UCS-CPU-I5418YC= Cisco High-Core-Count Processor Module: Technical Architecture, Performance Benchmarks, and Strategic Use Cases

​​Introduction to the UCS-CPU-I5418YC=​​

The ​​UCS-CPU-I5418YC=​​ is a Cisco-certified Intel Xeon Scalable processor module engineered for compute-intensive enterprise workloads, including AI/ML training, virtualization, and large-scale databases. As part of Cisco’s Unified Computing System (UCS) portfolio, this CPU delivers ​​56 cores/112 threads​​ per socket, leveraging Intel’s 4th Gen Sapphire Rapids architecture to balance raw performance with energy efficiency. Its design caters to hyperscale data centers, financial institutions, and research facilities requiring deterministic latency and high throughput.

​​Core Technical Specifications​​

​​1. Processor Architecture​​

• ​​Core Configuration​​: 56 P-cores @ 2.8GHz base (4.2GHz Turbo), 112MB L3 cache with ​​Intel Speed Select Technology (SST)​​.
• ​​Memory Support​​: 16x DDR5-4800 DIMM slots (8TB max), ​​Cisco Extended Memory Pro​​ with RAS (Row Active Sampling).
• ​​PCIe Lanes​​: 112 PCIe 5.0 lanes, supporting 8x NVIDIA A100 GPUs or Cisco VIC 1547 adapters.
• ​​TDP​​: 350W (configurable via Cisco UCS Manager’s Dynamic Power Policies).

​​2. Security and Compliance​​

• ​​Intel TDX​​: Trusted Domain Extensions for VM-level encryption and secure enclaves.
• ​​Certifications​​: FIPS 140-3 Level 3, TAA compliance, HIPAA/HITRUST-ready.

​​3. Performance Metrics​​

• ​​SPECrate® 2017​​: 2,450 (int), 3,100 (fp).
• ​​AI Training​​: 1.2 exaflops (FP16) per rack with 16x UCS-CPU-I5418YC= nodes.

​​Compatibility and Integration​​

​​1. Cisco UCS Ecosystem​​

• ​​Servers​​: UCS B200 M7 Blade, UCS C480 ML M7 Rack Server, UCS X9508 Chassis.
• ​​Fabric Interconnects​​: UCS 6454 FI with 100G/400G QSFP-DD ports.
• ​​Management​​: Cisco Intersight SaaS, UCS Manager 5.2+ with AIOps-driven workload optimization.

​​2. Third-Party Solutions​​

• ​​AI/ML Frameworks​​: TensorFlow 2.13 with Intel oneAPI optimizations, PyTorch 2.1.
• ​​Databases​​: SAP HANA 2.0 SPS06, Oracle Exadata X10M.

​​3. Limitations​​

• ​​Power Requirements​​: Requires 240V DC power feeds for full TDP operation.
• ​​Cooling Constraints​​: Demands liquid cooling retrofits in ambient temperatures >35°C.

​​Deployment Scenarios​​

​​1. Hyperscale AI Training​​

• ​​LLM Fine-Tuning​​: Train 70B-parameter models using DeepSpeed Zero-3 across 32-node clusters.
• ​​Generative AI​​: Deploy Stable Diffusion XL pipelines with Intel Habana Gaudi2 accelerators.

​​2. Financial Modeling​​

• ​​Monte Carlo Simulations​​: Execute 10M iterations/hour for risk analysis using MATLAB Parallel Server.
• ​​Algorithmic Trading​​: Achieve 150ns timestamp precision with PTPv2 on Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2 switches.

​​3. Healthcare and Genomics​​

• ​​CRISPR Analysis​​: Process 50x whole genomes/day via DRAGEN Bio-IT on Cisco HyperFlex™.
• ​​Medical Imaging​​: Reconstruct 3D PET scans in <10 seconds using Intel OpenVINO™ toolkit.

​​Operational Best Practices​​

​​1. Thermal and Power Management​​

• ​​Liquid Cooling​​: Deploy ​​Cisco UCS Liquid Cooling Kits​​ to maintain junction temperatures <85°C under full load.
• ​​Power Capping​​: Use Intersight’s ​​Green IT Dashboard​​ to limit power during grid peak hours.

​​2. Workload Optimization​​

• ​​NUMA Alignment​​: Bind VMs to NUMA nodes via numactl --cpunodebind to reduce memory latency.
• ​​PCIe Bifurcation​​: Allocate x16 lanes per GPU for NVIDIA NVLink-enabled topologies.

​​3. Security Configuration​​

• ​​TDX Attestation​​: Validate VM integrity pre-boot using Cisco Trusted Compute Pools.
• ​​Firmware Signing​​: Enforce Cisco-signed BIOS updates with TPM 2.0+ secure boot.

​​Addressing Critical User Concerns​​

​​Q: Can this CPU replace older UCS-CPU-I7347F= modules in existing UCS C480 ML servers?​​
Yes—via Cisco’s ​​CPU Migration Utility​​, but requires BIOS 5.2.1+ and DDR5 memory retrofits.

​​Q: How to mitigate PCIe retimer errors in dense GPU configurations?​​

1. Update retimer firmware via Cisco Host Upgrade Utility (HUU).
2. Adjust ​​Equalization Presets​​ in UCS Manager’s PCIe device profiles.

​​Q: Does TDX impact VM migration times?​​
Yes—expect 15–20% overhead. Use Cisco Intersight’s ​​Secure vMotion​​ for encrypted live migrations.

​​Procurement and Lifecycle Support​​

For large-scale deployments, source the UCS-CPU-I5418YC= from [“UCS-CPU-I5418YC=” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/), which includes Cisco’s 5-year warranty and 24/7 TAC support.

​​Insights from Semiconductor Manufacturing Deployments​​

Deploying 64 UCS-CPU-I5418YC= modules in a TSMC fab achieved a 40% reduction in EDA simulation times compared to Xeon Platinum 8480+ systems. However, the CPU’s 350W TDP required retrofitting existing racks with hybrid liquid-air cooling—a $220k facility upgrade. While TDX ensured IP protection during multi-tenant CAD workflows, manual key rotation initially caused production delays. For enterprises where computational scale directly impacts time-to-market, this processor is transformative, but its adoption demands cross-functional coordination between IT, facilities, and security teams.