Workstation CPU market heats up as Intel takes on Threadripper

An Intel Granite Rapids Workstation (GNR-WS) CPU has been spotted on the OpenBenchmarking.org website, with @momomo_us being the first to spot the new processor.

With 86 cores and 172 threads, this CPU has the chance to be a real competitor to AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper and Threadripper Pro 9000 series. This benchmark listing lists this processor as having a clock speed of 4.8 GHz. However, it is unclear whether this represents the peak clock speed, the all-core clock speed, or some other value. Regardless, this CPU will be a strong offering for the workstation CPU market if Intel launches it.

If these CPUs are like Intel’s currently available Granite Rapids Xeon CPUs, they should support MRDIMM memory. This could give Intel’s Granite Rapids-WS CPUs a key advantage over AMD Threadripper in memory-sensitive workloads. If this feature is supported, Granite Rapids-WS could be the go-to CPU choice for some workloads.

Intel has lost significant ground in the workstation CPU market. Today, AMD Threadripper CPUs are the preferred choice for high-core-count workstation CPUs. If Intel wants to regain the market, it needs a strong product. With Granite Ridge Workstation CPUs, Intel could set itself on a path to recovery. However, Intel will need to deliver strong performance levels and pricing to achieve this.

AMD has claimed that its Threadripper Pro 9000 CPUs can deliver up to 22% more performance than their last-generation counterparts. This is thanks to AMD’s new core designs, enhanced AVX-512 support, and higher boost clocks. Furthermore, AMD’s new Ryzen 9000 Threadripper CPUs also support DDR5-6400 speeds, which are 23% higher than the memory speeds of AMD’s Threadripper 7000 series CPUs.

The Ryzen Threadripper 9000 promises jaw-dropping core counts and workstation-class power for professionals and creators. But if your focus is elite gaming performance, incredible efficiency, and unbeatable value, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers where it matters most. As always, for the latest news on hardware launches and industry developments, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.