- W890 board confirms that Intel’s next workstation platform is almost ready
- Granite Rapids-WS aims to deliver higher computing density for demanding workstation tasks
- Platform supports expanded storage via SATA, SlimSAS, and dual M.2 options
A new ADLINK ISB-W890 motherboard has provided the clearest indication yet that the Intel W890 platform is close to being ready for the Granite Rapids-WS generation.
The board follows the SSI-CEB standard and supports a single processor via Intel’s new Socket E2 configuration.
It features eight DDR5 RDIMM slots aligned with a four-channel controller, enabling configurations up to one terabyte of ECC memory.
Platform specifications and connectivity
This capability places the platform firmly in the category of advanced workstations used for demanding compute workloads.
The hardware design confirms a storage configuration consisting of eight SATA III connectors, two SlimSAS interfaces and two M.2 slots with support for NVMe drives.
PCIe lane allocation matches Intel’s split between Expert and Mainstream modes.
The Expert configuration exposes up to one hundred and twenty-eight lanes on PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0.
The ADLINK card implements seven PCIe slots, including three x16 slots and MCIO connectors intended for high-speed expansion requirements.
Networking is handled by integrated controllers providing one gigabit and two point five gigabit connections, while management functions rely on a BMC AST2600.
Rear I/O includes USB 3.2 ports, VGA and DisplayPort outputs from the management controller, and a COM interface for existing equipment.
Intel’s W890 platform supports upcoming Granite Rapids-WS Xeon processors that scale up to 86 cores with reported boost clocks approaching four point eight gigahertz.
These processors use the large E2 socket, which supports power levels up to three hundred and fifty watts.
Further evidence of the lineup appeared in the form of a SiSoftware Sandra entry referencing a Xeon 696X with 64 cores and 128 threads.
The entry also presents the large L2 and L3 cache pools as well as the power figures that correspond to the values associated with this platform.
This new segment is intended to take over from the older Xeon W-3400 series used in high-end workstation builds.
It also continues Intel’s focus on single-socket workstations, a category that previously overlapped with mobile workstations for lighter workloads.
ADLINK has confirmed that the ISB-W890 card will be used in its AXE-7420GWA short-depth server, a system aimed at GPU-accelerated workloads.
The platform supports up to 12 expansion slots and can accommodate a single Granite Rapids-WS processor in a four-unit rack format.
These confirmations suggest that the transition to next-generation Xeon 6 hardware is progressing as leaked documentation and official listings now converge.
Concretely, the capabilities of the platform introduce levels of performance that exceed what would be achievable on a mini PC.
This indicates that the W890 ecosystem is designed for high-end enterprise and professional computing rather than consumer experimentation.
Via TechPowerUp
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