Intel Xeon Gold 5420+ 28c/56t 2.0GHz-4.1GHz 205W (PK8071305120600)

Intel Xeon Gold 5420+ — scalable mid-range compute for modern multi-socket servers

The Intel Xeon Gold 5420+ occupies a strategic position in the Sapphire Rapids lineup, bridging the gap between entry-level dual-socket processors and high-end compute configurations used in demanding enterprise environments. With 28 cores and 56 threads built on Intel 7 process technology, the chip delivers a strong balance of parallel throughput and per-core efficiency tailored for real-world datacenter workloads.

Its 2.0 GHz base frequency ensures stable, predictable performance under sustained multi-threaded load, which is especially important for virtualization clusters, Kubernetes node pools, enterprise back-end platforms and multi-tenant cloud environments. Turbo frequencies up to 4.1 GHz allow the CPU to accelerate latency-sensitive routines — from microservice orchestration layers to database indexing and API-heavy middleware.

One of the key advantages of the 5420+ lies in its memory architecture. With eight DDR5 channels supporting speeds up to 4400 MT/s, the processor offers high memory bandwidth crucial for in-memory analytics, caching systems, real-time compute pipelines and distributed data processing frameworks. The per-socket memory capacity of 4 TB provides ample room for consolidation of large workloads or high-density virtualization deployments.

I/O capabilities also stand out: 80 PCIe 5.0 lanes enable the integration of high-performance NVMe SSDs, software-defined storage accelerators, high-speed NICs and specialized compute hardware such as FPGAs or AI inference cards. This makes the 5420+ suitable for hybrid infrastructures where storage throughput, networking performance and compute must scale together.

The 205 W TDP enables a balance between performance and thermal footprint. It is optimized for environments where compute density and power efficiency must coexist, such as enterprise datacenters, HPC clusters with mixed workloads, edge computing installations and private cloud platforms.

For system integrators and IT architects, the Xeon Gold 5420+ offers a versatile foundation: it is powerful enough for advanced enterprise workloads yet efficient enough for long-term, high-density deployments. Its combination of modern memory capabilities, PCIe 5.0 bandwidth and a balanced core configuration makes it an excellent choice for organizations scaling their infrastructure without moving to high-wattage CPUs.