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Latest revision as of 18:39, 2 October 2025
Technical Deep Dive: The Intel Xeon Gold 6338 Server Configuration
This document provides an exhaustive technical analysis of server configurations built around the Intel Xeon Gold 6338 processor. As a key component of the 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor family (Ice Lake-SP), the 6338 offers a balanced profile of core count, clock speed, memory bandwidth, and I/O capabilities, making it a versatile choice for modern data center deployments.
1. Hardware Specifications
The foundation of this server configuration is the Intel Xeon Gold 6338 CPU. This section details the precise silicon characteristics and the standard complementary hardware expected in a production-ready deployment.
1.1. Central Processing Unit (CPU) Details
The Xeon Gold 6338 is positioned in the mid-to-high tier of the Ice Lake-SP stack, prioritizing high core density suitable for virtualization and general-purpose compute workloads.
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor Family | Intel Xeon Scalable (3rd Gen - Ice Lake-SP) |
| Processor Number | Gold 6338 |
| Base Clock Frequency | 2.00 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency (Single Core) | Up to 3.20 GHz |
| Processor Cores | 24 Cores |
| Processor Threads | 48 Threads (via Hyper-Threading Technology) |
| L3 Cache (Intel Smart Cache) | 36 MB |
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 150 W |
| Socket Type | LGA 4189 (Socket P+) |
| Max Memory Speed Supported | DDR4-3200 MHz |
| Memory Channels | 8 Channels |
| Max Memory Bandwidth | 204.8 GB/s |
| PCIe Revision Supported | PCIe Gen 4.0 |
| Max PCIe Lanes | 64 Lanes (CPU direct) |
| Supported Technologies | Intel Deep Learning Boost (DL Boost), Intel SGX, Intel VMD |
The 24-core configuration provides substantial parallel processing capability, essential for managing dense Virtualization environments and large Database Systems. The 150W TDP necessitates robust cooling infrastructure.
1.2. Memory Subsystem Configuration
The Ice Lake architecture mandates the use of DDR4 ECC Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) or Load-Reduced DIMMs (LRDIMMs) across the eight independent memory channels. For optimal performance, the configuration should utilize all eight channels per socket in a dual-socket (2S) configuration.
- **Standard Configuration:** 8 x 32 GB DDR4-3200 RDIMMs per socket (Total 512 GB in a 2S system).
- **Maximum Capacity (Typical 2S Server):** 16 or 32 DIMM slots, supporting up to 4TB or 8TB of RAM, respectively, depending on the motherboard design and DIMM population density.
- **Memory Technology:** Supports Intel Optane Persistent Memory 200 Series (PMem), which can be configured in App Direct Mode or Memory Mode for tiered storage/memory solutions.
1.3. Storage Architecture
The PCIe Gen 4.0 interface is a critical feature, offering double the theoretical throughput of the preceding Gen 3.0 interface.
- **Direct Attached Storage (DAS):** Support for NVMe U.2 drives is standard via the CPU's native PCIe lanes or the Platform Controller Hub (PCH).
* A typical configuration utilizes 8 to 16 front-accessible NVMe SSDs for high-speed primary storage pools (e.g., for hypervisor scratch space or high-I/O transactional databases).
- **RAID Controllers:** Implementation of hardware RAID (e.g., Broadcom/Avago MegaRAID) is common for SATA/SAS HDD/SSD arrays. Intel Virtual RAID on CPU (VROC) leveraging the integrated PCIe lanes is often preferred for NVMe RAID configurations, particularly when using Volume Management Device technology for hot-plug and management of NVMe drives.
- **Boot Drive:** Often configured using dual M.2 NVMe drives in a mirrored (RAID 1) configuration for OS redundancy.
1.4. Networking and I/O
The server platform must leverage the 64 available PCIe Gen 4.0 lanes to support high-speed peripherals.
- **Onboard LAN:** Typically includes dual 10GbE (SFP+ or Base-T) ports managed by the PCH.
- **Expansion Slots:** At least 4-6 full-height, full-length PCIe Gen 4.0 x16 slots are expected. This allows for connectivity such as:
* Dual 100GbE or 200GbE Ethernet adapters for high-throughput networking. * Dedicated Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) for SAN connectivity. * High-performance Accelerator Cards (e.g., NVIDIA A100/H100).
