Intel details Xeon 600 Granite Rapids-WS
Today Intel is announcing the Xeon 600 Processor family for workstations codenamed Granite Rapids. The lineup targets single-socket systems with high core counts. Intel also focuses on high I/O for multi-GPU and storage-heavy builds.
The flagship listed is the Xeon 698X . Intel lists 86 cores and 172 threads. Cache is 336MB of L3. Base clock is 2.0 GHz. Intel lists up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost Max 3.0. Intel lists up to 4.6 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0. Intel confirms this CPU as unlocked for overclocking.
On the platform side, Intel pairs Xeon 600 for workstations with the Intel W890 chipset . Intel lists up to 128 CPU-attached PCIe 5.0 lanes and 8 memory channels, DDR5-6400 RDIMM, and up to 4TB capacity. Compared to last-gen Xeon WS, Granite Rapids-WS features increased L2 and L3 cache and CXL 2.0 support. Intel also mentions Intel vPro Enterprise and Intel Deep Learning Boost with VNNI, AVX-512, and AMX.
Source: Intel
Slides also split workloads between “desktop workstations” and “high-end workstations.” Interestingly, Core Ultra 200 appears in the slides too. They are mentioned in combination with the W880 chipset for latency-sensitive and moderately threaded work. The desktop CPU series are for content creation, CAD projects that fit within 256GB of system memory, game development and testing, and small data science work.
Meanwhile, Intel positions Xeon 600 for highly threaded jobs that need higher memory bandwidth, large memory capacity, and PCIe expandability. Intel lists FEA and CFD simulation, photo-realistic visualization, reality capture, CAD/CAM projects that need more than 192GB of system memory, complex 3D work, virtual production, and AI development.
Source: Intel
Intel also includes performance claims: up to 9% higher single-thread performance and up to 61% higher multi-thread performance versus Xeon W-3500 and W-2500 processors. Interestingly, there’s also a comparison to the Core Ultra 5 245K CPU, which is 23% faster in single-threaded performance and 27% higher in CAD workloads compared to Xeon 636. However, the Xeon SKU is 11% faster in 3D Scene Rendering, 25% faster in photo-realistic rendering, and 47% faster in linear algebra.
Intel lists multiple unlocked “X” SKUs for workstation tuning. The slide names 698X, 696X, 678X, 676X, 674X, and 658X. Intel lists core tuning, mesh tuning, and Turbo Boost tuning options. Intel also lists new undervolting protection and extra reporting for performance limits.
In terms of pricing, Xeon 698X costs $7,699, while the cheapest SKU Xeon 634 with 12 cores will retail at $499.
| Xeon 6 Workstation “Granite Rapids-WS” Specs (350W) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Cores/Threads | Max Turbo Frequency | PCIe Lanes | L3 Cache | OC | Price |
| Xeon 698X🆕 | 86/172 | 4.8 GHz | 128 | 336 MB | ✅ | $7699 |
| Xeon 696X🆕 | 64/128 | 4.8 GHz | 128 | 336 MB | ✅ | $5599 |
| Xeon 678X🆕 | 48/96 | 4.9 GHz | 128 | 192 MB | ✅ | $3749 |
| Xeon 676X🆕 | 32/64 | 4.9 GHz | 128 | 144 MB | ✅ | $2499 |
| Xeon 674X🆕 | 28/56 | 4.9 GHz | 128 | 144 MB | ✅ | $2199 |
| Xeon 658X🆕 | 24/48 | 4.9 GHz | 128 | 144 MB | ✅ | $1699 |
| Xeon 656🆕 | 20/40 | 4.8 GHz | 128 | 72 MB | ❌ | $1399 |
| Xeon 654🆕 | 18/36 | 4.8 GHz | 128 | 72 MB | ❌ | $1199 |
| Xeon 638🆕 | 16/32 | 4.8 GHz | 80 | 72 MB | ❌ | $899 |
| Xeon 636🆕 | 12/24 | 4.7 GHz | 80 | 48 MB | ❌ | $639 |
| Xeon 634🆕 | 12/24 | 4.4 GHz | 80 | 48 MB | ❌ | $499 |
