Lenovo 4XG7A72941 ST650 V2 Gold 6338N 32C 185W 2.2GHZ

Lenovo 4XG7A72941 Intel Xeon Gold 6338N 32-Core Processor for ThinkSystem ST650 V2

Overview

The Lenovo 4XG7A72941 is a factory-configured Intel Xeon Gold 6338N processor option for the ThinkSystem ST650 V2 tower server — a 32-core, 64-thread CPU built on Intel's 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable architecture. Rated at 185W TDP with a 2.2 GHz base clock and a 3.5 GHz boost ceiling, this processor is the right choice when your ST650 V2 deployment demands high core density for parallelized workloads: video analytics engines, multi-channel NVR back-end processing, or enterprise application stacks that benefit from thread count over raw single-core frequency. The LGA 4189 socket format is native to the ST650 V2 platform — there is no adapter or conversion required.

What makes the 6338N distinct within the Gold 6000 series is its hybrid core layout: 18 high-priority cores running at 2.4 GHz and 14 low-priority cores at 1.9 GHz. This is Intel's asymmetric frequency implementation within the Xeon Scalable lineup, allowing the scheduler to direct latency-sensitive processes to the higher-frequency cores while background tasks run on the efficiency cores. For operators running mixed workloads — real-time analytics alongside storage management or transcoding jobs — that differentiation is practically useful rather than a spec-sheet abstraction.

Key Features

• 32 Cores / 64 Threads on LGA 4189: The ST650 V2 is a single- or dual-socket tower; this processor fills one socket with 32 physical cores and 64 logical threads via Hyper-Threading. That thread count supports large concurrent workloads without requiring a second processor — useful when the second socket slot is reserved for future expansion or kept empty to reduce power draw.
• 3.5 GHz Boost Frequency: The 2.2 GHz base clock is conservative by design — it keeps sustained power within the 185W TDP budget across all 32 cores. Single-threaded or lightly loaded tasks can burst to 3.5 GHz, which matters for interactive workloads or analytics pipelines with sequential bottlenecks.
• Asymmetric Core Architecture (18 High-Priority + 14 Low-Priority): The 18 high-priority cores run at 2.4 GHz and the 14 low-priority cores at 1.9 GHz. For video intelligence or surveillance analytics workloads where decoding streams is latency-sensitive but background indexing is not, the scheduler can segregate those tasks naturally — reducing jitter in real-time processing pipelines.
• 48 MB L3 Cache: With 32 cores sharing 48 MB of cache, each core gets roughly 1.5 MB — adequate for database-style access patterns and analytics inference where working sets fit in cache. Larger cache reduces memory bus pressure across sustained parallel operations.
• 185W TDP — Size Your Thermal Budget Accordingly: A 185W processor in a tower chassis demands adequate airflow. The ST650 V2 is designed for this power class, but rack placement, ambient temperature, and airflow path all affect sustained boost behavior. Verify your data center or server room cooling budget before deployment.
• 10nm Intel Fabrication Process: The 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable die is manufactured on Intel's 10nm SuperFin process, which delivers improved performance-per-watt compared to the 14nm Cascade Lake generation. For 24/7 always-on deployments, that efficiency translates to meaningful reductions in annual energy cost at scale.
• 64-Bit Operating Mode: Supports 64-bit OS and application environments natively. No PAE workarounds or legacy 32-bit constraints — relevant for memory-intensive workloads that address large datasets directly.

Integration and Compatibility

The 4XG7A72941 is a Lenovo-configured processor option for the ThinkSystem ST650 V2 platform. It installs into the LGA 4189 socket, which is the native socket for 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors on this platform. Sourcing this CPU as a Lenovo part number ensures firmware and configuration compatibility with the ST650 V2's integrated management controller (XClarity) and platform-level power management. Mixing third-party or non-platform-validated processors in managed server environments can introduce firmware compatibility issues — particularly around power capping, thermal event handling, and out-of-band management.

