Intel's Xeon 696X CPU, featuring 64 cores, has leaked out in the latest benchmarks, but trails behind AMD's Threadripper offerings.
Intel Xeon 696X "Granite Rapids-WS" CPU Boasts 64-Cores With An Impressive 336 MB of L3 Cache, But Falls Behind The 64-Core Threadripper In PassMark Benchmark
Intel's Xeon 696X CPU, one of the high-end chips in the Granite Rapids-WS (Workstation) lineup, leaked out a couple of weeks ago. This was the first time that we got a glance at the specifications & also the preliminary performance results.
Now, the same chip has leaked out in the PassMark Software database, where it is shown as a 32-core SKU, though we know that this is just an erroneous reporting by the software itself. The Intel Xeon 696X packs a total of 64 cores and 128 threads based on the Redwood Cove P-Core architecture. It carries an impressive 336 MB of L3 and 128 MB of L2 cache, and the clock speeds are rated at 2.4 GHz base with boost speeds around the 4.6 GHz mark.
These specifications already outpace the current flagship "Sapphire Rapids-WS" chip, the Xeon W9-3595X CPU, which offers 60 cores and 120 threads. The Granite Rapids-WS lineup features TDPs of 350W at base and should be around 450-500W at MTP. The previous-gen had a maximum turbo power of up to 462W.
In terms of performance, the Intel Xeon 696X CPU scored 3359 points in the single-core and 112,888 points in the multi-core test. This is 27% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX, which also packs 64 cores but is based on the Zen 5 architecture.
PassMark CPU Benchmark (Higher is Better)
At the same time, the CPU offers a 17% boost versus the Xeon W9-3595X, but one thing that leads us to believe that these numbers are based on early ES samples is that the single-threaded score for the Xeon 696X is worse than that of the Xeon W9-3595X. So we can expect better performance figures once the final retail or qualification samples start to show up.
Intel is expected to unveil the next-generation workstation lineup next year, and we could probably see that happening at CES 2026, so stay tuned.
Intel Granite Rapids "Xeon Workstation" CPU Family (Official):
| CPU Name | Cores / Threads | Clock (Base / Boost) | L3 Cache | Memory | PCIe Lanes | TDP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xeon 698X | 86 / 172 | 2.0 / 4.8 GHz | 336 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 350W | $7699 |
| Xeon 696X | 64 / 128 | 2.4 / 4.8 GHz | 336 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 350W | $5599 |
| Xeon 678X | TBD | 2.4 / 4.9 GHz | 192 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 300W | $3749 |
| Xeon 676X | TBD | 2.8 / 4.9 GHz | 144 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 275W | $2499 |
| Xeon 674X | TBD | 3.0 / 4.9 GHz | 144 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 270W | $2199 |
| Xeon 658X | TBD | 3.0 / 4.9 GHz | 144 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 250W | $1699 |
| Xeon 656 | TBD | 2.8 / 4.8 GHz | 72 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 210W | $1399 |
| Xeon 654 | 18 / 36 | 3.1 / 4.8 GHz | 72 MB | 8Ch 6400/8000 | 128 Gen5 | 200W | $1199 |
| Xeon 638 | TBD | 3.2 / 4.8 GHz | 72 MB | 4Ch 6400 | 80 Gen5 | 180W | $899 |
| Xeon 636 | TBD | 3.5 / 4.7 GHz | 48 MB | 4Ch 6400 | 80 Gen5 | 170W | $639 |
| Xeon 634 | TBD | 2.7 / 4.6 GHz | 48 MB | 4Ch 6400 | 80 Gen5 | 150W | $499 |
News Source: @x86deadandback
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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