According to rumors, the debut of Intel Xeon 7 'Diamond Rapids' processors has been postponed to 2027

Intel has significantly revised its server roadmap, postponing the next generation of Xeon processors, codenamed Diamond Rapids, to 2027. This shift in the offering, initially slated for this year, is reportedly the result of Intel’s decision to definitively abandon the 8-channel memory variants, focusing exclusively on 16-channel solutions. This approach aims to maximize memory bandwidth, which could reach values around 1.6 TB/s thanks to support for second-generation MRDIMM modules.

Diamond Rapids is expected to debut with configurations of up to 256 cores based on Panther Cove-X architecture, all P-core type. Intel has also planned a subsequent expansion up to 512 cores while maintaining compatibility with the same platform and the LGA 9324 socket, thereby avoiding infrastructural changes in data centers.

Snapshot, subject to change.
Clearwater Forest 1H 2026.
Diamond Rapids mid 2027, 16CH.
Coral Rapids mid 2028, starting with 8CH.
As mentioned in Q1 call, may be accelerated.
Crescent Island and Crescent Island Workstation late 2026, Xe3p.
Jaguar Shores late 2027, Xe4.
— Jaykihn (@jaykihn0) April 24, 2026.

According to the rumors, the chip’s tile structure is expected to introduce a new Core Building Block (CBB) for computing, separating the memory controller (IMC), unlike what was seen with Granite Rapids. The rumors also indicate very high TDPs, up to around 650 Watts, and support for multi-socket configurations.

After Diamond Rapids, in 2028 (probably mid-year), it will be Coral Rapids' turn to try to keep up with AMD EPYC offerings in the server space. Initially, the CPUs are expected to support configurations with 8 memory channels. Currently, the technical specifications for Coral Rapids remain largely unknown.

The postponement of Diamond Rapids could create space for AMD, which maintains a seemingly more stable roadmap. The EPYC Venice CPUs are still expected in 2026, while the next generation, Verano, is set to arrive in 2027.

However, it should not be forgotten that Intel has signed an agreement with NVIDIA to develop custom x86 CPUs with NVLink support, a high-profile partnership that could act as a "buffer" during the period when Intel might inevitably step back to AMD due to the revised roadmap.