Intel has officially launched its new-generation flagship processor, the Xeon 6980P, setting remarkable new standards with its 128 cores and 256 threads. Priced at an astounding $17,800, this represents more than a 50 percent increase over the preceding generation, establishing a new premium benchmark for CPU pricing.

The Xeon 6980P is part of Intel's Xeon 6 6900 "Granite Rapids" series. Although the initial official announcement did not include pricing details, Intel has now updated this information in its Ark database. The processor features a base frequency of 2.0 GHz, which can be boosted to 3.9 GHz, a TDP of 500W, and an impressive 504MB of L3 cache.

When compared to the earlier Xeon 8592+ (which had 64 cores and 128 threads), the new Xeon 6980P has reduced the cost per core from $181 to $139. This improvement is particularly noteworthy in terms of computational density and performance, enhancing its appeal for data center applications.

Despite its high price, the processor's capability to deliver more cores in a single package results in increased density and a lower cost per core per system. This could potentially be cost-effective for customers, especially considering the operational costs associated with running a data center.