Intel appears set to challenge AMD’s Threadripper 9000WX series with its upcoming Granite Rapids-WS platform, according to new leaks outlining core specifications and early benchmark data.
Hardware leaker Momomo_us reports that the flagship Xeon 698X will ship with 86 cores, 172 threads, and 336 MB of L3 cache. An earlier online benchmark listing suggested boost clocks up to 4.8 GHz, though Intel has not confirmed these figures.
The leak also lists 10 additional SKUs, including several “X” models expected to feature unlocked multipliers:
- Xeon 696X — 2.40 GHz, 336 MB L3
- Xeon 678X — 2.40 GHz, 192 MB L3
- Xeon 676X — 2.80 GHz, 144 MB L3
- Xeon 674X — 3.00 GHz, 144 MB L3
- Xeon 658X — 3.00 GHz, 144 MB L3
- Xeon 656 — 2.90 GHz, 72 MB L3
- Xeon 654 — 3.10 GHz, 72 MB L3
- Xeon 638 — 3.20 GHz, 72 MB L3
- Xeon 636 — 3.50 GHz, 48 MB L3
- Xeon 634 — 2.70 GHz, 48 MB L3
A Granite Rapids-WS engineering sample appeared on Geekbench this week, seemingly aligning with the leaked specifications. The tested Xeon 654 sample included 18 cores, 36 threads, 72 MB of L3 cache, and ran at 4.60 GHz, producing a single-core score of 2,634 and a multi-core score of 14,743 — below comparable AMD Threadripper 9000 parts.
Previous reports indicate Intel will split the platform into two tiers:
- a mainstream series with 80 PCIe Gen5 lanes and 4-channel DDR5,
- an Expert series offering 128 PCIe Gen5 lanes and 8-channel memory for higher-end workstation use.
Intel has not announced a launch timeline, though industry expectations point to CES 2026 in January.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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