Intel Launches Xeon 6+ Processor and New Data Center Products, Built on Intel 18A Process

At Computex 2026, Intel officially unveiled its next-generation data center CPU, the Intel Xeon 6+ (codename Clearwater Forest) – the first data-center processor manufactured on the Intel 18A process node. It features up to 288 efficiency cores, 576 MB of last-level cache, and support for 8000 MT/s DDR5 memory bandwidth.

In terms of performance, the Xeon 6+ delivers up to 5× overall performance improvement over the previous generation, while offering 45% better per-thread, per-watt performance compared to competing products. The platform supports 12-channel DDR5 memory, 96 lanes of PCIe Gen 5, and CXL interconnect protocols, making it well suited for high-performance computing and AI workloads.

Alongside the CPU, Intel introduced the Ethernet 800 Series new products – the E835 controller and network adapters – which extend throughput to 200GbE. The company also disclosed for the first time its roadmap for the next-generation data center GPU, codenamed Crescent Island. These new offerings further strengthen Intel’s comprehensive portfolio in data center compute and interconnect infrastructure.