Intel also announced new Intel Xeon W-3400 processors at the same time as the Intel W790 chipset. The processors and chipset are made for the next generation of professional tasks that need a lot of computing power. They promise professionals in many fields, including the creative arts, better performance, reliability, and the ability to add on to their systems.
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Intel Xeon W-3400 Processors
The Xeons are built on Intel’s latest multi-tile architecture, which uses Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) technology to fit 56 cores in a single socket. The most expensive chips can Turbo Boost to up to 4.8GHz and have 105MB of cache.
The chips also work with Intel vPro and security features like Intel Firmware Version Control, which stops older firmware from being reinstalled. You can tune the processor core and change the AVX2, AVX512, and AMX negative ratio offset tuning with the Intel XTU software.
The Xeon W-3400 chips come in three levels: w5, which has up to 16 cores, w7, which has 28 cores, and w9, which has 56 cores. Compared to the Xeon W-2400, the W-3400 line has twice as many PCIe 5.0 lanes (112) and memory channels (8) and can hold up to four times as much memory (4TB).
Because they have more cores, these chips also have more cache and better PBP ratings. The processors work well with a wide range of hardware, like multiple GPUs, the newest SSDs, and the fastest network cards.
Also Read: Intel Announces 13th gen laptop with 24 cores
Features of the All New Intel Xeon W-3400 Processors
To sum up the Intel Xeon W-3400 processors, they have a new processor core architecture, up to DDR5ECC RDIMM, PCIe 5.0 with up to 112 lanes, more L2 cache and L3 Shared Intel Smart Cache, 3rd Generation Intel Deep Learning Boost, ECC Memory Support, Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, and Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. Some of the most important things about the new line of processors are as follows:
Intel W790 Chipset
The new Xeon W-series processors can be used with the new Intel W790 chipset platform. The W790 motherboard has up to 38 high-speed I/O lanes, a PCIe Express 3.0 and 4.0 interface, DMI, USB 3.2 Gen 22, up to 6 GB/s transfer rates over Serial ATA (SATA), and advanced Intel safety features to make sure security and reliability.
With 16 PCIe Gen 4.0 lanes, the Intel W790 chipset lets you quickly access more SSD storage. When the number of DMI lanes goes from 4 to 8 and the throughput goes from 3 to 4, bandwidth bottlenecks are less likely to happen.
Also, there are eight channels of DDR5 RDIMM memory from which to choose. There are Intel Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 GbE wired network connections, as well as support for up to 5 USB 3.2 Gen 22 (20G) ports. This is great for users who need a lot of data and have big files.
NVIDIA RTX Ada Generation GPUs
Intel’s Xeon chips and NVIDIA’s RTX Ada generation professional graphics cards were both announced at the same time. So far, only the RTX A6000’s specs have been made public. The Ada Lovelace architecture is the same as the GeForce RTX 4090.
It is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and has 48GB of memory, 142 third-generation RT cores, 568 fourth-generation Tensor cores, and 18,176 CUDA cores. NVIDIA says the RTX 2080 can do up to twice as much ray-tracing, graphics, and computing as the RTX A6000.
NVIDIA also showed off its ConnectX-6 Dx SmartNICs, which have two 25Gbps ports and GPUDirect technology that can increase GPU bandwidth by up to ten times compared to a regular NIC.
Overclocking
You can speed up both the cores and the fabric on some Xeon W models. Intel says this is good for professionals who need the most performance but can deal with the possibility of instability. But this has been one of the things that has set the HEDT segment, which is for enthusiasts, apart for a long time.
The Xeon W line is made up of server chips that can be made faster, just like other HEDT processors. But the price is a lot like what we see with AMD’s Threadripper Pro: way more than most enthusiasts should pay. The least expensive overclockable model you can buy in a store is the Intel 12-core w5-2445, which costs $1,039.
The w9-3475X with 36 cores costs $3,739. This is expensive because of the number of cores, but it is easier to get into than AMD’s Threadripper Pro line, which has a minimum price of $2,399 and a pricey ecosystem of motherboards.
No matter which class of Xeon W chip you choose, you’ll have to think about the price of the platform, which can ruin the value of the Xeon W family as a HEDT platform. This is especially true for the W-3400 series, which supports eight channels of DDR5, which makes both the motherboards and the memory more expensive.
Excellent Work in Intensive Tasks
There are a lot of features and functions in that. But what matters is how well it works in the real world. Compared to the baseline measurement, the Intel Xeon W-3275 and the new Intel Xeon W9-3495X make Adobe Premiere Pro 23.0 and Adobe After Effects 22.4 run 12% and 24% faster, respectively.
Because of the new processor, Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 18.1 is 10% faster. But when you look at Maxon Cinema 4D 2023, the improvements are 131% larger. The story is the same in Chaos vRay 5.01, but it works 123% better. Autodesk Maya – SPECapc for Maya 2023 works 89% better with the new processor.
Platform
The Xeon W-3400 chips are made for single-socket “Expert” and “Mainstream” platforms with the LGA-4677 socket and the W790 chipset, which is similar to the Z790 chipset. Standard fourth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors with the same socket and the C741 chipset fit in dual-socket workstations. Intel won’t sell workstations with HBM-equipped Xeon Max models, and none of the workstation processors can use Optane memory. The CXL 1.1 interface does, however, work with all of the chips.
Cooling Capacity
When they are fully loaded, Intel’s new chips can use up to 350W at their Processor Base Power (PBO) and 1.2X the PBO at their Maximum Turbo Power (MTP). So, you need good cooling systems, especially for high-end chips. Intel has a network of partners with LGA-4677 cooling systems that are ready to go. Cooler Master, EKWB, and Auras all have water-cooled options for custom loops and AIOs, and Noctua has air-cooled options. Motherboards are made by companies like ASRock, Gigabyte, Supermicro, and ASUS, among others.
Also Read: Intel’s 13th-Gen Announcements and Release Date
Processors’ Availability
BOXX and HP are taking preorders for the next generation of Intel workstations, which come with the latest Intel Xeon W and Intel Scalable processors and NVIDIA RTX Ada generation GPUs. Soon, more options from other workstation system integrators will be available. The price of a workstation depends on who makes it. Intel is working on more than 50 system designs with leaders in their fields, such as Dell, Lenovo, Puget Systems, and Supermicro.