Postcard from Intel Tech Tour Arizona: Intel Data Center Group leader Kevork Kechichian shows off Xeon 6+

To: Intel customers and partners

From: Intel Tech Tour in Arizona, USA

At Intel Tech Tour 2025 – the first hosted in the United States – more than 200 global technology media, analysts and customers caught a first glimpse of Intel® Xeon® 6+ (code-named Clearwater Forest), Intel’s next-gen E-core server processor on 18A.

When it launches in the first half of 2026, Clearwater Forest will be the most efficient server processor the company has ever created, built on Intel 18A – the most advanced semiconductor node Intel has ever developed.

Tailored for hyperscale data centers, cloud providers and telcos, Clearwater Forest features up to 288 E-cores and 17% more Instructions Per Cycle (IPC) over the prior generation E-core product (code-named Sierra Forest), packing in considerable gains in density, throughput and power efficiency.

“Clearwater Forest empowers data centers, cloud providers and telecom operators to scale workloads more efficiently, dramatically reduce energy consumption, and deliver smarter, more responsive services,” said Kevork Kechichian, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Data Center Group. “Moreover, it will bring a significant boost in performance to current Xeon platforms, with transformative capabilities to drive further competitiveness and innovation in the rapidly evolving market.”