Intel Xeon Gold 6326
Intel processor specifications and benchmark scores
ECC MemoryAt a Glance
IntelIntel Xeon Gold 6326 Specifications
Xeon Gold 6326 Core Configuration
Processing cores and threading
The Intel Xeon Gold 6326 features 16 physical cores and 32 threads, which directly impacts multi-threaded performance in CPU benchmarks. More cores allow the processor to handle parallel workloads efficiently, improving performance in video editing, 3D rendering, and multitasking scenarios. Thread count determines how many simultaneous tasks the CPU can process, with higher thread counts benefiting productivity applications and content creation workflows.
Gold 6326 Clock Speeds
Base and boost frequencies
Clock speed is a critical factor in Xeon Gold 6326 benchmark performance, measured in GHz. The base clock represents the guaranteed operating frequency, while the boost clock indicates maximum single-core performance under optimal conditions. Higher clock speeds translate to faster single-threaded performance, which is essential for gaming and applications that don't fully utilize multiple cores. The Xeon Gold 6326 by Intel can dynamically adjust its frequency based on workload and thermal headroom.
Intel's Xeon Gold 6326 Cache Hierarchy
L1, L2, L3 cache sizes
Cache memory is ultra-fast storage built directly into the Gold 6326 processor die. L1 cache provides the fastest access for frequently used data, while L2 and L3 caches offer progressively larger storage with slightly higher latency. Larger cache sizes significantly improve CPU benchmark scores by reducing memory access times. The Xeon Gold 6326's cache configuration is optimized for both gaming performance and productivity workloads, minimizing data fetch delays during intensive computations.
Ice Lake Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The Intel Xeon Gold 6326 is built on Intel's 10 nm manufacturing process, which determines power efficiency and thermal characteristics. Smaller process nodes allow for more transistors in the same space, enabling higher performance per watt. The architecture defines how the processor handles instructions and manages data flow, directly impacting benchmark results across different workload types. Modern CPU architectures like the one in Gold 6326 incorporate advanced branch prediction and out-of-order execution for optimal performance.
Ice Lake Instruction Set Features
Supported CPU instructions and extensions
The Xeon Gold 6326 by Intel supports various instruction set extensions that enable optimized performance for specific workloads. SIMD instructions like SSE and AVX accelerate multimedia, scientific computing, and AI workloads by processing multiple data points simultaneously. Features like AES-NI provide hardware-accelerated encryption, while AVX-512 (if supported) enables advanced vector processing for data centers and high-performance computing. These instruction sets are critical for software compatibility and performance in modern applications.
Gold 6326 Power & Thermal
TDP and power specifications
The Intel Xeon Gold 6326 has a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 185W, indicating the cooling solution required for sustained operation. TDP affects both system power consumption and the type of cooler needed. Lower TDP processors are ideal for compact builds and laptops, while higher TDP chips typically offer better sustained performance in demanding CPU benchmarks. Understanding power requirements helps ensure your system can deliver consistent performance without thermal throttling.
Intel Socket 4189 Platform & Socket
Compatibility information
The Xeon Gold 6326 uses the Intel Socket 4189 socket, which determines motherboard compatibility. Choosing the right platform is essential for building a system around this processor. The socket type also influences available features like PCIe lanes, memory support, and upgrade paths. When comparing CPU benchmarks, ensure you're looking at processors compatible with your existing or planned motherboard to make informed purchasing decisions.
Intel Socket 4189 Memory Support
RAM compatibility and speeds
Memory support specifications for the Gold 6326 define which RAM types and speeds are compatible. Faster memory can significantly improve CPU benchmark performance, especially in memory-intensive applications and gaming. The memory controller integrated into the Xeon Gold 6326 determines maximum supported speeds and channels. Dual-channel or quad-channel memory configurations can double or quadruple memory bandwidth, providing noticeable performance gains in content creation and scientific workloads.
Xeon Gold 6326 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The Intel Xeon Gold 6326 is manufactured by Intel and represents their commitment to delivering competitive CPU performance. Understanding the release date and pricing helps contextualize benchmark comparisons with other processors from the same generation. Launch pricing provides a baseline for evaluating value, though street prices often differ. Whether you're building a new system or upgrading, the Xeon Gold 6326 by Intel offers a specific balance of performance, features, and cost within Intel's product lineup.
