Leaked: Intel’s Granite Rapids Xeon Workstation CPU with 86 Cores and 172 Threads for W890 Platform

The anticipation surrounding Intel’s next-generation Xeon Workstation platform is reaching new heights as leaks unveil its formidable Granite Rapids-WS chip, featuring an impressive configuration of up to 86 cores.

Exciting Details About Intel’s Granite Rapids-WS Xeon Workstation CPUs

Earlier this year, reports surfaced highlighting Intel’s ongoing development of its Granite Rapids-WS Xeon workstation series. This upcoming lineup is designed specifically for High-End Desktop (HEDT), Workstation, and Content Creation segments. With high-level I/O capabilities and a core-heavy architecture, these CPUs are set to compete directly with AMD’s popular Threadripper series, including the recently announced Threadripper 9000 models.

While official details remain under wraps, early engineering samples of the Granite Rapids-WS CPUs have already begun circulating among partners for assessment. One notable chip has been cataloged in the OpenBenchmarking database under the designation ES “Intel 0000”.This variant showcases a striking 86 cores, 172 threads, and operates at a base clock speed of 2.1 GHz, indicative of its early testing stage.

Intel Granite Rapids-WS Xeon Workstation CPU — Image Source: OpenBenchmarking.org

The tested CPU was evaluated on a reference platform named “GNR-WS”, which stands for Granite Rapids-Workstation. This platform was equipped with an impressive 512 GB of DDR5 memory and featured networking capabilities comparable to Intel’s Arrow Lake-S platforms. Additionally, the setup utilized an NVIDIA RTX 3090 GPU alongside 1 TB of storage.

Examining the core configurations reveals a strong resemblance between the Granite Rapids-WS Xeon CPUs and Intel’s Xeon 6700P series, which also caps at 86 cores. Among the top entries in the 6700P lineup are the Xeon 6787P and 6788P, both boasting 86 cores and 172 threads, with base clock speeds between 2.0 and 2.1 GHz and a thermal design power (TDP) of up to 350W. These chips support 88 usable PCIe Gen 5 lanes and can handle DDR5 memory speeds up to 8000 MT/s.

Despite Intel’s advancements, AMD’s Threadripper 9000 series retains a core count advantage, featuring up to 96 cores. Moreover, with the efficient Zen 5 architecture, it will be intriguing to observe how Intel’s Granite Rapids-WS series competes in performance. AMD processors also support 80-128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, provide up to 384 MB of cache, and still manage a maximum TDP of 350W, setting the stage for a close contest between the companies.

In the competitive landscape of workstation processors, both Intel and AMD segment their products into different tiers. Intel’s upcoming W890 platform, supporting the Granite Rapids-WS Xeon CPUs, will offer a mainstream tier with 4-channel DDR5 memory and 80 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, alongside an Expert tier that includes 8-channel DDR5 memory support and 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Notably, the W890 chipset also features 24 PCIe Gen 4 lanes and 8 lanes designated for GMI.

A significant consideration for consumers is that Intel’s new LGA 4710 socket will require an entire platform upgrade for current Xeon Workstation users, contrasting with AMD’s strategy allowing Threadripper 7000 users to easily transition to the new 9000 line.

Overview of Intel’s HEDT and Workstation Processor Families

Intel HEDT Family	Granite Rapids	Sapphire Rapids Refresh	Sapphire Rapids	Cascade Lake	Skylake	Skylake	Skylake	Broadwell	Haswell	Ivy Bridge	Sandy Bridge	Gulftown
Process Node	Intel 3	10nm ESF	10nm ESF	14nm++	14nm+	14nm+	14nm+	14nm	22nm	22nm	32nm	32nm
Flagship WeU	TBD	Xeon W9-3595X, Xeon W7-2595X	Xeon W9-3495X, Xeon W7-2495X	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon W-3175X	Core i9-9980XE	Core i9-7980XE	Core i7-6950X	Core i7-5960X	Core i7-4960X	Core i7-3960X	Core i7-980X
Max Cores/Threads	86/172?	60/120, 26/52	56/112, 24/48	18/36	28/56	18/36	18/36	10/20	8/16	6/12	6/12	6/12
Clock Speeds	TBD	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz	3.00 / 4.80 GHz	3.10 / 4.30 GHz	3.00 / 4.50 GHz	2.60 / 4.20 GHz	3.00 / 3.50 GHz	3.00 / 3.50 GHz	3.60 / 4.00 GHz	3.30 / 3.90 GHz	3.33 / 3.60 GHz
Max Cache	TBD	105 MB L3	105 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	38.5 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	25 MB L3	20 MB L3	15 MB L3	15 MB L3	12 MB L3
Max PCI-Express Lanes (CPU)	128 Gen 5	112 Gen 5	112 Gen 5	44 Gen 3	44 Gen 3	44 Gen 3	44 Gen 3	40 Gen 3	40 Gen 3	40 Gen 3	40 Gen 2	32 Gen 2
Chipset Compatibility	W890	W790	W790	X299	C612E	X299	X299	X99 Chipset	X99 Chipset	X79 Chipset	X79 Chipset	X58 Chipset
Socket Compatibility	LGA 4710?	LGA 4677	LGA 4677	LGA 2066	LGA 3647	LGA 2066	LGA 2066	LGA 2011-3	LGA 2011-3	LGA 2011	LGA 2011	LGA 1366
Memory Compatibility	DDR5-6000?	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2800	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2133	DDR3-1866	DDR3-1600	DDR3-1066
Max TDP	350W?	350W	350W	165W	255W	165W	165W	140W	140W	130W	130W	130W
Launch	2025?	2024	2023	Q4 2019	Q4 2018	Q4 2018	Q3 2017	Q2 2016	Q3 2014	Q3 2013	Q4 2011	Q1 2010
Launch Price (Top WeU)	TBD	TBD	$5889	$979 US	~$4000 US	$1979 US	$1999 US	$1700 US	$1059 US	$999 US	$999 US	$999 US