The big picture: Intel is currently developing its next-generation workstation and high-end desktop (HEDT) processors, expected to launch later this year. The lineup may feature various SKUs, with the flagship Xeon W9-3595X recently making an appearance on Geekbench, providing insights into some of its key specifications.

The listing, discovered by Benchleaks, appears to confirm previous speculation about Intel's plans to launch the Xeon W2500 and W-3500 series workstation and HEDT processors in early 2024. The Xeon W9-3595X belongs to Intel's 'Sapphire Rapids' series and will incorporate the same Golden Cove cores found in the existing Sapphire Rapids Xeon W-3400/2400 processors.

Regarding specifications, the listing discloses that the W9-3595X will feature 60 cores and 120 threads, along with 112 MB of L3 cache, 120 MB of L2 cache (2 MB per core), and a maximum turbo frequency of 4.60 GHz. These specifications represent an improvement over the Xeon W9-3495X, which offers 56 cores, 112 threads, 112 MB of L2 cache, and 105 MB of L3 cache.

The W9-3595X will utilize the LGA 4677 socket, making it compatible with existing W790 motherboards after a BIOS update. In this scenario, the testbed included an Asus Pro WS W790-ACE board and 256 GB of DDR5 memory. Despite the addition of four extra cores, the CPU will maintain its 350W TDP.

In terms of performance, the W9-3595X achieved only 1,611 points in the single-core test and 17,118 points in the multi-core benchmark. Both figures are considerably lower than the results obtained by the current W9-3495X, which scored 2,152 in the single-core test and 18,892 in the multi-core benchmark. The reason for the W9-3595X's reduced scores is not immediately apparent, but it could suggest that the tested SKU was an early engineering sample rather than the final product.

Intel's Sapphire Rapids lineup targets enthusiasts, content creators, and workstation users who prioritize multi-threaded performance over single-threaded power. While the upcoming chips are expected to deliver similar performance to existing Sapphire Rapids SKUs, they are anticipated to introduce additional AI features, such as dedicated AI acceleration engines, enhancing their suitability for specific specialized workloads.

Although the official release date is still unknown, it is likely to occur sooner rather than later.