Hetzner launches EX131 server with Intel Xeon 6731P
Hetzner has introduced the EX131 dedicated server, adding Intel Xeon 6731P processors and Gen5 NVMe SSDs to its server range.
The server is built around Intel's Xeon Gold 6731P, a 32-core processor from the Granite Rapids line. Hetzner says the EX131 delivers up to 70 per cent more performance than the previous model and is aimed at database workloads, virtualisation and other compute-heavy tasks.
It is the first server in Hetzner's portfolio to use Gen5 NVMe solid-state drives. The EX131 is available in three versions, from the EX131-S entry configuration to the EX131-L top-end model, with each variant based on the same processor platform.
The entry model comes with 128 GB of DDR5 RDIMM memory and two 1.92 TB Gen5 NVMe SSDs. At the top of the range, the EX131-L includes 256 GB of DDR5 RDIMM memory and four 7.68 TB Gen5 NVMe SSDs.
Pricing
Pricing starts at EUR €560.70 a month or USD $661.90 a month, with hourly rates of EUR €0.8985 or USD $1.0607. A one-off setup fee of EUR €559.00 or USD $660.00 applies, and the package includes one IPv4 address.
The launch expands a core part of Hetzner's business as competition in dedicated hosting remains centred on processor upgrades, storage speed and pricing. Across the market, providers have been refreshing server lines to support newer generations of enterprise processors and faster flash storage while trying to keep monthly rental costs within reach for customers running persistent workloads.
The release also underlines Hetzner's continued emphasis on infrastructure it operates directly. All of its dedicated servers run in its own ISO 27001-certified data centres in Europe.
Data location
That approach is likely to matter to customers that want data to remain under European legal jurisdiction. In these environments, customer data remains subject to the General Data Protection Regulation, a factor that can influence procurement decisions for companies handling regulated information or seeking tighter control over where workloads are hosted.
Hetzner has built its market position around dedicated and virtualised server products, supported by data centre sites in Germany and Finland, as well as infrastructure investments in Singapore and the United States. The new server enters a wider hosting market in which providers are balancing international reach with local data residency demands.
Intel's Granite Rapids generation is designed for data centre use cases that need higher core counts and greater memory throughput, and server makers have been using the platform as the basis for system refreshes across enterprise and hosting segments. By pairing that processor with Gen5 NVMe storage, Hetzner is targeting customers that need lower latency and faster access to data than earlier server generations could offer.
The three-tier structure suggests Hetzner is trying to reach a broader range of budgets without changing the underlying platform. Customers can start with the lower-end version and move to larger memory and storage configurations while staying on the same processor architecture.
That matters for hosting users running applications that may grow over time, especially large databases, virtual machine estates and other workloads that can quickly consume memory and storage bandwidth. The higher-capacity EX131-L is positioned for customers that need more local flash storage and more RAM, while the EX131-S offers a lower entry price for businesses that want newer hardware without moving immediately to the largest configuration.
The announcement also reflects a broader trend in the server market towards denser flash storage and newer memory standards. DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen5-based NVMe drives are increasingly appearing in dedicated hosting offers as suppliers look to differentiate newer systems from installed fleets based on previous processor generations.
Founded in 1997, Hetzner is one of Europe's larger internet infrastructure providers. It operates data centre parks in Nuremberg, Falkenstein and Helsinki.