What Does Scalability Mean for Intel® Xeon Processors?
Content Type: Product Information & Documentation | Article ID: 000089873 | Last Reviewed: 03/05/2025
In the product specification site (ARK) under Expansion Options there is an entry about Scalability (for instance, 1S, 2S, 4S).
Trying to understand what scalability means in the context of Intel® Processors to decide when purchasing a processor. For instance: Intel® Xeon® Gold 6248R Processor.
Scalability refers to the system's socket configuration number onto which a CPU can be installed and the maximum number of processors supported that the CPU can scale to in the configuration.
For instance, a CPU that supports 2S scalability (e.g.: Intel® Xeon® Gold 6248R Processor) can be used in a motherboard or server with up to two sockets.
If you are planning to use two or more processors, verify that the processor supports the scalability desired, and check with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to find which processors are supported and if different type of processors can be mixed or not. (Mixing of different types is not commonly recommended since it may not work and it may be required to use the same model of processors.)
Scalability is mostly used on servers, since the motherboards commonly have 2 sockets, 4 sockets, and so on., depending on the motherboard manufacturer (OEM). This will allow to scale up to handle more load on the system with 2 or 4 units that will allow using more than one processor.
Another advantage for OEMs using two or more processors is to allow using more hardware of the board. For instance, a higher number of PCIe* lanes, more DIMMs, add more hardware controlled by a second CPU, depending on the OEM's design.