After the release of the 10th generation of HEDT platform desktop processors, Intel has not launched HEDT products for two consecutive generations. As currently, Intel removed the "Core-X" brand from the HEDT lineup in favor of the "Xeon-W" product line.
Tech blogger Moore's Law Is Dead recently introduced more details about Sapphire Rapids-X while reiterating the market strategy for the Fishhawk Falls platform. Intel also plans to subdivide the Sapphire Rapids HEDT platform into two categories, expert workstations and mainstream platforms.
Over the weekend, Moore's Law Is Dead shared some of Intel's Fishhawk Falls HEDT platforms in the latest YouTube video, such as the mainstream Sapphire Rapids-X's "Xeon-W" series with up to 24 cores and 5GHz frequencies, and the "Xeon-W" professional workstation series supporting up to 112 cores and 8 channels of memory.
The Xeon-W will succeed the Ice Lake-W Xeon processor launched in 2020 and will deliver 12 to 56 Golden Cove high-performance cores (P-cores) with turbo frequencies above 4GHz. The thermal design power (TDP) of the flagship SKU can be extended up to 350W. It is estimated to be priced between $3,000 and $5,000 (20,000 to 33,000 RMB).
The Professional Workstation Xeon-W will support 8-channel ECC-validated DDR4-4400 (1DPD)/DDR5-4800 (2DPC) memory, up to a maximum capacity of 4TB, supplemented by 112 PCIe 5.0 channels. The dual-socket Sapphire Rapids-X Professional Workstation motherboard supports up to 112 CPU cores (LGA 4677 slot).
The mainstream Sapphire Rapids-X workstation platform will replace Cascade Lake-X and Xeon-W Skylake-X (Xeon W-3175X). It is expected to have up to 24 cores and 48 threads, and the main frequency can reach more than 5GHz (full core at 4.4 to 4.6GHz); The mainstream HEDT product line supports quad channel (ECC) DDR5 memory, supplemented by 64 PCIe 5.0 channels. PL1 power consumption or 200 ~ 300W, the top model PL2 power consumption up to 300 ~ 400W. Pricing may continue the Core-X family, around $500 to $3,000 (3,300 to 20,000 RMB).
In terms of motherboards, the Fishhawk HEDT series CPU will be paired with the Intel W790/C790 series chipset motherboard. But given the existence of mainstream workstations and professional workstations, Intel should open two platforms, where the support 4-channel memory series may use a smaller LGA interface; The 8-channel version uses the LGA 4677.
Foreign media @WCCFTech speculate that Intel's new generation OF HEDT platform will have the following breakdown: Sapphire Rapids-AP is the successor to the Xeon-class workstation CPU SKU; Sapphire Rapids-X positions the successor to the high-end audiophile CPU SKU; Sapphire Rapids-X is the successor to the mainstream fever-grade CPU SKU.
Editor's comments: With the introduction of the 12th generation Core design of large and small cores, the core number of i9-12900K has come to 16 cores, 24 threads, coupled with a new architecture and more advanced manufacturing processes, the performance has been no less than the HEDT platform i9-10980XE, and then continue to launch the i9 series OF HEDT, it seems to make little sense, Intel classified it into the Xeon series, can better distinguish workstations and desktop computers.
If the revelations are reliable, the Fasthire Rapids-X workstation processor will be seen at the Taipei Computer Show in June. As for when to go public, it also depends on Intel's development progress and the update rhythm of AMD Ryzen™ products.