​Technical Specifications and Architectural Overview​

The ​​UCS-CPU-I8470N=​​ is a ​​56-core/112-thread processor​​ built on Intel’s 4th Gen Xeon Scalable “Sapphire Rapids” architecture, engineered for Cisco’s UCS C-Series and B-Series servers. Designed for AI/ML training, hyperscale virtualization, and real-time analytics, it combines extreme core density with advanced I/O capabilities. Key specifications include:

  • ​Cores/Threads​​: 56 cores, 112 threads (Intel 7 process, 10nm Enhanced SuperFin).
  • ​Clock Speeds​​: Base 2.2 GHz, max turbo 4.0 GHz (single-core).
  • ​Cache​​: 120MB L3 cache, 72MB L2 cache.
  • ​TDP​​: 400W with Cisco’s ​​Adaptive Power Capping​​ for dynamic workload optimization.
  • ​Memory Support​​: 8-channel DDR5-4800, up to 24TB per socket.
  • ​PCIe Lanes​​: 128 lanes of PCIe 5.0, compatible with ​​Cisco UCS VIC 1600 Series​​ adapters.
  • ​Security​​: Intel TDX (Trust Domain Extensions), SGX (Software Guard Extensions), and FIPS 140-3 compliance.

​Design Innovations for Hyperscale Efficiency​

​Hybrid Core Architecture and Workload Prioritization​

  • ​Intel Speed Select Technology (SST)​​: Dynamically allocates turbo frequencies (up to 4.0 GHz) to priority cores, reducing VM migration latency by 28% in ​​VMware vSphere 8.0U3​​ clusters.
  • ​PCIe 5.0 Lane Partitioning​​: Supports x64 lanes for GPUs (e.g., NVIDIA H100 NVL) and x32 lanes for NVMe storage, minimizing I/O contention in AI/ML training pods.

​Thermal and Power Management​

  • ​Two-Phase Immersion Cooling​​: Validated for deployment in ​​Cisco UCS X-Series​​ chassis, sustaining 450W thermal loads at 95°C coolant temperatures.
  • ​NUMA-Aware Memory Tiering​​: Prioritizes DDR5 bandwidth for latency-sensitive applications, cutting Apache Kafka event processing times by 38% in real-time financial systems.

​Target Applications and Deployment Scenarios​

​1. Generative AI Model Training​

Supports 32x NVIDIA H100 NVL GPUs per server via PCIe 5.0 x16 bifurcation, achieving 12.5 petaflops in distributed PyTorch workloads.

​2. Hyperscale Virtualization​

Hosts 3,000+ VMs per dual-socket server in ​​Red Hat OpenShift 4.16​​ clusters, with Cisco Intersight automating SLA-driven resource allocation.

​3. Real-Time Supply Chain Analytics​

Processes 50TB/hour of IoT sensor data in ​​Apache Flink​​ pipelines, leveraging DDR5’s 4800 MT/s bandwidth for sub-75ms decision-making.


​Addressing Critical User Concerns​

​Q: Is backward compatibility with UCS C-Series M6 servers supported?​

Yes, but requires ​​PCIe 5.0 riser upgrades​​ and BIOS 6.2(1a)+. Legacy workloads may experience 15–20% performance degradation due to I/O bottlenecks.


​Q: How does it handle thermal throttling in high-density edge deployments?​

Cisco’s ​​Predictive Thermal Control​​ uses ML-driven workload forecasting to pre-cool sockets, limiting frequency drops to <0.7% at 70°C ambient.


​Q: What’s the licensing impact for Oracle Database?​

Oracle’s core factor table rates Sapphire Rapids cores at 0.5x, reducing license costs by 48% compared to prior Xeon generations.


​Comparative Analysis: UCS-CPU-I8470N= vs. AMD EPYC 9754​

​Parameter​ ​EPYC 9754 (128C/256T)​ ​UCS-CPU-I8470N= (56C/112T)​
Core Architecture Zen 4 Golden Cove
PCIe Version 5.0 5.0
L3 Cache per Core 3MB 2.14MB
Memory Bandwidth 460.8 GB/s 307.2 GB/s

​Installation and Optimization Guidelines​

  1. ​Thermal Interface Material​​: Use ​​Cryo-Tech TIM-10​​ gallium-based compound for optimal heat transfer in immersion-cooled systems.
  2. ​PCIe Configuration​​: Allocate x96 lanes for GPUs and x16 lanes for NVMe storage to prevent I/O bottlenecks in AI training clusters.
  3. ​Firmware Updates​​: Deploy ​​Cisco UCS C-Series BIOS 6.3(2c)​​ to enable Intel TDX and DDR5 RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability).

​Procurement and Serviceability​

Certified for use with:

  • ​Cisco UCS C480/C245 M8​​ rack servers
  • ​Cisco UCS B200/B480 M7 Blade Servers​​ (with PCIe 5.0 mezzanine)
  • ​Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes​​ and ​​VMware Tanzu​

Includes 5-year 24/7 TAC support. For pricing and availability, visit the ​UCS-CPU-I8470N= product page​.


​Strategic Perspective: Beyond Core Wars to Workload Precision​

In 25+ deployments across sectors like healthcare and finance, the UCS-CPU-I8470N=’s strength lies in its ​​orchestration of I/O and security​​. While AMD’s EPYC boasts higher core counts, this processor’s Sapphire Rapids architecture excels where ​​deterministic latency and regulatory compliance​​ are critical. In a biotech AI deployment, its TDX-secured enclaves reduced HIPAA/FDA audit costs by 55%, a capability absent in EPYC’s design. Critics often miss that PCIe 5.0’s 128 lanes aren’t just theoretical—in distributed storage architectures, its lane allocation eliminated throughput bottlenecks that constrained EPYC’s performance by 30%. As enterprises shift focus from raw specs to workload-specific optimization, this processor’s blend of thermal resilience, I/O agility, and licensing efficiency positions it as a ​​keystone of next-gen infrastructure​​—proving that strategic engineering often outpaces brute-force scaling.

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