Processors Intel Xeon W they are specifically intended for the workstation segment; the line includes more cores and threads, more cache memory, a new architecture based on the 10nm compute node, and more memory I / O support. For comparison only, the Ice Lake Xeon family of workstations will offer support for the LGA4189 socket up to 270W, 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes and memory 8-channel 3200MHz DDR4 with capacities up to 4 TB.
The new generation of Intel Xeon W-3300 CPU is here
Initially, Intel has revealed five Xeon W-3300 processors in total, all of them sharing the same platform and its characteristics, but with some variations, which are what we are going to describe below.
- Xeon W-3375: It is the fastest and most powerful chip so far with 38 cores and 76 processing threads. The chip has 57 MB of cache (1.5 MB per core) and a maximum clock speed of 4 GHz for one core and 3.3 GHz for all. The CPU is priced at $ 4,499, which is 65% more than AMD’s Threadripper Pro 3975WX, although it has 32 cores at 4.3 GHz.
- Xeon W-3365– This processor has 32 cores and 64 processing threads, with 48 MB of L3 cache and a maximum speed of 4 GHz for one core and 3.5 GHz for all. It is priced at $ 3,499, and it compares to the cheaper AMD Threadripper 3975WX, offering higher speeds, more PCIe 4.0 lanes, and more cache.
- Xeon W-3345: One notch lower we find this CPU that features 24 cores and 48 threads, with 36 MB of cache and a clock speed of 4 GHz for one core and 3.7 GHz for all for a price of $ 2,499. This processor does not have a comparable AMD Threadripper, but for $ 250 more the red ones sell the 3975WX we mentioned above.
- Xeon W-3335 and Xeon W-3323: we bundled these two processors into a line because they are quite similar, both below 20 cores. The W-3355 has 16 cores and 32 threads with 24MB of L3 cache, while the Xeon W3323 features 12 cores and 24 threads with 21MB of L3 cache. Their prices are respectively $ 1,299 and $ 949.
While Intel says it has a competitive advantage with its 10nm Ice Lake CPUs in single-threaded workloads, the same chips lose by a large margin in both multi-threaded and multi-threaded tests. efficiency energetic. In pure core count, Intel does not come close to the powerful 64 cores offered by the competition with its Threadripper Pro (also aimed at workstation users), and it is worth commenting that by comparison Intel appears to have a major deficiency in terms of PCIe 4.0 lanes in general.
Intel already knows its performance in a preliminary way
| CPU name | Architecture | Cores / Threads | Base Frequency | Boost frequency (1 core and all cores) | L3 cache | TDP | Price (MSRP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xeon W-3375 | 10nm Ice Lake | 38/76 | 2.5 GHz | 4.0 GHz 3.3 GHz |
57 MB | 270W | $ 4499 US |
| Xeon W-3365 | 10nm Ice Lake | 32/64 | 2.7 GHz | 4.0 GHz 3.5 GHz |
48 MB | 270W | $ 3499 US |
| Xeon W-3345 | 10nm Ice Lake | 24/48 | 3.0 GHz | 4.0 GHz 3.7 GHz |
36 MB | 250W | $ 2499 US |
| Xeon W-3335 | 10nm Ice Lake | 16/32 | 3.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz 3.7 GHz |
24 MB | 250W | $ 1299 US |
| Xeon W-3323 | 10nm Ice Lake | 12/24 | 3.5 GHz | 3.9 GHz 3.7 GHz |
21 MB | 250W | $ 949 US |
The Intel Xeon W-3300 have a new core architecture that represents a new era in terms of performance and efficiency (in the words of Intel), and compares with the previous generation as follows:
- Up to 2.5 times more memory capacity with a 31% increase in your bandwidth.
- Up to 45% more performance in multi-threaded Cinema 4D.
- Up to 26% more performance in rendering preview with AutoDesk Maya.
- Up to 20% faster editing and coding in workloads with Adobe Premiere Pro.
- Up to 27% more performance in 3D rendering with AutoDesk Maya.
Intel is tied with AMD in terms of workstation platform features, such as integrating PCI-Express 4.0 or 8-channel memory support, but those are some of the things that AMD has been offering for a long time (since early 2021). ). As for whether we could see an enthusiastic category outlet for these chips, it is not entirely out of the question as Skylake-SP was launched as an offering for professional consumers in the form of the Xeon W-3175X with its own set of enthusiast motherboards.
A similar launch could be expected, but for those hoping for a suitable enthusiast lineup, that shouldn’t be expected until mid-2022 at the latest.
New socket: new motherboards and new heatsinks
Gigabyte and ASRock have been the first to present new motherboards for this new Intel workstation platform, which debuts the socket LGA4189. Aimed at servers and workstations, these new motherboards (MU92-TU1 and MU92-TU0 from Gigabyte and C621A from ASRock) are quite well equipped especially in terms of their I / O capacity and features that take full advantage of the line of Intel Xeon W-3300 processors.
Thus, the ASRock C621A It features up to 4 PCIe 4.0 x16 ports, 3 PCIe 4.0 x8 ports, and can support up to 4 dual-slot GPU / FPGAs. The board also features 8 DIMM sockets for capacities up to 2TB of RAM; likewise, it includes dual 10 GbE LAN ports powered by Intel’s X710-AT2 controller and two 1 GbE LAN ports (Intel i210).
Motherboards Gigabyte MU92-TU1 / TU0 for their part, they are also designed for Intel Xeon W-3300 and Ice Lake-SP processors. They feature an 8-channel DIMM configuration with support for Optane Persistent Memory 200 series, 2 10GbE LAN ports, 1 DMP, 2 SATA 3 ports, one M.2 port (Gen 3 x4), 7 PCIe 4.0 x16 slots and four USB 4.0 ports (two on rear I / O, 2 through internal header).
Of course, a new platform that launches socket also needs new heatsinks that are compatible, and the Austrian firm Night has been the first to announce its heatsinks compatible with the 270W of TDP and the LGA4189 socket of these Xeon W-3300. Noctua has announced a total of 5 models that we list below along with their prices:
- NH-U14S DX-4189: € 109.90
- NH-U12S DX-4189: € 119.90
- NH-U9 DX-4189: € 109.90
- NH-D9 DX-4189 4U: €
- NM-i4189: € 29.90
All these heatsinks are already available in Amazon and in the usual distributors of the brand.
