Intel confirms: Xeon 'Clearwater Forest' CPU series will feature Darkmont-based E-Cores

Intel has just pushed out some new updates for the Linux kernel, which take care of the new Xeon "Sierra Forest" and "Clearwater Forest" CPUs, and now we have some more details on the all-E-Core CPUs.

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The next-gen Intel Xeon "Sierra Forest" CPUs are expected to launch later on in 2024, while "Clearwater Forest" won't show its head until sometime in 2025, with both of them featuring their first basic patches that add model numbers. The new patches confirm something that was leaked: Intel will be using Darkmont E-Cores for "Clearwater Forest," while "Sierra Forest" and "Grand Ridge" both use Crestmont-based cores.

Phoronix reports that these new patches were labeled "urgent" and should roll out in perfect timing for Linux 3.8 kernel merge windows, showing that Intel is beginning its journey with its new Xeon "Sierra Forest" and "Clearwater Forest" processors, with more patches expected in the future. The new Linux 6.8 kernel has just reached the RC stage (Release Candidate), while the final version should hit sometime in March 2024.

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Intel's next-gen Xeon "Clearwater Forest" with Darkmont E-Cores (source: Phoronix)

Intel will be following in AMD's dominant server CPU footsteps with its next-gen Xeon CPUs, with an all-Efficient core configuration that'll see up to 288 E-Cores on Intel's next-gen Xeon "Clearwater Forest" processor, with each of the 288 cores based on the new Darkmont architecture.

• Read more: Intel's next-gen Clearwater Forest Xeon CPU has only E-Cores, but up to 288 cores

Intel's near Clearwater Forest CPUs will use Intel's new Atom Darkmont cores, where we should see the company use its in-house Intel 18A process node. Sierra Forest is first and will be Intel's first all-E-Core CPU, expected in the summer. Intel's in-house open-source Linux software engineers have been carefully laying the groundwork for Sierra Forest, with hardware support in the OS and various open-source projects.

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Intel's new Xeon "Sierra Forest" CPU will have up to 288 E-Cores, the same E-Core count as "Clearwater Forest" but the latter will use Darkmont cores.