For network video recorders and video analytics servers built on the ST650 V2, the 6338N's 32-core layout supports running multiple analytics inference engines in parallel — useful when deploying AI-based motion detection, object classification, or license plate recognition across high channel counts. Pair this with sufficient network switching infrastructure to handle the bandwidth load from camera feeds into the server. For organizations evaluating the broader Lenovo server lineup, this processor sits in the mid-to-upper tier of the Gold 6000 series for core count without crossing into the Platinum price bracket. If workload profiling shows that your application is more frequency-sensitive than core-count-sensitive, consider a lower-core-count Gold variant with a higher base clock. Conversely, if you're running 64+ concurrent analytics threads, a dual-socket configuration may be warranted. See the surveillance server category for platform context.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What server platform is the Lenovo 4XG7A72941 compatible with?

A: The 4XG7A72941 is configured for the Lenovo ThinkSystem ST650 V2 tower server. It uses the LGA 4189 socket, which is the native socket for 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors on that platform.

Q: What is the processor model and core count in the 4XG7A72941?

A: The 4XG7A72941 includes the Intel Xeon Gold 6338N, a 32-core, 64-thread processor from the 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable family, manufactured on Intel's 10nm process.

Q: What is the base and boost clock speed of the Xeon Gold 6338N in this configuration?

A: The base frequency is 2.2 GHz across all 32 cores. The processor can boost to 3.5 GHz for lightly loaded or single-threaded workloads, within the constraints of the 185W TDP envelope.

Q: What does the asymmetric core frequency mean for this processor?

A: The Xeon Gold 6338N has 18 high-priority cores running at 2.4 GHz and 14 low-priority cores at 1.9 GHz. The OS scheduler can direct latency-sensitive tasks to the higher-frequency cores while background processes run on the lower-frequency cores — practical for mixed-workload environments like video analytics servers.

Q: What is the TDP of the 4XG7A72941 and does it require special cooling?

A: The Xeon Gold 6338N has a 185W TDP. The ST650 V2 is engineered to handle this power class, but ensure your deployment environment provides adequate airflow and that your facility's power and cooling budget accounts for sustained full-load operation.

Q: Is the 4XG7A72941 a drop-in upgrade for other Xeon Scalable servers?

A: Not universally. While the LGA 4189 socket is shared across several platforms supporting 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, this is a Lenovo-configured part for the ST650 V2. Firmware validation, power management, and XClarity compatibility are platform-specific. Verify compatibility with Lenovo's configurator before installing in a different chassis.

Karl Wilson

The 4XG7A72941 is a deployment-specific processor option — Lenovo bins and validates this Xeon Gold 6338N specifically for the ST650 V2, which means you're not guessing whether the firmware, power management, and XClarity integration will cooperate. For integrators building high-channel video analytics servers or multi-application security infrastructure on a tower form factor, the 32-core layout at 185W is a practical middle ground between the lower-core-count Gold options and the Platinum tier.

Technical Highlights:

• Asymmetric Core Layout (18+14): 18 cores at 2.4 GHz for priority workloads, 14 at 1.9 GHz for background tasks — the OS scheduler leverages this automatically, reducing the need to manually pin analytics processes to specific cores in most deployments.
• 3.5 GHz Boost with 2.2 GHz Sustained Base: The 1.3 GHz spread between base and boost is wide. Under full 32-core load, expect to run near base. For burst analytics workloads with idle periods, the boost headroom provides real throughput uplift without requiring overclocking or tuning.
• 48 MB L3 Cache Across 32 Cores: At roughly 1.5 MB per core, cache contention is manageable for parallel inference workloads. If your analytics stack requires larger per-thread working sets, benchmark carefully — cache misses at 32-core scale can flatten the performance curve.

Deployment Considerations:

• At 185W TDP, this processor should be treated as a full thermal load contributor. Confirm the ST650 V2's cooling configuration (fan count, redundancy level) is rated for this processor before committing to a dense or warm deployment environment.
• This is a Lenovo platform part — it is not a retail boxed processor. Do not expect this part number to behave identically to an Intel boxed Xeon Gold 6338N in a non-Lenovo chassis. The firmware validation is platform-specific.

Best fit: a physical security operations center building a primary analytics and recording server on the ST650 V2 tower platform, where rack space is limited and a single-socket 32-core configuration handles current channel load with room to add a second processor for future expansion.