1.5. Platform and Power Requirements
The server chassis and power supply units (PSUs) must be rated to handle the combined TDP of dual CPUs, dense memory, and high-power expansion cards.
- **Form Factor:** Typically 1U or 2U rack-mounted systems. 2U chassis generally provide superior airflow and thermal headroom for the 150W TDP CPUs.
- **Power Supplies:** Redundant (N+1) 1600W or 2000W Titanium or Platinum rated PSUs are standard to ensure high efficiency and redundancy under peak load.
- **Management:** Integrated Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), compliant with Intelligent Platform Management Interface standards (e.g., ASPEED AST2600 chipset), supporting OOB (Out-of-Band) management via dedicated LAN port.
2. Performance Characteristics
The performance profile of the Xeon Gold 6338 is defined by its strong core count (24c/48t) coupled with the significant I/O boost provided by PCIe Gen 4.0 and the 8-channel DDR4-3200 memory subsystem.
2.1. Benchmarking Analysis
Performance is best understood by comparing metrics across different workload types:
- **Multi-Threaded Throughput:** Due to the 48 threads per socket, the 6338 excels in highly parallel tasks like large-scale containerized workloads (Kubernetes/Docker) or heavy virtualization density.
- **Memory Bandwidth:** The 8-channel memory controller delivers sustained bandwidth exceeding 200 GB/s per CPU, which is crucial for data-intensive applications like in-memory analytics (e.g., SAP HANA) or large-scale data processing (e.g., Hadoop/Spark).
- **Single-Threaded Performance:** While the 2.0 GHz base clock is moderate, the 3.2 GHz max turbo provides sufficient burst performance for latency-sensitive operations, though it trails higher-binned SKUs like the 6348 or Platinum series.
2.2. SPEC CPU 2017 Results (Illustrative)
The following table provides illustrative comparative scores, emphasizing the balance of the 6338.
| Metric | Xeon Gold 6338 (24C) | Xeon Gold 6348 (28C) | Xeon Silver 4314 (16C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPECrate 2017_int_base | ~420 | ~490 | ~280 |
| SPECspeed 2017_fp_peak | ~380 | ~410 | ~300 |
| Memory Bandwidth (Theoretical Max) | 204.8 GB/s | 204.8 GB/s | 204.8 GB/s |
| Core Count | 24 | 28 | 16 |
- Note: Actual scores vary significantly based on BIOS tuning, memory configuration, and operating system optimizations.*
2.3. Impact of PCIe Gen 4.0 on I/O Performance
The shift to PCIe Gen 4.0 is perhaps the most significant performance differentiator for the Ice Lake generation compared to Cascade Lake (Gen 3.0).
- **NVMe Throughput:** A single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot can theoretically deliver up to 32 GB/s of bidirectional bandwidth, compared to 16 GB/s for Gen 3.0. This directly impacts the performance of high-speed NVMe storage.
- **Accelerator Utilization:** High-end GPUs or specialized FPGA cards can now be fully saturated with data transfers without bottlenecking at the CPU interface, critical for AI/ML training workflows.
2.4. Thermal and Power Efficiency
At 150W TDP, the 6338 strikes a balance between core count and power consumption. While a higher core count SKU (e.g., 6348 at 205W) offers more raw throughput, the 6338 often provides a better performance-per-watt ratio for standardized workloads that do not require the absolute maximum turbo boost achievable by higher-TDP chips. Effective thermal management (see Section 5) is crucial to ensure the CPU consistently sustains its 2.0 GHz base clock under sustained load.
3. Recommended Use Cases
The Intel Xeon Gold 6338 server configuration is highly versatile, excelling in environments requiring a blend of compute density, substantial memory capacity, and modern I/O capabilities.
3.1. Enterprise Virtualization Hosts (VM Density)
This is arguably the strongest domain for the 6338.
- **High VM Density:** With 48 threads per socket, a dual-socket configuration provides 96 physical threads. This allows administrators to confidently provision hundreds of virtual machines (VMs) or containers, provided the workload distribution is managed efficiently.
