Intel Xeon 654 vs Intel Xeon 6736P Comparison

The Intel Xeon 654 and Intel Xeon 6736P are both active Granite Rapids parts on the Intel Socket 4710 platform, but they are engineered for different corners of the server and workstation market. The Xeon 654 is a high-frequency, lower-core-count part, while the 6736P is a higher-core-count, more throughput-oriented chip. Benchmark data shows a clear split: the 654 dominates in single-threaded and rendering workloads, while the 6736P carves out wins in specific parallel tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is the single-thread performance gap. In the PassMark single-thread test, the Intel Xeon 654 scores 3778 against 2024 for the 6736P, a massive 86.7% advantage. This is not a marginal difference; it is a generational-style leap within the same architecture family. The Cinebench single-core results reinforce this trend, with the 654 leading by 22.6% in both Cinebench R15 (742 vs 605) and Cinebench R20 (3092 vs 2523), and by 22.5% in Cinebench R23 (7362 vs 6008).

Multi-threaded rendering also favors the 654, despite the 6736P having double the cores. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 654 scores 52150 versus 42561 for the 6736P, a 22.5% delta. The same margin appears in Cinebench R15 (5256 vs 4290) and R20 (21903 vs 17875). The PassMark multithread test shows a similar pattern, with the 654 winning 61353 to 50072, again a 22.5% gap. This suggests the 654’s higher clock speeds more than compensate for its core deficit in these heavily threaded workloads.

The wins are not all one-sided. The 6736P takes the PassMark physics test with a score of 6531 against 5596, a 14.3% lead. It also wins PassMark random string sorting by a wide margin, 103723 versus 82828, a 20.1% advantage. In data encryption, the 6736P scores 46236 versus 40675, a 12% lead. The 6736P also edges out the 654 in the find prime numbers test, 392 versus 390, though this is a negligible 0.5% difference. In integer math, the 654 wins narrowly, 207745 versus 206833, a 0.4% margin.

The overall head-to-head tally is 13 wins for the Xeon 654 and 4 for the 6736P. The average benchmark scores reflect this: the 654 has an average of 90717, while the 6736P sits at 87864. Both chips land in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, but the 654 is 3.2% ahead of the 6736P in average score. The 654’s nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392, which trails by just 0.2%, while the 6736P’s closest competitor is the Intel Xeon 6731P, which is 0.1% behind.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel’s 5 nm process and share the Granite Rapids codename, but they belong to different Xeon 6 subfamilies. The Xeon 654 is part of the Xeon 600 series (Granite Rapids-WS), while the 6736P is from the Xeon 6 series (Granite Rapids-SP). The die layout differs: the 654 uses a dual-die design with a total of 2x 598 mm², whereas the 6736P uses a single 598 mm² die.

The core and thread counts are a major differentiator. The 654 has 18 cores and 36 threads, while the 6736P doubles that to 36 cores and 72 threads. Clock speeds are inverted relative to core counts. The 654 has a base clock of 3.10 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz; the 6736P runs at 2.00 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost. This explains the single-thread dominance of the 654.

Cache configurations scale with the core counts. Both chips have 112 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2 per core. The L3 cache, however, is significantly larger on the 6736P: 144 MB shared versus 72 MB shared on the 654. This gives the 6736P a potential advantage in workloads with large, reused datasets. Both support DDR5 memory over an eight-channel bus with 409.6 GB/s of bandwidth and ECC memory.

PCIe lane counts differ notably. The 654 offers Gen 5 with 128 lanes (CPU only), while the 6736P provides Gen 5 with 88 lanes (CPU only). Neither has integrated graphics. The 654 has an unlocked multiplier and was released on 2026-02-01, while the 6736P is locked and launched on 2025-02-23. The 654’s part number is SA2DP; the 6736P’s is SRVNW.

Where Each One Wins

The Xeon 654 is the clear choice for latency-sensitive and lightly threaded applications. Its 86.7% lead in PassMark single-thread and consistent 22.5% leads across all Cinebench single-core tests make it ideal for database query processing, real-time analytics, and legacy enterprise software that relies on high per-core performance. The 654 also wins in floating-point math (163093 vs 149770, an 8.9% lead) and extended instructions (63539 vs 55563, a 14.4% lead), which are relevant for scientific computing and financial modeling. Its 128 PCIe lanes also make it a stronger candidate for dense GPU or accelerator configurations.

The Xeon 6736P, despite losing the overall benchmark war, has specific niches. Its 14.3% win in PassMark physics and 20.1% win in random string sorting indicate strength in simulation and sorting-heavy data pipelines. The 12% lead in data encryption is a significant factor for security appliances and encrypted storage servers. The larger 144 MB L3 cache and doubled core count also position it for high-throughput virtual machine hosting and container orchestration where thread count matters more than clock speed. The 6736P’s 88 PCIe lanes are still robust for many server workloads.

For mixed workloads, the data points to the 654. Its average benchmark score is 3.2% higher, and it wins the multithread PassMark test by 22.5% despite having half the cores. This is a strong indicator that the 654’s clock speed advantage is not just a single-thread story; it scales well into multi-core scenarios. The 6736P is not a weak chip, but its wins are concentrated in a narrower set of tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-threaded tasks?

A: The Intel Xeon 654. It leads by 86.7% in PassMark single-thread (3778 vs 2024) and by 22.5-22.6% across all Cinebench single-core tests.

Q: Does the 6736P’s higher core count help in multi-threaded Cinebench?

A: No. The 654 wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with 52150 versus 42561, a 22.5% margin, despite having 18 fewer cores.

Q: In which workloads does the 6736P outperform the 654?

A: The 6736P wins in PassMark physics (6531 vs 5596, a 14.3% lead), random string sorting (103723 vs 82828, a 20.1% lead), and data encryption (46236 vs 40675, a 12% lead).

Q: Do both CPUs support the same memory?

A: Yes. Both support DDR5 with an eight-channel bus and 409.6 GB/s bandwidth, and both support ECC memory.

Q: How do the two compare to their closest rivals?

A: The 654’s nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392, which is 0.2% behind. The 6736P’s closest rival is the Intel Xeon 6731P, which is 0.1% behind.

Q: Which CPU has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Xeon 654 has 128 Gen 5 lanes (CPU only), while the 6736P has 88 Gen 5 lanes (CPU only).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Xeon 654 has 18 cores and 36 threads, while the 6736P has 36 cores and 72 threads. Base clocks are 3.10 GHz versus 2.00 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.80 GHz versus 4.10 GHz, favoring the 654. The thermal design power is nearly identical, with the 654 at 200 W and the 6736P at 205 W.

The L3 cache is a major difference: 72 MB shared on the 654 versus 144 MB shared on the 6736P. The die size also differs, with the 654 using 2x 598 mm² and the 6736P using a single 598 mm² die. PCIe lane counts are 128 for the 654 and 88 for the 6736P. The multiplier is unlocked on the 654 and locked on the 6736P. Release dates are 2026-02-01 for the 654 and 2025-02-23 for the 6736P. The part numbers are SA2DP for the 654 and SRVNW for the 6736P. The launch MSRP for the 654 is $1199, and for the 6736P it is $3351.