Intel officially showcased its next-generation server processor, Diamond Rapids, at Hot Chips 2026. It will feature up to 256 P-cores and a new Fan-out Fabric architecture, targeting enterprise AI Agent infrastructure. The chip will be built on the Intel 18A-P process, supporting up to 1.6TB/s memory bandwidth and 128 PCIe Gen 6 lanes, with a core count increase of over 50% compared to the previous-generation Xeon 6. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan hinted that the subsequent product roadmap might be accelerated given the continuous increase in CPU demand from AI Agent workloads. Intel is also collaborating with NVIDIA on a custom basis, with a customized x86 SKU featuring an NVLink interface already in development, to address the increasingly fierce competition from AMD and Arm.