Intel Granite Rapids-WS leak sheds light on Threadripper Pro 9995WX rival

[DragonSlayer101]

The big picture: Intel is expected to unveil its Granite Rapids HEDT and workstation processors later this year, serving as an upgrade to the Sapphire Rapids Refresh family launched in 2024. The upcoming platform, which will compete with AMD's Threadripper 9000 lineup, appears to have leaked ahead of launch, revealing key details.

A recent listing on the OpenBenchmarking database for the "Intel 0000" processor reveals a CPU with 86 cores, 172 threads, and a 4.8 GHz clock speed. It is worth noting that the tested unit was likely an engineering sample, meaning the final retail clocks could differ.

The reference evaluation platform is listed as "Intel GNR-WS," short for Granite Rapids-Workstation. The testbed featured 512 GB of DDR5 memory, 1 TB of storage, and an Nvidia RTX 3090 graphics card. The listing also revealed that the system's networking capabilities were on par with Arrow Lake-S platforms.

Earlier rumors about the Granite Rapids-W platform suggest that Intel will divide the lineup into two tiers. The top-tier CPUs are expected to support up to 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and eight-channel DDR5 memory, while the lower-tier chips will offer 80 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and four-channel DDR5 memory, limiting their performance potential.

Granite Rapids is expected to work with Intel's W890 chipset, an upgrade over the W790 platform supported by Sapphire Rapids Refresh. Intel is also likely to debut the new LGA 4710 socket, meaning users will need a new motherboard to upgrade to the platform.

Leaks indicate that the Granite Rapids-WS Xeon CPUs will share some similarities with the Xeon 6700P family, including flagship chips featuring 86 cores and 172 threads. By comparison, the 6788P has a 2.0 GHz base clock and 3.8 GHz boost clock, suggesting the next-gen flagship could achieve higher frequencies.

Granite Rapids will compete against AMD's Zen 5-based Threadripper 9000 family, led by the Threadripper Pro 9995WX with 96 cores and 192 threads. Since its launch, the Threadripper Pro line has become popular for demanding professional workloads such as 8K video editing and 3D rendering. Intel will need to deliver strong performance and competitive features to capture a share of this high-margin market with its next-generation offerings.

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Intel Granite Rapids-WS leak sheds light on Threadripper Pro 9995WX rival

 

[Squid Surprise]

Let me guess... not quite the same performance for much more money... and consuming far more power...

I'd love them to prove me wrong as Threadripper prices are ridiculous now since there is 0 competition...

 

[airbornex]

With Threadripper sitting at 96 cores and Granite Rapids aiming for 86, we are officially in the territory where most people will use two percent of the chip to play games while bragging online about Cinebench scores they will never actually need.

 

[wiyosaya]

I bet that more PCI-e lanes on the Intel chip will cost more and that on the Threadripper, they are included in all levels of the chip.

 

[SRB]

If it's anything like Granite Rapids vs. Turin, I doubt Intel will win more than a few specific benchmarks while sucking down more power. Pretty much Intel's story for the last few generations.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I bet that more PCI-e lanes on the Intel chip will cost more and that on the Threadripper, they are included in all levels of the chip.

They’re not… Threadripper has 80 lanes and Threadripper pro has 128…

AMD gets away with it because… they can…
This SHOULD be the point where Intel decides to offer more lanes at a discount but… this is Intel… so I’d doubt it…

 

[havok585]

There's no rival, sadly in this segment.