VideoCardz (Opens in a new tab) Posted potential specifications for Intel’s upcoming Sapphire Rapids-WS processor. However, it is important to emphasize that unlike the Sapphire Rapids-SP for data centers, these core heavy chips are intended for workstation demographics.
Sapphire Rapids uses the same Intel 7 (renamed 10nm Enhanced SuperFin) process and Golden Cove core as Intel’s mainstream Alder Lake lineup. Sapphire Rapids’ original plan was to compete with AMD’s EPYC 7003 (Milan) processor. However, Sapphire Rapids has been hit by multiple delays, and in some situations it may be possible to adopt the EPYC9003 (Genoa) lineup with Zen4. Meanwhile, Sapphire Rapids-WS is targeted at Team Red’s Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5000 WX Series (Chagall) army. The Zen 3 processor is on TSMC’s 7nm FinFET process, and Sapphire Rapids is a product of the 10nm process node.
According to the documentation obtained by VideoCardz, the publication was not shared, but Sapphire Rapids-WS natively supports DDR5-4800 memory. The 10nm chip only supports 1S configurations. This document reportedly did not confirm the number of memory slots or PCIe 5.0 lanes. However, the Sapphire Rapid-WS is said to come with 8-channel support and 112 PCIe 5.0 lanes. By comparison, Chagall is still on DDR4 memory and offers 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes.
Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids-WS Specifications *
| processor | stepping | Core / thread | Clock speed | L3 cache | TDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xeon W9-3495X | Xeon W9-3495X | 56C / 112T | 1.9 GHz | 105 MB | 350W |
| SR-WS ES2 | D0 (QYQU) | 56C / 112T | ?? | 105 MB | 350W |
| Xeon W9-3475X | E2 (Q19M), E3 (Q19S) | 36C / 72T | 2.2 GHz | 82.5 MB | 300W |
| SR-WS ES2 | D0 (QYQV) | 36C / 72T | ?? | 67.5 MB | 300W |
| Xeon W7-3465X | E2 (Q19L), E3 (Q19T) | 28C / 56T | 2.5 GHz | 75 MB | 300W |
| Xeon W7-3455 | E2 (Q19K), E3 (Q19U) | 24C / 48T | 2.5 GHz | 67.5 MB | 270W |
| Xeon W7-3445 | E2 (Q19J), E3 (Q19V) | 20C / 40T | 2.6 GHz | 52.5 MB | 270W |
| Xeon W5-3435X | E2 (Q19H), E3 (Q19W) | 16C / 32T | 3.1 GHz | 45 MB | 270W |
| Xeon W5-3433 | E2 (Q19F), E3 (Q19Y) | 16C / 32T | 2.0 GHz | 45 MB | 220W |
| Xeon W5-3425 | E2 (Q19G), E3 (Q19X) | 12C / 24T | 3.2 GHz | 30 MB | 270W |
| Xeon W5-3423 | E2 (Q19E), E3 (Q19Z) | 12C / 24T | 2.1 GHz | 30 MB | 220W |
| SR-WS ES2 | D0 (QYQW) | 12C / 24T | ?? | 30 MB | 200W |
* Specifications are unconfirmed.
Sapphire Rapids-WS holds the same hierarchy as Intel’s mainstream chips, but logically uses the Core brand instead of Xeon Monica. Therefore, the stack consists of W9, W7, and W5SKU. As always, the spec should be treated with caution, as Sapphire Rapids-WS is unreleased hardware and the state of the workstation processor is unknown.
One of the top SKUs, the Xeon W9-3495X, has 56 cores, 112 threads and 105MB of L3 cache. The chip reportedly has a clock speed of 1.9 GHz and a TDP of 350 WTDP. However, it’s still a few steps behind Ryzen Threadripper. For comparison, the Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5995WX has a 64 core, 128 threads, 256MB L3 cache. AMD’s chips are equipped with 280W TDP. This is lower than the Xeon W9-3495X.
The W7 layer contains SKUs for Golden Cove cores with 20-28 cores. The L3 cache varies from 52.5MB to 75W and the TDP ranges from 270W to 300W. W5 category. For example, it accommodates chips with 12 to 16 cores. The L3 cache is more modest and has parts from 30MB to 45MB. The TDP range of the Xeon W5 series is 200W to 270W.
It is unknown when the Sapphire Rapids-WS processor will hit the retail market. AMD’s latest desktop processor roadmap reveals that chip makers plan to bring Zen 4 cores to the Ryzen Threadripper family next year. Sapphire Rapids-WS will face some fierce competition in the future.
