Lenovo 4XG7A37886 Xeon Gold 6242 W/o FAN

Lenovo 4XG7A37886 Intel Xeon Gold 6242 16-Core Server Processor

Overview

The Lenovo 4XG7A37886 is a 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Gold 6242 processor designed for Lenovo server and workstation platforms — specifically the ThinkSystem product line using the LGA 3647 (Socket P) socket. With 16 cores, 32 threads, a 2.8 GHz base clock that boosts to 3.9 GHz, and a 22 MB L3 cache, this processor is built for compute-intensive workloads: virtualization hosts, database servers, video analytics inference engines, and enterprise application servers that need sustained multi-threaded throughput without the overhead of a top-bin processor price tag. This is a CPU-only SKU — no heatsink or fan is included, so factor your cooling solution into the BoM before ordering.

Key Features

• 16 Cores / 32 Threads at 2.8 GHz base, 3.9 GHz boost: The core count puts it squarely in the midrange of the Xeon Gold 6000 series — enough headroom to run 20–30 medium-density VMs on a single socket without CPU contention. The 3.9 GHz turbo means single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks (report generation, VMS event processing) don't stall waiting for parallelism.
• 22 MB L3 Cache: A larger L3 reduces main-memory latency on datasets that fit or partially fit in cache — relevant for in-memory databases, analytics workloads, and AI inference jobs where repeated access to the same data structure is common. Fewer cache misses means better sustained throughput per core.
• 150 W Thermal Design Power (TDP): At 150 W, this processor sits below the 165–205 W ceiling of the highest-binned Gold 6000-series parts. That matters for dense rack deployments where per-socket power draw directly affects UPS capacity and cooling airflow. A dual-socket configuration comes in at 300 W for the CPUs alone — plan your PDU and cooling accordingly.
• 14 nm Intel Architecture (Stepping B1): The Cascade Lake silicon at 14 nm is a mature, well-validated node with broad OS, hypervisor, and firmware support. Stepping B1 resolved several microcode errata present in earlier steppings, making it the production-stable revision for enterprise deployments.
• LGA 3647 (Socket P) — Dual-Socket Capable: The socket supports Intel's multi-socket UPI interconnect, meaning two 4XG7A37886 processors can share cache-coherent memory access in a dual-socket Lenovo ThinkSystem configuration. If your workload doesn't need dual-socket today, the platform scales without a motherboard swap.
• UPI Bus Interconnect: Intel UPI (Ultra Path Interconnect) replaces QPI for CPU-to-CPU communication in multi-socket builds. It delivers lower latency and higher bandwidth than its predecessor — relevant for workloads that share memory across sockets (distributed databases, in-memory caches).
• 64-bit Operating Mode: Full 64-bit support is table stakes for any modern server OS — Linux, Windows Server, VMware ESXi, and all major hypervisors run without restriction. No PAE limitations, no address space constraints on large-memory configurations.
• No Cooler Included: The 4XG7A37886 ships as a processor-only component. Lenovo ThinkSystem servers that accept this CPU require the appropriate heatsink for the chassis and TDP class. Verify heatsink compatibility in Lenovo's configuration guide for your specific server model before deployment.

Integration & Compatibility

The 4XG7A37886 is sourced and classified as a server processor for Lenovo ThinkSystem platforms. It fits the LGA 3647 socket used across multiple ThinkSystem 2P server chassis generations. Before installing, confirm the system BIOS/UEFI version supports 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors — some earlier ThinkSystem models require a firmware update to recognize Cascade Lake CPUs. For workloads pairing this processor with GPU accelerators or high-throughput NIC cards, verify PCIe lane allocation in your specific chassis configuration. Administrators deploying this in rack server environments should also review Lenovo's UEFI settings for CPU power management profiles — the default balanced profile may cap turbo frequency under sustained multi-core load.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Lenovo 4XG7A37886 include a heatsink or cooling fan?

A: No. The 4XG7A37886 is a processor-only SKU — no heatsink or fan is included. You will need to source the appropriate Lenovo ThinkSystem heatsink for your chassis and the 150 W TDP of this CPU before installation.

Q: What servers is the 4XG7A37886 compatible with?

A: This processor uses the LGA 3647 (Socket P) socket and is a 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable (Cascade Lake) part, compatible with Lenovo ThinkSystem servers that support this socket and CPU generation. Check Lenovo's official compatibility guide for your specific server model and ensure the system BIOS supports 2nd Gen Xeon Scalable processors.

Q: What is the base and boost clock speed of the 4XG7A37886?

A: The Xeon Gold 6242 runs at 2.8 GHz base frequency and boosts up to 3.9 GHz under Intel Turbo Boost, with 16 cores and 32 threads.

Q: Can this processor be used in a dual-socket configuration?

A: Yes. The LGA 3647 platform and UPI bus support dual-socket configurations in compatible Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. Two 4XG7A37886 processors can operate in a cache-coherent shared-memory setup for workloads that benefit from additional core count and memory capacity.

Q: What is the TDP of the Xeon Gold 6242, and what does that mean for power planning?

A: The processor has a 150 W TDP. In a dual-socket server, plan for at least 300 W of CPU-only power draw, plus memory, storage, and GPU overhead. Factor this into UPS sizing and rack cooling capacity for dense deployments.

Eden Phillips

The 4XG7A37886 lands in a useful spot in the Xeon Gold 6000 lineup — 16 cores at 150 W TDP means you get meaningful multi-threaded headroom without pushing into the power envelope of the 165 W and above parts. If you are specifying a ThinkSystem server for a VMS backend or a virtualization host running 20–30 medium-density workloads, this CPU is worth a close look before stepping up to a higher core count that your workload may not saturate.

Technical Highlights:

• 3.9 GHz Turbo Boost: Lightly threaded jobs — think VMS event indexing, report generation, or scheduled backup tasks — benefit meaningfully from the 1.1 GHz headroom above base. You don't need a higher-binned part just to handle burst tasks.
• 22 MB L3 Cache: In analytics and in-memory database scenarios, a larger L3 reduces DRAM fetch latency on frequently accessed data structures. For video analytics inference pipelines running pre-processed frame buffers, this cache size helps sustain throughput without stalling the CPU on memory reads.
• UPI Interconnect for Dual-Socket: The UPI bus enables coherent memory sharing across two sockets in supported ThinkSystem configurations. If your workload grows, scaling to a dual-socket build doesn't require a platform change — just a second 4XG7A37886 and the appropriate heatsink.

Deployment Considerations:

• This is a CPU-only SKU — no heatsink is included. Confirm Lenovo's recommended heatsink part number for your specific ThinkSystem chassis and the 150 W TDP class before finalizing the BoM. Missing this step is the single most common delay in processor upgrade projects.
• Validate BIOS/UEFI firmware version on the target server before installation. ThinkSystem platforms that shipped with 1st Gen Xeon Scalable processors may require a firmware update to enumerate and fully support Cascade Lake stepping B1.

For a Lenovo ThinkSystem server being configured as a mid-density virtualization host or a security operations workload server — where 16 cores at 2.8–3.9 GHz handles the concurrency without the power overhead of a 24-core part — the 4XG7A37886 is a well-matched component. It is not the right pick for pure core-count-limited HPC jobs, but for mixed enterprise and analytics server builds it hits the right balance of clock speed, cache, and TDP.