Reports
AI-generated structured vendor updates
Intel Unveils Decoupled Inference Architecture and Xeon 6+, Partners with SambaNova and Foxconn for Rack-Scale AI Infrastructure
At Computex 2026, Intel unveiled three innovations: 1) Rack-scale AI infrastructure with SambaNova/Foxconn (production-ready); 2) World's first decoupled inference demo—Xeon 6 orchestrates, SN40 RDU decodes, Blackwell GPU prefill; Together.ai achieved fastest enterprise inference with MiniMax 2.5; 3) Xeon 6+—first Intel 18A data center CPU, 32U rack delivers 36,864 cores at ~100kW. Agent inference shifts CPU:GPU ratio from 1:4 toward 1:1.
Intel's 18A Xeon 6+ and Rack Scale AI: A CPU-Centric Challenge to NVIDIA's Inference Empire
At Computex 2026, Intel launched the 18A-node Xeon 6+ processor, the Rack Scale AI platform with SambaNova's SN-50 RDU, and a fully disaggregated inference service (Vector Core Compute). This CPU-centric hybrid architecture targets agentic AI inference workloads, directly challenging NVIDIA's Vera Rubin NVL72 and GPU-dominated ecosystem.