Xeon Gold 6326 Benchmark Scores
cinebench_cinebench_r15_multicoreSource
Cinebench R15 multi-core renders a complex 3D scene using all CPU threads simultaneously. This test reveals how Intel Xeon Gold 6326 performs in parallel rendering workloads like video production and 3D animation. Higher scores mean faster render times in professional applications.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby Performerscinebench_cinebench_r15_singlecoreSource
Cinebench R15 single-core measures the speed of one CPU thread rendering 3D geometry. This score indicates how Intel Xeon Gold 6326 handles tasks that can't be parallelized across multiple cores. Games and many desktop applications still rely heavily on single-thread performance.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r20_multicoreSource
Cinebench R20 multi-core uses a scene requiring 4x more computational power than R15. This test better reflects modern CPU capabilities for professional rendering on Intel Xeon Gold 6326.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r20_singlecoreSource
Cinebench R20 single-core tests one thread against a more demanding scene than R15. This reveals the true single-thread rendering capability of Intel Xeon Gold 6326.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r23_multicoreSource
Cinebench R23 multi-core is the current standard for CPU rendering benchmarks with a 10-minute minimum runtime. This extended test reveals sustained performance of Intel Xeon Gold 6326 after thermal limits kick in.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
cinebench_cinebench_r23_singlecoreSource
Cinebench R23 single-core measures sustained single-thread performance over 10 minutes. This reveals how Intel Xeon Gold 6326 maintains boost clocks under continuous load.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
About Intel Xeon Gold 6326
The Intel Xeon Gold 6326 is a 16-core, 32-thread Ice Lake-SP server processor on the Intel Socket 4189 platform. It runs at a 2.90 GHz base clock and 3.50 GHz boost, with a 185 W TDP, and it delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29104 and a single-core score of 4108. Its average benchmark score of 8418 places it at the 69th percentile of all CPUs, and it sits within roughly 1% of four very different rivals — two mobile U-series chips, a prior-generation Xeon Platinum, and a desktop Pentium — indicating that raw aggregate performance is competitive across a wide range of market segments, even though the processor itself is firmly aimed at servers and workstations.
Benchmark Performance
The Gold 6326’s benchmark results are dominated by its multi-core capability. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 2933, while the single-core test yields 414. The R20 run produces 12223 multi-core and 1725 single-core. The most recent R23 test shows 29104 multi-core and 4108 single-core. These numbers reveal a processor that scales strongly with thread count: the multi-core scores are roughly 7 to 8 times higher than the single-core scores across all three Cinebench versions, which is consistent with a 16-core/32-thread design that maintains per-core efficiency under heavy parallel loads.
The average benchmark score of 8418 puts the Gold 6326 in the 69th percentile of all CPUs tracked by this database. That percentile is modest for a server part, but it reflects the fact that the comparison pool includes many consumer desktop and mobile processors that may have higher single-thread performance or higher boost clocks. Against its nearest rivals, the Gold 6326 is 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-8550U (average score 8411), 0.8% above the Intel Core i5-10210U (8350), and 1.0% below the Intel Xeon Platinum 8268 (8507) and 1.1% below the Intel Pentium Gold G7400 (8514). These deltas are small, but they show that the Gold 6326’s aggregate performance is comparable to a low-power mobile quad-core and a budget desktop dual-core, despite having four times the core count. The reason is that the Gold 6326’s per-core clocks are modest (2.90–3.50 GHz) and its single-thread scores are not exceptional, while the mobile and desktop parts achieve higher single-thread efficiency.
In multi-threaded workloads, the Gold 6326 clearly outperforms those rivals, but the aggregate metric hides that. For example, the R23 multi-core score of 29104 is far beyond what a quad-core U-series or a dual-core Pentium could achieve; the nearest rival in the list that is also a server part, the Xeon Platinum 8268, has a lower average score but likely also a lower multi-core score in absolute terms. The Gold 6326’s strength lies in sustained parallel throughput, not in peak single-thread responsiveness.
Power and Thermals
The Gold 6326 has a TDP of 185 W, which classifies it as a high-power server processor. This TDP is typical for a 16-core Ice Lake-SP part running at these clocks, and it implies that a capable air cooler or a low-to-mid-range liquid cooler is necessary for a workstation build. In a dense server chassis, the 185 W envelope requires robust airflow and a heatsink designed for high thermal density. The processor is built on Intel’s 10 nm process, which helps manage power efficiency, but the combination of 16 cores and a 3.50 GHz boost clock keeps the thermal output substantial.
The absence of an integrated graphics unit means that all thermal headroom is devoted to the CPU cores and memory controller. With a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 3.50 GHz, the Gold 6326 does not rely on extreme boost frequencies; it is tuned for sustained operation under load. The memory subsystem is eight-channel DDR4, which adds to the power draw but also to the memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. That bandwidth is essential for multi-threaded workloads that saturate memory, and it is a key reason why the processor can maintain high throughput across all cores.
Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior
The single-core scores — 414 in R15, 1725 in R20, and 4108 in R23 — are modest by modern desktop standards, but they are respectable for a server part that prioritizes core count over per-core speed. The boost clock of 3.50 GHz is not high, and the Ice Lake architecture’s single-thread performance is adequate but not class-leading. In contrast, the multi-core scores are very strong: 2933, 12223, and 29104 across the three Cinebench versions. The ratio of multi-core to single-core is roughly 7:1 to 8:1, which is close to the theoretical 8x scaling from 16 cores (with 32 threads, some hyper-threading gain is expected). This indicates that the processor scales efficiently when all cores are active, and that the memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s is sufficient to feed 16 cores without significant contention.
