256-Core Server CPUs Are Here: What Happens to Your Old Servers in the 2026 Data Center Refresh?
TL;DR: The newest generation of data center processors, shipping in the second half of 2026, packs up to 256 cores per socket and delivers roughly 70% more performance than the generation before it. That enables server consolidation ratios of 10:1 or more against systems bought around 2019–2021, which means millions of older servers are about…





