Intel launches new Xeon W-2500 and W-3500

A Intel launched last Wednesday (28) its new processors Xeon W ‘Sapphire Rapids Refresh’ for workstations.

The updated models offer more cores and clock speeds, with some maintaining or even reducing prices. Compatible with Intel W790 motherboards, the Xeon W-2500 and W-3500 series feature advanced designs that consume more power than previous versions.

Details of Intel’s new chips

The new Xeon W-2500 and W-3500 series chips use Intel’s Sapphire Rapids design and can have more than 60 cores. They support up to 4TB of DDR5 memory-4800 with ECC and RAS features, although some W-2500 models only support DDR5-4400. Additionally, they offer 64 or 112 PCIe lanes.

In the Xeon W-3500 series, Intel has added four to eight cores without raising the price. For example, the top-of-the-line Xeon W9-3595X now has 60 cores and a base power consumption of 385W, 35W more than the previous model. In the W-2500 series, the Xeon W9-2595X has gained two cores, bringing the total to 26, while consuming 250W, 25W more than its predecessor.

The new lineup includes eight processors with unlocked multipliers for overclockers and workstation users. Highlights include the 60-core Xeon W9-3595X and the 26-core Xeon W7-2595X in the W-2500 range.

Manufacturers are already preparing to launch compatible products

Despite the improvements in cores and clock speeds, Intel’s new Xeon W ‘Sapphire Rapids Refresh’ processors are expected to offer a significant performance boost.

Major manufacturers such as Dell, HP, LenovoSupermicro, Puget and Hypertec are all set to launch products with the new chips. Motherboard makers will also support the new processors with W790 models or BIOS updates. ASRock and Gigabyte, for example, are preparing new W790 platforms.

In terms of pricing, the Xeon W9-3595X costs $5889 per thousand units, the same as the previous model. The Xeon W7-2595X is slightly cheaper at $2039, compared to the previous price of $2189.

These are the most basic Xeon models

The new Intel Xeon W-2500 and W-3500 processors are not the most expensive or advanced options for professionals. In fact, they are basic and mid-range solutions for those looking for this type of product.

This year, we saw the launch of the Xeon 6-series, with an even higher core count. For example, the Xeon 6900P (Granite Rapids) will arrive later this year with 128 cores, and next year, the Xeon 6900E (Sierra Forest) could have up to 288 cores!

However, it is important to remember that more cores do not necessarily mean better performance. It was recently announced that the Graviton4 CPU, exclusively used by Amazonoutperformed several current Xeon models in synthetic performance tests.

Source: Tom’s Hardware