For real-world workloads, this split means the Gold 6326 excels in tasks that can utilize many threads simultaneously, such as video rendering, 3D simulation, scientific computing, and database queries. It is less well-suited for latency-sensitive single-threaded applications like older games or certain legacy enterprise software. The single-thread performance is still enough for most server-side tasks, but the processor’s value proposition is clearly in parallel throughput.
Platform and Compatibility
The Gold 6326 uses the Intel Socket 4189, which is exclusive to the Ice Lake-SP Xeon Gold and Platinum families. This socket supports the Ice Lake-SP architecture, a 10 nm design from Intel. The processor supports eight-channel DDR4 memory, which provides a memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. ECC memory is supported, making it suitable for error-correcting workloads in servers and workstations. The integrated memory controller is eight-channel, so a motherboard must have eight DIMM slots to achieve full bandwidth; using fewer channels reduces effective bandwidth.
For expansion, the Gold 6326 offers PCIe Gen 4 with 64 lanes (CPU only). This is a high lane count, allowing multiple GPUs, NVMe storage, and network adapters to be connected directly to the CPU without a chipset bottleneck. The processor does not include integrated graphics, so a discrete GPU is mandatory for any display output. The production status is listed as Active, and the release date is April 5, 2021. The processor is not multiplier-unlocked, so overclocking is not supported; users must rely on the base and boost clocks.
The platform is designed for dual-socket configurations (though not explicitly stated, the 64 PCIe lanes and eight-channel memory are typical for 2P servers), but the FACT PACK does not specify whether the Gold 6326 supports multi-socket operation. Based on the socket and architecture, it is likely part of a scalable family, but we cannot confirm that from the data. The memory bus and PCIe lanes are generous, and the processor is clearly aimed at high-end server and workstation builds.
How It Compares
Intel Core i7-8550U: The Gold 6326 is 0.1% ahead of this mobile quad-core in average benchmark score (8418 vs. 8411). This is a negligible difference, but the two chips could not be more different in design. The i7-8550U is a 15 W low-power part for ultrabooks, while the Gold 6326 is a 185 W server processor. The aggregate score parity is due to the i7-8550U’s higher single-thread efficiency (boost up to 4.0 GHz) versus the Gold 6326’s many cores at lower clocks.
Intel Core i5-10210U: The Gold 6326 is 0.8% ahead of this mobile quad-core (8418 vs. 8350). Again, the delta is small. The i5-10210U is a Comet Lake part with similar characteristics to the i7-8550U, and the same logic applies: the Gold 6326 wins in multi-threaded tasks but loses in single-threaded ones.
Intel Xeon Platinum 8268: The Gold 6326 is 1.0% behind this older Xeon Platinum (8418 vs. 8507). The Platinum 8268 is a 24-core part from the Cascade Lake generation, but it has a lower base clock and possibly lower single-thread scores. The Gold 6326’s newer Ice Lake architecture and higher memory bandwidth (204.8 GB/s vs. the Platinum’s likely lower) help close the gap, but the Platinum still edges ahead in aggregate.
Intel Pentium Gold G7400: The Gold 6326 is 1.1% behind this desktop dual-core (8418 vs. 8514). The G7400 is a modern Alder Lake-based Pentium with high single-thread performance, which boosts its aggregate score. This comparison highlights that the Gold 6326’s strength is not in single-thread or lightly-threaded workloads; a cheap dual-core can match its overall score in tests that favor per-core speed.
Who Should Consider It
The Gold 6326 is for users who need many cores and high memory bandwidth in a server or workstation. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29104 places it well above typical desktop processors, and the eight-channel DDR4 memory support with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth is ideal for workloads that stream large datasets. Examples include 3D rendering, scientific simulations, virtualization hosts, and database servers that can utilize 16 cores and 32 threads effectively.
Because the single-thread scores are moderate (R23 single-core 4108), it is not the best choice for tasks that rely heavily on one or two threads, such as older games or single-threaded legacy applications. The processor also requires a discrete GPU, so it is not suitable for a low-cost office PC. For a workstation that runs multi-threaded rendering or code compilation, the Gold 6326 offers strong performance and a clear upgrade path within the Socket 4189 platform, though the high TDP of 185 W demands a robust cooling solution.
FAQ
Q: What is the TDP of the Intel Xeon Gold 6326?
A: The TDP is 185 W.
Q: Which socket does the Gold 6326 use?
A: It uses the Intel Socket 4189.
Q: How much memory bandwidth does it support?
A: It supports eight-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s.
Q: Does it have integrated graphics?
A: No, the Gold 6326 does not include integrated graphics; a discrete GPU is required.
Q: What is the release date?
A: The release date is April 5, 2021.
Q: How does it perform in Cinebench R23 multi-core?
A: It scores 29104 in Cinebench R23 multi-core.
Q: Is the processor multiplier unlocked?
A: No, it is not multiplier-unlocked.
The AMD Equivalent of Xeon Gold 6326
Looking for a similar processor from AMD? The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
Popular Intel Xeon Gold 6326 Comparisons
See how the Xeon Gold 6326 stacks up against similar processors from the same generation and competing brands.
Compare Xeon Gold 6326 with Other CPUs
Select another CPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse CPUs