Intel launches Xeon W-2500 and W-2600 processors for workstations: Up to 60 cores

Intel today introduced its new Xeon W 'Sapphire Rapids Refresh' workstation CPUs that add clocks and cores to various models while maintaining (or even lowering) many price points. The new Xeon W-2500 and W-3500-series CPUs are drop-in compatible with Intel W790 motherboards, but higher-end models are more power hungry than their predecessors.

As the codename suggests, Intel's news Xeon W-2500 and W-3500 Series use Intel's Sapphire Rapids design, so their core count tops 60 cores. Also, they still feature four or eight memory channels for up to 2 TB or 4 TB of DDR5-4800 memory with ECC and RAS capabilities (except several models in the W-2500 range that only support DDR5-4400) as well as 64 or 112 PCIe lanes, respectively.

Regarding core count, Intel added from four to eight cores to the various Xeon W-3500 models while maintaining their price points. The range-topping Xeon W9-3595X now has 60 cores, but it has a base processor power of 385W, 35W more than its predecessor, the Xeon W9-3495X, which had 56 cores.

The less expensive Xeon W-2500 series gained two cores, so the top-of-the-line Xeon W9-2595X now features 26 cores at 250W. Again, this is 25W higher compared to the processor base power of the Xeon W9-2495X.

The new Xeon W 'Sapphire Rapids Refresh' CPU line-up will include eight processors with unlocked multipliers aimed at overclockers who also want to have workstation-grade capabilities. These include the monstrous 60-core Xeon W9-3595X, 44-core Xeon W9-9575X, 32-core Xeon W7-3565X, and 20-core Xeon W5-3535X. In the Xeon W-2500 range, unlocked CPUs include 26-core Xeon W7-2595X, 22-core Xeon W7-2575X, 18-core W5-2565X, and 14-core W5-2555X.

Keeping in mind that rather modest core count (in most cases) and clock-speed improvements, it is hard to expect Intel's Xeon W 'Sapphire Rapids Refresh' processors to offer a tangible performance boost compared to the original Xeon W 'Sapphire Rapids' CPUs. Nonetheless, all leading workstation makers — Dell, HP, Lenovo, Supermicro, Puget, and Hypertec — are set to offer machines based on the new processors. Motherboard makers will also support the new CPUs with either new W790 models or BIOS updates. For example, ASRock and Gigabyte are prepping new W790 platforms, whereas Colorful Jwipc and Maxsun are set to enter the workstation motherboard market for the first time.

When it comes to pricing, the top-of-the-range Xeon W9-3595X costs $5889 in 1K unit quantities, the same price tag as its predecessor. The Xeon W7-2595X costs $2039, a bit lower than the recommended price of its predecessor, which was $2189.