family scales from 144 to 288 cores, so the Xeon 6980E+ can step up to the 288 core Xeon 6990E+ or step down to the 192 core Xeon 6970E+ and 144 core Xeon 6960E+ on the same board family where power and cooling allow. Core count, cache size, and base frequency shift while memory channels and PCIe lanes stay at 12 and 96. The vendor list confirms which of those siblings each board and BIOS revision takes, and a heatsink rated for 400 W already covers the lower parts.
Leaving the socket means new boards, new heatsinks, and new memory layouts. A move from LGA 4710 hardware to this platform swaps 8 channel boards for 12 channel boards with different retention hardware and firmware. Desktop chassis, desktop power supplies, and non-ECC memory have no place in that move. Total cost planning covers the board, the cooling, and the RDIMM set rather than the processor alone.
Nodes that keep the Xeon 6980E+ grow through memory and network first. Filling channels toward 1.5 TB, adding flash, or widening network capacity absorbs headroom before thread count becomes the limit. When 264 threads per socket still gate the workload, the 288 core sibling on the same platform is the next step, and a second socket doubles the node without a platform change.
Frequently asked questions
What socket does the Intel Xeon 6980E+ use?
The Intel Xeon 6980E+ 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 6980E+ mean?
Intel groups the part under Xeon 6+ processors on ARK and lists 264 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 6980E+ have, and does it use Hyper-Threading?
The part has 264 threads, one per core. ARK lists 264 total threads against 264 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 6980E+ 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 6980E+ Processor specifications (Intel ARK)
- Intel Xeon 6980E+ Specs (TechPowerUp CPU Database)
Facts last checked against these sources on . Page last edited on .