Intel Xeon Phi 7290F

Intel Xeon Phi 7290F is a 72-core, 288-thread processor built on Intel’s 14 nm Knights Landing architecture, designed for the Socket 3647 platform. It operates with a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 1700 MHz, drawing up to 260 W, and is aimed squarely at high-throughput server and workstation workloads where parallel scaling matters more than raw single-core speed.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Xeon Phi 7290F presents an extreme skew toward multi-threaded performance. With 72 physical cores and 288 threads via four-way simultaneous multithreading, the processor is built to crush heavily parallel workloads such as scientific simulation, data analytics, and rendering. The modest 1500 MHz base and 1700 MHz boost clocks indicate that single-thread responsiveness is not the design priority; instead, the chip leverages massive core counts to compensate for the relatively low frequency per core.

In real-world terms, this means the 7290F will excel in tasks that can saturate dozens of threads, but will lag noticeably in applications that rely on a few fast cores. The 32 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 cache per core provide each thread with a reasonable local data footprint, but the absence of an L3 cache in the fact pack suggests that cross-core data sharing relies heavily on the memory subsystem and software optimization. For workloads like video encoding, 3D rendering, or financial risk modeling, the 288-thread count can be fully leveraged, yielding throughput that far exceeds typical desktop processors. Conversely, everyday office tasks, web browsing, or legacy single-threaded software will see performance closer to a mid-range CPU from the same era, as those workloads cannot exploit the massive parallelism.

The benchmark percentile of 50 against all CPUs indicates this is a middle-of-the-road performer overall, but that figure is misleading for multi-threaded scenarios. The processor’s real strength is in its aggregate throughput, not its per-core efficiency. Users must ensure their software is explicitly parallelized and capable of using more than a few dozen threads to see any benefit; otherwise, the high TDP of 260 W is spent on idle cores.

How It Compares

The fact pack lists no nearest rivals for the Xeon Phi 7290F, so direct positional comparisons against specific competing processors are not available in the data. However, the processor’s own specifications — 72 cores, 288 threads, 14 nm process, and 8,000 million transistors — place it in a distinct category of many-core accelerators rather than general-purpose server CPUs. Unlike conventional Xeon processors that balance core count with higher clocks and larger caches, the 7290F prioritizes raw core density at the expense of frequency.

Given the lack of rival data, the analysis must rely on the internal consistency of the fact pack. The 50th percentile ranking suggests that when averaged across all benchmark types, the 7290F performs at the median of all CPUs tracked by the database. This is a surprisingly low position for a 72-core processor, indicating that the benchmark suite likely includes a significant number of single-threaded or lightly threaded tests where the 7290F’s low clock speed drags down its composite score. In a purely multi-threaded benchmark suite, the ranking would presumably be much higher, but that data is not provided.

The absence of a launch MSRP in the fact pack means no pricing information can be discussed. The part number SR2WZ and the release date of June 19, 2016, confirm this is a mid-2010s product, and the DDR4 memory support with ECC capability is consistent with server-grade requirements.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the Xeon Phi 7290F is sparse: the average benchmark score is listed as 0, and no individual benchmark results are provided. This makes quantitative performance analysis impossible from the fact pack alone. The only performance-related figure is the percentile vs all CPUs, which stands at 50. This percentile indicates that the 7290F sits exactly at the median of the database’s CPU population, meaning half of all tracked processors score higher and half score lower in the aggregate benchmark suite.

Without specific scores or rival comparisons, the data cannot confirm any percentage deltas against other processors. The fact pack explicitly includes a nearestRivals field, but it is empty, so there are no names, scores, or deltaPct values to reference. Consequently, any claim about being "30% faster" or "20% slower" than a competitor cannot be substantiated with the given facts. The 288-thread count and 72-core layout are the only indicators of multi-threaded capability, and the 1500/1700 MHz clocks are the only indicators of single-thread speed.

For a hardware analyst, this is a case where the absence of data is itself informative. The 7290F was a niche product, and the benchmark database may not have sufficient representative workloads to generate a meaningful score. The 0 average score could indicate that no benchmarks were run, or that the results were not recorded. Either way, the data supports only a qualitative assessment: the processor is designed for extreme parallelism, and its 50th percentile ranking suggests that in a mixed workload environment, it does not stand out.

FAQ

Q: How many cores and threads does the Intel Xeon Phi 7290F have?

A: The processor has 72 cores and 288 threads, with support for four threads per core via simultaneous multithreading.

Q: What is the base and boost clock speed?

A: The base clock is 1500 MHz (1.50 GHz) and the boost clock is 1700 MHz (1.70 GHz).

Q: What socket does the Xeon Phi 7290F use?

A: It uses Intel Socket 3647, which is a server-grade platform.

Q: Does the processor support ECC memory?

A: Yes, ECC memory is supported, and the processor uses DDR4 memory.

Q: What is the thermal design power (TDP) of the 7290F?

A: The TDP is 260 watts, which requires substantial cooling and power delivery.

Q: When was the Xeon Phi 7290F released?

A: The release date is June 19, 2016.

Q: What is the manufacturing process and transistor count?

A: It is built on Intel’s 14 nm process and contains 8,000 million transistors.

Who Should Consider It

The Xeon Phi 7290F is explicitly for users running massively parallel, compute-intensive workloads. Data from the fact pack shows 72 cores and 288 threads, which is a strong indicator for scientific computing, financial modeling, or any task that can scale beyond 100 threads. The 1500 MHz base clock and 1700 MHz boost clock mean that single-threaded performance is not a selling point, so gamers or users running lightly threaded office applications should look elsewhere — the 260 W TDP and server socket are not suited for desktop use.

For content creation, the 7290F can be viable if the software is optimized for many cores. Video rendering, 3D animation, and batch image processing are typical candidates that can use 72 cores effectively. However, the lack of an L3 cache in the fact pack suggests that memory access patterns must be carefully managed, and software must be tuned for Knights Landing’s architecture. The 288 threads provide an enormous parallel capacity, but only for workloads that are explicitly written to use them.

The 50th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates that in a general-purpose benchmark suite, this processor does not outperform mainstream chips. Therefore, it is not a good choice for mixed-use environments or as a general server CPU. It is best suited for dedicated clusters or workstation nodes where every application is known to scale with core count. The DDR4 memory support and ECC capability are appropriate for long-running, error-sensitive computations, but the absence of a launch MSRP means no cost guidance can be given. Ultimately, the 7290F is a specialized tool: if your workload can use 288 threads, it is a formidable option; if not, it is an expensive and power-hungry idle resource.