Intel’s 18-Core Xeon 654 “Granite Rapids-WS” Matches 28-Core Xeon 3465X But Falls Behind 16-Core Threadripper 9955WX

New benchmarks of Intel's 18-Core Xeon 654 CPU have leaked out, showcasing what the entry-level Granite Rapids-WS chip has to offer.

Intel Xeon 654 With 18-Cores Matches The MT-Performance of A 28-Core Xeon 3465X But Falls Short When Compared To AMD's Zen 5 Threadripper With 16 Cores

Intel's upcoming Granite Rapids-WS or Workstation CPU family should be launching in a matter of months if everything goes smoothly. We know from prior details that the lineup will feature two CPU segments: the mainstream family with 4-channel DDR5 memory support and the Expert family with 8-channel memory support. The mainstream family will feature 80 PCIe Gen5 lanes while the Expert line features 128 PCIe Gen5 lanes.

While we have seen several Xeon Granite Rapids-WS (Workstation) CPUs leak out, the new entry for the Xeon 654 can be seen as an improvement to the performance that we saw earlier. But before that, let's give you a quick rundown on the specifications.

The Intel Xeon 654 is an entry-level CPU within the Granite Rapids-WS stack. It features 18 cores, 36 threads, 72 MB of L3 cache, 36 MB of L2 cache, and, based on previous entries, the chip should have a boost clock of up to 4.8 GHz and a base clock of 3.10 GHz. The early samples are clocked much lower, and as such, the performance is severely affected.

In terms of performance, the Intel Xeon 654 with its 18 P-Cores matched the 28-core Xeon W7-3465X in multi-threading and offered 18% higher single-threaded performance. Compared with the same core count Xeon W5-2565X, the chip offers 17% higher MT performance. Once again, these results should get better with retail samples. When compared with AMD's lineup, the 16-core Threadripper 9955WX is much faster in both ST and MT benchmarks, which shows the true power of Zen 5.

Even the mainstream desktop chips, such as the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9950X3D, offer better performance. But at the same time, the score is better than the previous entry that failed to even beat the 12-Core Ryzen Threadripper 9945WX. The high-end Xeon 696X with 64 cores also leaked out in the same PassMark benchmark a while ago.

The Intel Granite Rapids-WS "Xeon 600" family should be launching soon. We expect an announcement at CES 2026, though the retail launch might still be a few months away.

These chips should offer competition against AMD's Threadripper lineup, especially the higher core count variants, but the real deal should be when Intel updates the architecture of its Workstation lineup to match that of its desktop SKUs. AMD's Threadripper lineup features the current "Zen 5" architecture, while Intel's Granite Rapids-WS lineup is still relying on the Redwood Cove P-Core architecture, which is at least a generation older than what is out right now (Lion Cove), and new architectures such as Cougar Cove and Coyote Cove are planned for 2026.

Intel HEDT/Workstation Processor Families:

Intel HEDT Family	Granite Rapids	Sapphire Rapids Refresh	Sapphire Rapids	Cascade Lake	Skylake	Skylake	Skylake	Broadwell	Haswell	Ivy Bridge	Sandy Bridge	Gulftown
Process Node	Intel 3	10nm ESF	10nm ESF	14nm++	14nm+	14nm+	14nm+	14nm	22nm	22nm	32nm	32nm
Flagship SKU	TBD	Xeon W9-3595X Xeon W7-2595X	Xeon W9-3495X Xeon W7-2495X	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon W-3175X	Core i9-9980XE	Core i9-7980XE	Core i7-6950X	Core i7-5960X	Core i7-4960X	Core i7-3960X	Core i7-980X
Max Cores/Threads	86/172?	60/120 26/52	56/112 24/48	18/36	28/56	18/36	18/36	10/20	8/16	6/12	6/12	6/12
Clock Speeds	TBD	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz	3.00 / 4.80 GHz	3.10/4.30 GHz	3.00/4.50 GHz	2.60/4.20 GHz	3.00/3.50 GHz	3.00/3.50 GHz	3.60/4.00 GHz	3.30/3.90 GHz	3.33/3,60 GHz
Max Cache	TBD	105 MB L3	105 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	38.5 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	24.75 MB L3	25 MB L3	20 MB L3	15 MB L3	15 MB L3	12 MB L3
Max PCI-Express Lanes (CPU)	128 Gen 5	112 Gen 5	112 Gen 5	44 Gen3	44 Gen3	44 Gen3	44 Gen3	40 Gen3	40 Gen3	40 Gen3	40 Gen2	32 Gen2
Chipset Compatiblity	W890	W790	W790	X299	C612E	X299	X299	X99 Chipset	X99 Chipset	X79 Chipset	X79 Chipset	X58 Chipset
Socket Compatiblity	LGA 4710?	LGA 4677	LGA 4677	LGA 2066	LGA 3647	LGA 2066	LGA 2066	LGA 2011-3	LGA 2011-3	LGA 2011	LGA 2011	LGA 1366
Memory Compatiblity	DDR5-6000?	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2800	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2133	DDR3-1866	DDR3-1600	DDR3-1066
Max TDP	350W?	350W	350W	165W	255W	165W	165W	140W	140W	130W	130W	130W
Launch	2025?	2024	2023	Q4 2019	Q4 2018	Q4 2018	Q3 2017	Q2 2016	Q3 2014	Q3 2013	Q4 2011	Q1 2010
Launch Price (Top SKU)	TBD	TBD	$5889	$979 US	~$4000 US	$1979 US	$1999 US	$1700 US	$1059 US	$999 US	$999 US	$999 US

News Source: Momomo_US

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