Intel's W890 workstation platform, the foundation for its upcoming "Granite Rapids-WS" HEDT workstation Xeon processors, has been leaked. The platform introduces a new Socket E2 design with 4,710 LGA pins built to support CPUs with TDP ratings reaching 350 watts. Intel is taking a two-tier approach with distinct "Expert" and "Mainstream" configurations: Expert-class implementations unlock 112 PCIe lanes (96 PCIe 5.0 lanes plus 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes), while the Mainstream tier delivers 80 PCIe 5.0 lanes. This will support a XCC-based "Granite Rapids-WS" processor with 86 cores and 172 threads , achieving single-core boost speeds near 4.8 GHz with 336 MB of L3 cache .

Memory capabilities mark a significant evolution from previous workstation platforms. The W890 chipset supports both standard DDR5 DIMMs and registered DDR5 modules, with RDIMMs validated for speeds up to 5,200 MT/s. In a quad-channel configuration with two DIMMs per channel, systems can address up to 2 TB of memory per processor socket. The connectivity suite includes a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet controller, numerous USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 ports, multiple SATA III interfaces, and dual SlimSAS connectors that each provide PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth. Server-grade management infrastructure includes an ASPEED AST2600 BMC and a Nuvoton system supervisor, while power delivery provisions mandate a standard 24-pin ATX connector alongside support for up to four supplementary 8-pin CPU power headers.