Ampere Altra Q80-28 socket: LGA 4926

What the Altra Q80-28 is

The Ampere Altra Q80-28 is an 80-core server processor with a 2.8 GHz sustained frequency. It runs 80 single-thread Arm v8.2+ cores with no turbo, so 80 cores give 80 threads. Cache is 1 MB of L2 per core plus a 32 MB system level cache on a 7 nm process. Power is rated at 185 W max with about 124 W usage power in a 4926-pin FCLGA package with order part number AC-108018502.

Full 80-core density below the 3.0 GHz bins trims power while keeping core count, which is why the Q80-28 at 2.8 GHz suits mainstream cloud racks. Ampere sold the Q80-28 in the launch lineup. The chip supports enterprise RAS.

Full density with a 185 W envelope suits mainstream cloud servers with DDR4 memory. That is why the Q80-28 shipped as a volume 80-core part.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Q80-28 fits LGA 4926 mainstream servers with Altra support. It needs a 4926-land board with Ampere firmware and a BIOS that lists the Q80-28. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Mainstream cloud servers are the natural match. Boards listing the Q80-28 accept the chip with a 185 W heatsink.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is eight channels of DDR4-3200 ECC through the on-chip controllers, up to 4 TB per socket. PCIe Gen4 with 128 lanes per socket feeds storage and networking. Cooling uses server heatsinks rated for 185 W.

Upgrade paths

On the same socket, a move to an Altra Q80-30 such as Ampere Altra Q80-30 adds 200 MHz at 210 W when frequency matters. An Altra Q80-26 drops to 2.6 GHz at 150 W for efficiency.

A move to Altra Max adds density. The LGA 4926 page lists the range.