Intel Xeon Gold 6538Y+ 32c/64t 2.2GHz-4.0GHz 225W (PK8072205499900)

Intel Xeon Gold 6538Y+ – Emerald Rapids CPU for balanced dual-socket platforms

The Intel Xeon Gold 6538Y+ belongs to the 5th Gen Xeon Scalable “Emerald Rapids” family and targets mainstream dual-socket servers where you need a balance between core count, per-core performance and memory bandwidth. It offers 32 cores and 64 threads, a 2.2 GHz base frequency and up to 4.0 GHz max turbo, paired with 60 MB of shared L3 cache and a 225 W TDP.

Compared to earlier 3rd Gen “Ice Lake” or 4th Gen “Sapphire Rapids” Xeons in the same Gold tier, the 6538Y+ brings incremental IPC gains, higher official DDR5 speeds and updated platform capabilities, while staying in a power envelope that is still manageable for standard 2U and 4U servers. For operators who previously standardized on 24–32 core Gold SKUs, it is a drop-in modernization path on the LGA4677 ecosystem.

From a memory perspective, the 6538Y+ exposes eight DDR5 channels with support for up to DDR5-5200 (in 1DPC configurations) and a maximum memory capacity of 4 TB per socket. This combination of channel count and speed is important for virtualized environments and in-memory databases, where you are often limited not by raw CPU frequency but by sustained memory bandwidth. In dual-socket configurations you effectively double that footprint, which is enough for many mid-sized analytics clusters, ERP systems or consolidation hosts.

On the I/O side, the processor delivers up to 80 PCI Express 5.0 lanes per socket, which is a key reason to consider Emerald Rapids over older platforms. PCIe 5.0 simplifies attaching multiple NVMe SSDs, modern RAID controllers, high-bandwidth network adapters (100/200/400 GbE) and accelerator cards without starving them for lanes. For typical dual-socket servers this allows flexible designs with a mix of storage, fabric and GPU or FPGA accelerators, while still keeping all components on CPU-direct lanes.

Within Intel’s own portfolio, the Gold 6538Y+ sits above entry-level Gold SKUs with fewer cores or lower clocks, but below high-end Platinum parts in terms of core density and memory capacity. It is designed as a general-purpose workhorse rather than a niche product. For example, compared to a higher-core Platinum model with 48 or more cores, the 6538Y+ trades absolute throughput for lower power draw and often better per-core performance under sustained turbo, which can be beneficial for workloads that mix latency-sensitive front-end services and batch jobs on the same host.

An important aspect of Emerald Rapids is the presence of integrated accelerator engines. In the 6538Y+ you get support for Intel AMX (Advanced Matrix Extensions) for AI and deep-learning inference, Intel DSA (Data Streaming Accelerator) for offloading memory-to-memory and storage data movement, Intel IAA (In-Memory Analytics Accelerator) aimed at compression and database primitives, and often QAT (QuickAssist Technology) for crypto and compression offload, depending on SKU configuration. When these engines are properly utilized by the software stack, they free up CPU cores and improve determinism under mixed workloads.

Another notable feature is Intel Speed Select Technology – Performance Profile (SST-PP). For the Gold 6538Y+, Intel exposes multiple profiles: a full 32-core configuration at 225 W TDP, and alternative profiles with 28 or 24 active cores at 205 W and slightly different base frequencies. This allows system integrators and large operators to tune the same CPU model to different rack-level power and thermal constraints without changing the BOM: you can prioritize maximum throughput, or sacrifice a few cores to reduce power and tighten performance per watt.

Typical use cases for the Xeon Gold 6538Y+ include virtualized infrastructure (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM), mid-range cloud nodes, container platforms such as Kubernetes, and classic enterprise applications (databases, messaging, middleware) that need predictable performance rather than extreme core counts. With 32 cores per socket, it is straightforward to design consolidation hosts with clear vCPU planning (for example, 2–4 vCPUs per physical core) while staying within licensing boundaries for many commercial middleware stacks.

For buyers comparing this CPU against neighboring SKUs, the decision usually comes down to three factors: memory speed requirements, PCIe 5.0 lane availability and the balance between core count and TDP. If your workloads are memory-heavy but not extremely core-bound, the 6538Y+ provides enough cores to scale out typical enterprise stacks while still leaving thermal headroom and I/O capacity for fast storage and networking. In dual-socket systems it offers a good middle ground between cost and performance before moving into large, more power-hungry Platinum configurations.

In day-to-day operation, the key to extracting value from the Xeon Gold 6538Y+ is to align platform design with its strengths: use DDR5 at the highest supported speed, populate all eight channels per socket, attach critical devices directly to CPU PCIe 5.0 lanes and, where possible, enable and tune the built-in accelerators at the OS and application level. For data-center operators and integrators who are standardizing on Emerald Rapids, this CPU is a practical choice for “mainstream” nodes that have to handle a wide range of tasks without constant tuning or special handling.