Intel returns to boxed workstation CPUs with Xeon 600 — Granite Rapids WS delivers up to 86 cores, 4TB of memory, and 128 PCIe 5 lanes

Intel is reentering the desktop workstation market with the Xeon 600 series, previously known as Granite Rapids-WS, offering up to 86 cores, 4TB of memory, and 128 PCIe 5 lanes. The new CPUs promise up to 9% better single-threaded performance and up to 61% higher multi-threaded performance compared to the previous generation. The Xeon 600 chips use the Redwood Cove microarchitecture and exclusively feature P-cores with Hyper-Threading. Intel plans to release 11 SKUs, with five available as boxed models for individual sale, and new motherboards and systems from various brands are expected in late March. The Xeon 600 CPUs support MRDIMMs for increased memory bandwidth and offer advanced features like 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes, CXL 2.0 support, and AMX accelerators in each core.