Intel Xeon Gold 6138 CPU — Detailed Overview
The Intel Xeon Gold 6138 is a high-performance server processor from Intel’s Skylake-SP (Intel Xeon Scalable) platform, designed for enterprise workloads, virtualization, high-performance computing, and data-intensive applications. With 20 cores and 40 threads, strong memory bandwidth, and support for advanced instruction sets like AVX-512, the Xeon Gold 6138 remains a popular choice in dual-socket and multi-socket servers.
Intel Xeon Gold 6138 — Full Specifications
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor Family | Intel Xeon Scalable (Gold Series) |
| Model Number | Xeon Gold 6138 |
| Codename / Architecture | Skylake-SP |
| Manufacturing Process | 14 nm |
| Cores | 20 |
| Threads | 40 |
| Base Clock | 2.00 GHz |
| Max Turbo Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz |
| L1 Cache | 1.28 MB total (64 KB per core data + 32 KB per core instruction) |
| L2 Cache | 20 MB (1 MB per core) |
| L3 Cache | 27.5 MB shared |
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 125 W |
| Max Operating Temperature (Tcase) | 78.0 °C |
| Memory Type | DDR4-2666 ECC Registered |
| Memory Channels | 6 channels |
| Max Memory Capacity | 768 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | Up to 128 GB/s (theoretical) |
| PCIe Lanes | 48 lanes (PCIe 3.0) |
| UPI Links | 3 × 10.4 GT/s |
| Socket Type | FCLGA3647 |
| Supported Technologies | Intel Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost 2.0, AVX-512 (2 FMA units), AVX2, Intel Speed Shift, Intel TSX-NI, Intel AES-NI, VT-x, VT-d, EPT, Intel TXT, Execute Disable Bit |
| Launch Date | Q3 2017 |
| Product Status | Discontinued (but widely used in enterprise servers) |
Performance Highlights
1. High Core Count for Heavy Multithreading
With 20 cores and 40 threads, the Xeon Gold 6138 excels in highly parallel workloads such as virtualization, container orchestration, scientific computing, and big-data processing.
2. Strong Turbo Performance
Clocking up to 3.70 GHz, it delivers good single-threaded performance, making it suitable for mixed workloads that require both high IPC and multi-core scaling.
3. Exceptional Memory Bandwidth
The six-channel DDR4-2666 ECC memory architecture is ideal for applications like databases, in-memory analytics, and virtualization hosts where memory throughput is critical.
4. Enterprise-Grade Reliability
ECC memory support, advanced error handling, and a mature platform make the 6138 a dependable choice for mission-critical server environments.
5. AVX-512 Enhanced Computing
With support for dual-FMA AVX-512, the processor accelerates workloads involving:
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Scientific simulations
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Machine learning inference
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Financial modeling
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Cryptography
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High-performance data analysis
6. High Expandability
With 48 PCIe 3.0 lanes, the CPU can support multiple NVMe SSDs, high-speed NICs (25/40/100 GbE), GPUs, and RAID controllers—ideal for storage servers and compute nodes.
Advantages of the Xeon Gold 6138
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Extremely strong multi-core performance for parallel workloads
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Great memory bandwidth with 6-channel DDR4
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Strong virtualization capability (VT-x, VT-d, EPT)
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High reliability suitable for continuous 24/7 operation
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Good turbo frequency for single-thread efficiency
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Scales efficiently in dual-socket configurations
Limitations to Consider
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Uses 14 nm Skylake-SP, older process technology
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Higher power consumption compared to newer Xeon generations
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PCIe 3.0 only, no PCIe 4.0/5.0 support
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Discontinued, though still widely available on secondary markets
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Requires FCLGA3647 platform, which is costlier than mainstream options
Ideal Use Cases
The Xeon Gold 6138 is optimized for industries requiring high scalability, reliable uptime, and strong memory performance:
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Virtualization hosts (VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V)
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Cloud and datacenter servers
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Big data and analytics clusters
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High-performance computing (HPC)
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Database servers (SQL, NoSQL, in-memory DBs)
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AI/ML inference workloads
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Enterprise application servers
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