Models and specifications of Intel Xeon W-3400(X) processors for W790 platform
Intel will release a new generation of server processors this year codenamed “Sapphire Rapids”. These will introduce support for PCI Express 5.0, DDR5 memory and, most importantly, a new high-performance CPU architecture derived from the successful Alder Lake processors. But Sapphire Rapids CPUs are also heading to workstations and high-end desktops, and now the specs for these desktop models have been leaked.
Sapphire Rapids for the high-end platform should be a similar product to Threadripper Pro, i.e. desktop processors that offer very high multi-threaded performance and have strong connectivity, but they will also probably be more expensive than past predecessors, increasingly becoming closer to a workstation platform with enterprise features rather than the the original “HEDT” platform for enthusiasts. It turns out the processors will be released as part of the Xeon W series (more accurately as the Xeon W-3400 or W-3400X generation), the branding of which clearly points to the Workstation segment.
They are going to be installed into boards with the Intel W790 chipset, which seems to be derived from the Alder Lake chipsets (and probably is close to the “Pro” version of the W680), and the whole platform is reportedly codenamed “Maverick” or also Sapphire Rapids-112L. This platform will support ECC DDR5-4800 memory (it is not yet clear if with a full eight-channel controller, but probably yes), but only one processor (1S) unlike the server Xeons.
The VideoCardz website has now provided a list of models that Intel is preparing. These are processors with up to 56 cores and 112 threads, while lower models have 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 36 cores (always with double the number of threads). It’s possible that this is not the complete lineup and there will be more to come, a 32-core or maybe a 48-core, for example.
The most powerful Xeon W9-3495X model (note that the labelling has been aligned with the desktop Core i9/i7/etc. nomenclature) has 56 cores and 112 threads and reportedly 105 MB of L3 cache. However, the CPU cores will have a relatively low base frequency, just 1.9 GHz. What the maximum all-core turbo will be for an all-core workload, or the maximum boost for single-threaded tasks, has unfortunately not yet been determined.
The processor needs 350 W TDP to do this, so this platform will be built for heavy power draw. However, it’s quite possible that AMD’s future Zen 4 architecture-based Threadripper Pros will have similar TDPs, given that Zen 4-based Epycs are expected to have 360–400W TDPs.
The second model still in the W9 category, the Xeon W9-3475X, has only 36 cores and 72 threads, and its L3 cache shrinks proportionally to “only” 82.5 MB. The base frequency of this model is 2.2 GHz. However, the TDP remains quite high at 300 W.
The Xeon W7 models are listed as having only 20–28 cores (40–56 threads) and TDPs from 270–300 W, while the lower models with 12 and 16 cores (24/32 threads) are settling for the Xeon W5 name. There is no word yet on Xeon W3 models, so those might not exist at all, as the platform is generally higher price-tier. All models could hopefully have full connectivity, so the W5 models will be useful where multi-core performance is not so much a concern and the user is mainly after abundant PCI Express lanes and memory capacity and bandwidth.
These processors will also be an option for those who would like a CPU with the Golden Cove architecture (as in Alder Lake), but with AVX-512 instructions (and AMX for matrix operations) being present or conversely without the big.LITTLE combination with small E-Core cores. However, it remains to be seen whether this server version of Golden Cove will reach similarly high clock speeds exceeding 5 GHz (in single-threaded boost at least). For example, gaming performance will probably be worse than what the mainstream LGA 1700 platform is showing off. This is due to the use of server core and L3 cache interconnect based on mesh topology, instead of the ring bus of the desktop Alder Lake. This has had a negative effect on game performance in the Skylake and Skylake-X generation, for example.
The X models might allow overclocking?
On the other hand, these processors might be overclockable, which would be a concession to enthusiasts allowing them to use this “Workstation” platform in lieu of “HEDT” (High End Desktop) processors, i.e. as a successor to the X299 platform. Do note that some models have the letter X at the end, which could perhaps mean unlocked multipliers allowing overclocking.
VideoCardz has no new information on when these processors and their W790 platform should come to market. Previous unofficial rumors said that the launch could be in October, the same month as the mainstream Raptor Lake desktop processors. Intel will be hosting an Innovation 2022 event in September, during which it could formally unveil the W-3400(X) Xeons. However, there is some possibility that the release has been delayed in the same way that Sapphire Rapids has been delayed for servers.
Source: VideoCardz
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
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