CPU topology is often overlooked, yet the way virtual CPUs are distributed across sockets has a direct impact on SQL Server’s NUMA boundaries, parallelism decisions, and overall workload performance. In this session, we’ll break down how CPUs‑per‑socket configurations influence query execution, MAXDOP behavior, memory locality, and common wait types. Through real‑world examples and practical guidance, you’ll learn how to detect suboptimal layouts, understand their performance symptoms, and apply best‑practice configurations that help SQL Server scale efficiently.