Intel Granite Rapids pictured: Significantly increased area, using LGA-7529 socket

Earlier this year, Intel unveiled its fourth-generation Xeon Scalable processor, codenamed Sapphire Rapids. It is possible that within the year, the Eagle Stream platform’s Emerald Rapids may also be launched. However, the truly transformative shift comes with the introduction of Granite Rapids and the novel Mountain Stream (or Birch Stream) platform. The energy-efficient core-equipped Sierra Forest will also employ the same platform.

Recently, Twitter user @yuuki_ans posted the first physical image of Granite Rapids, revealing the substantial scale of future Xeon processors, significantly larger than existing products. Speculatively, the chip’s package area is 105 x 70.5 mm, implying a 70% increase. The corresponding LGA-7529 socket, previously leaked, is designed for both Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest. It exhibits a 61% increase in contact points compared to the LGA-4667 socket currently used by Sapphire Rapids and can support processors with a TDP of 500W.

With Granite Rapids, Intel is poised to make substantial changes, including manufacturing based on the Intel 3 process, employing Redwood Cove architecture cores, and increasing the number of cores and threads, with an L3 cache of 240MB. Its base clock is set at 2.5 GHz, offering 96 PCIe 5.0 channels and 12-channel DDR5-6400 memory. Intel has hinted that Granite Rapids will comprise multiple smaller chips within a single SoC, encapsulated through EMIB, and will include HBM and Rambo cache chips. Unlike Granite Rapids, Sierra Forest is entirely equipped with smaller energy-efficient cores, boasting up to 144 cores. It will also be manufactured using the Intel 3 process and will support 12-channel DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0.

According to Intel’s roadmap, both Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest are slated for release next year.