Intel Xeon 6 Granite-Rapids Lineup Has This Special Single-Socket R1S CPU For Mainstream Markets

The Intel RS1 isn't a usual Xeon 6 "Granite Rapids" CPU but something that needs a single-socket platform & supports up to 136 PCI-E 5.0 lanes.

The Intel RS1 "Xeon 6" Granite Rapids CPU won't use the LGA 7529 socket as it's a low-power mid-range offering

Intel launched the E-core-based Sapphire Rapids Refresh a week ago, which offers more core and cache than its predecessors. It is about to launch its Xeon 6 P-core-based lineup also known as the Granite Rapids this month, which will target the high-end market, which needs high computational performance. However, there's a catch with the upcoming Granite Rapids.

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The Xeon 6 P-Core series has a particular variant that won't be using the same LGA 7529 platform as the high-end Xeon 6900 processors. This particular variant is called Intel Xeon 6 'RS1' and may have a few SKUs in the lineup. Thanks to Servethehome for bringing this to our attention, the RS1 is a CPU that will be targeted towards the mid-range segment where the workload doesn't require up to 128 cores as found on the flagship Xeon 6900 CPUs.

But the difference isn't just the core count as there are Xeon 6900 chips that can go as low as 72 cores. The RS1, on the other hand, can have up to 80 Performance cores but will be an Xeon 6700 package. The core count may reduce with other SKUs in the lineup but what makes the RS1 stand out is its incredible PCI-E lanes support. Unlike the Xeon 6900 chips, the Xeon RS1 chips can support up to 136 PCI-E 5.0 lanes.

Check out the image above, which explicitly states that the RS1 has the support of up to "136 lanes PCI-E 5.0 for single socket designs". This is amazing as with such a high number of PCI-E 5.0 lanes support, the RS1 processors will be attractive for storage-heavy workloads at a lower cost.

The Intel Xeon 6900 chips won't be used on single-socket motherboards. Rather, they will be using the LGA 7529 socket which operates in a 400-500W TDP range. However, the RS1 CPUs are said to feature a 150-200W TDP range and are likely going to use the LGA 4710 socket which operates at up to 350W.

Image Credit: servethehome.com

Intel Xeon 6 RS1 will support up to 64 lanes of CXL 2.0 (Compute Express Link), which enables high-speed connections between memory and accelerators. Therefore, if Intel enables accelerators like AI chips or FPGAs for the RS1, it will be a versatile platform for AI workloads and data analytics.

News Source: Servethehome