86-core Intel Xeon 698X appears on Geekbench with 4.60GHz boost clocks

A new Intel processor, widely thought to be the unreleased Xeon 698X, has appeared in a Geekbench 6.5.0 benchmark listing. Featuring 86 cores and 172 threads, this chip is clearly designed for extreme multi-threaded performance. It also reportedly includes a massive 336MB of L3 cache and a base clock speed of 4.6 GHz.

Leaked Geekbench 6.5 results show the processor scoring 2,532 points in single-core tests and 21,030 points in multi-core performance. While these figures are notably high, it’s still unclear whether the benchmark reflects the Xeon 698X running at its maximum capabilities.

The detailed benchmark breakdown highlights strong results in a range of demanding tasks, including Clang code compilation, photo library management, and ray tracing workloads. The processor also supports advanced instruction sets such as AVX-512, AMX-INT8, and AVX-VNNI, indicating a clear focus on professional, scientific, and AI-driven applications.

This 86-core workstation CPU is reportedly built using two of Intel’s Granite compute dies. At this stage, there is no confirmation on whether Intel plans to release a workstation-class processor with three compute tiles, which could potentially scale up to 128 cores.

Intel has struggled to maintain its position in the workstation CPU segment, where AMD’s Threadripper lineup currently dominates the high-core-count market. To reclaim relevance, Intel will need a competitive offering. Granite-based workstation CPUs could mark a turning point, but success will depend on delivering both strong performance and attractive pricing.

While excitement builds around Intel’s upcoming processor, gamers looking for top-tier performance don’t need to wait. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is already well known for its outstanding gaming results, offering excellent frame rates alongside impressive efficiency. As always, for the latest news on hardware launches and industry developments, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.