- **Memory Capacity:** The 8-channel memory controller supports large memory allocations per VM, satisfying memory-hungry applications like Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle Database instances running within virtual machines.
- **I/O Virtualization:** Support for technologies like SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) via the PCIe Gen 4.0 bus ensures that virtual network functions (VNFs) or virtual storage controllers receive near-bare-metal I/O performance.
3.2. Private and Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
For organizations building private cloud infrastructure based on open-source stacks (e.g., OpenStack, Proxmox VE), the 6338 offers excellent TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
- **Compute Nodes:** Ideal for general-purpose compute nodes where predictable performance and high density are prioritized over extreme single-thread speed.
- **Storage Controllers (Ceph/Gluster):** The high core count is excellent for running the metadata servers (MDS) and OSDs in distributed file systems, while the PCIe 4.0 lanes facilitate rapid connection to high-speed NVMe OSDs.
3.3. Application and Web Servers
For large-scale deployments of Java application servers (e.g., JBoss, WebSphere) or high-traffic web servers (e.g., Nginx, Apache), the 6338 offers sufficient processing power to handle thousands of concurrent connections while managing substantial memory heaps.
3.4. Data Analytics and Caching Layers
While specialized SKUs exist for extreme memory bandwidth (e.g., Platinum series), the 6338 is perfectly adequate for many in-memory caching layers (e.g., Redis clusters) or moderate-sized data analytics tasks where the system relies heavily on the 3200 MHz DDR4 speed.
3.5. Edge Computing and Telco Workloads
The combination of 24 cores and PCIe 4.0 makes this CPU attractive for edge servers that require significant local processing power and fast access to localized storage arrays or specialized accelerators (like network function cards).
4. Comparison with Similar Configurations
To contextualize the value proposition of the Xeon Gold 6338, it must be compared against its immediate predecessor (Cascade Lake) and its direct successor/sibling within the Ice Lake family.
4.1. Comparison with Predecessor: Xeon Gold 6238 (Cascade Lake)
The 6238 (Cascade Lake) is the direct predecessor, utilizing the LGA 3647 socket and PCIe Gen 3.0.
| Feature | Xeon Gold 6338 (Ice Lake) | Xeon Gold 6238 (Cascade Lake) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Count | 24 | 24 |
| Base Clock | 2.0 GHz | 2.0 GHz |
| Max Memory Speed | DDR4-3200 MHz | DDR4-2933 MHz |
| Memory Channels | 8 | 6 |
| PCIe Standard | Gen 4.0 | Gen 3.0 |
| Max PCIe Lanes | 64 | 48 |
| L3 Cache | 36 MB | 35.75 MB |
| TDP | 150 W | 150 W |
- Analysis:** The 6338 offers a significant architectural leap over the 6238, despite having the same core count and TDP. The increase to 8 memory channels (from 6) and the transition to PCIe Gen 4.0 provide substantial gains in I/O throughput and memory bandwidth, making the 6338 the preferable choice for I/O-bound workloads.
4.2. Comparison with Higher-Tier Sibling: Xeon Gold 6348 (Ice Lake)
The 6348 is often considered the next step up within the same performance tier, offering more cores at a higher TDP.
| Feature | Xeon Gold 6338 | Xeon Gold 6348 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Count | 24 | 28 | |
| Base Clock | 2.0 GHz | 2.4 GHz | |
| Max Turbo Frequency | 3.2 GHz | 3.4 GHz | |
| L3 Cache | 36 MB | 42 MB | |
| TDP | 150 W | 205 W | |
| Performance Target | Density/Efficiency Balance | Raw Throughput |
- Analysis:** The 6348 provides a raw performance uplift (approximately 15-20% in multi-threaded synthetic benchmarks) but demands 55W more power per socket (a 37% increase in thermal overhead). The 6338 is the superior choice when power density and cooling capacity are constrained, or when the workload does not scale perfectly to 28 cores.
