Intel Beechnut City verification platform appears

During the Vision 2024 event, Intel announced a change in the naming convention for its Xeon processors. The forthcoming sixth generation Xeon Scalable Processors will be known as the Xeon 6 Series, comprising two product lines: Granite Rapids (P-Core) and Sierra Forest (E-Core). Intel stated that this change aims to simplify the naming of products and align the nomenclature of server processors with that of the latest consumer processors.

Recently, an enthusiast shared details of Intel’s next-generation Xeon 6 Series processor validation platform, dubbed “Beechnut City.”

The images provided reveal that this validation platform features a red PCB and is a dual-socket system utilizing the LGA 4710 socket, which can support either two Granite Rapids or two Sierra Forest processors. The motherboard boasts 32 memory slots, indicating that each processor supports 16 channels, with compatibility for DDR5-6400 memory modules. Previously, Intel had showcased a 12-channel validation platform design known as “Avenue City,” which featured 24 memory slots.

Granite Rapids utilizes Intel’s 3 process technology and incorporates the Redwood Cove architecture. It will support the MXFP4 data format, endorsed by the Open Compute Project (OCP) along with major industry players such as NVIDIA, AMD, and ARM. This architecture includes multiple small chips within a single SoC, packaged using EMIB technology, and will also feature HBM and Rambo Cache chips. Sierra Forest is crafted using the same Intel 3 process and will feature up to 288 Sierra Glen cores.

Sierra Forest is expected to launch this quarter as the first product to debut with the new naming convention. Granite Rapids is slated for release within this year, although a specific timeline has yet to be confirmed.