4.3. Comparison with Lower-Tier Sibling: Xeon Silver 4314 (Ice Lake)
The Silver series targets density and cost-effectiveness where moderate compute is acceptable.
| Feature | Xeon Gold 6338 | Xeon Silver 4314 |
|---|---|---|
| Core Count | 24 | 16 |
| Base Clock | 2.0 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Max Memory Speed | DDR4-3200 MHz | DDR4-2933 MHz |
| Memory Channels | 8 | 8 |
| Max PCIe Lanes | 64 (Gen 4.0) | 64 (Gen 4.0) |
| TDP | 150 W | 120 W |
- Analysis:** Both SKUs feature the modern 8-channel memory controller and PCIe 4.0 support. However, the 6338 offers 50% more cores and operates at the faster 3200 MHz memory standard, justifying its higher cost for virtualization hosts or heavy transaction processing. The 4314 is better suited for scale-out web serving or simple storage nodes where core count is less critical than I/O capability.
5. Maintenance Considerations
Proper maintenance of a high-density server configuration utilizing the Xeon Gold 6338 requires careful attention to power delivery, thermal management, and component lifespan, particularly concerning NVMe drives and high-speed networking gear.
5.1. Thermal Management and Airflow
The 150W TDP requires server chassis designed specifically for high-TDP CPUs.
- **Fan Redundancy:** Given the heat output, redundant high-static-pressure fans are mandatory. Failure rates increase significantly if ambient temperature exceeds recommended operational limits (typically 25°C to 30°C at the intake).
- **Heatsink Selection:** Passive heatsinks must be optimized for the LGA 4189 socket and must ensure even contact pressure across the large Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS). Regular inspection for thermal paste degradation, especially after major component replacements (e.g., motherboard swap), is necessary.
- **Airflow Direction:** In rack environments, maintaining proper hot/cold aisle containment is vital. Blocked intake filters or improper cable management causing airflow restriction can lead to thermal throttling, effectively reducing the sustained clock speed below the 2.0 GHz base frequency.
5.2. Power Requirements and Redundancy
Servers built around dual 6338 CPUs, coupled with high-speed DDR4 memory (which draws significant power) and multiple PCIe 4.0 HBAs/NICs, demand substantial power headroom.
- **PSU Sizing:** As noted in Section 1.5, 1600W+ redundant PSUs are the minimum standard. Administrators should utilize the server's BMC interface to monitor real-time power draw against PSU capacity to avoid tripping overload conditions during peak demand spikes.
- **PDU Load Balancing:** Ensure that the rack Power Distribution Units (PDUs) are not overloaded. A fully populated 2S system under stress can easily pull 1000W–1400W, requiring careful capacity planning for the entire rack infrastructure.
5.3. Component Lifespan and Reliability
- **Memory Cycling:** High-capacity, high-speed DDR4 modules operate under constant electrical stress. Implementing regular memory scrubbing (if not already managed by the BIOS/OS) and monitoring ECC error counts via BMC logs is a proactive maintenance step against data corruption. Refer to ECC error reporting standards.
- **NVMe Endurance:** If the server is used as a primary storage controller, monitoring the endurance of the NVMe drives (tracking TBW—Terabytes Written) is necessary. The high I/O capability of PCIe 4.0 means drives can reach their write endurance limits faster than older SATA SSDs.
- **Firmware Management:** Keeping the BIOS/UEFI firmware, BMC firmware, and controller firmware (RAID/VROC) synchronized is critical. Intel frequently releases updates addressing thermal throttling bugs or improving memory compatibility with newer DIMM densities.
5.4. Software and Operating System Considerations
Optimal performance requires an OS kernel and hypervisor that fully support the Ice Lake architecture features.
- **NUMA Awareness:** In a dual-socket configuration, the operating system scheduler must be correctly configured for NUMA awareness. Improper scheduling can lead to a core accessing remote memory, introducing significant latency penalties that negate the performance gains of the 8-channel memory controller.
- **Hyper-Threading Management:** Administrators must decide whether to enable or disable Hyper-Threading (HT) based on the workload. For highly sensitive, latency-critical workloads (e.g., specific financial trading algorithms), disabling HT might be preferred to avoid noisy neighbor issues between sibling threads, despite losing the 48-thread count.
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️