Intel unintentionally leaks monstrous 9,324-pin socket for “Diamond Rapids” Xeon CPUs

In a nutshell: Intel has unintentionally spilled some beans on its next-next-gen server processors. Code-named Diamond Rapids, these upcoming Xeon CPUs will slot into the corporate’s Oak Stream platform – and if the leaked particulars are correct, they’ll be an absolute unit.

The Xeon leak originated from Intel’s personal web site, the place the corporate briefly posted details about a $900 check interposer for Oak Stream earlier than rapidly eradicating the web page. However that was not earlier than eagle-eyed Twitter consumer @harukaze5719 managed to seize a screenshot.

The screenshot reveals that Diamond Rapids will use a monster of a socket referred to as LGA 9324 – which has a staggering 9,324 pins. That makes it practically six instances larger than the LGA 1700 socket used for client CPUs, and greater than double the scale of the LGA 4677 socket powering Intel’s newest 4th and Fifth-gen Xeon chips.

Intel has already began seeding pattern check instruments for Oak Stream to companions and we will anticipate the primary Diamond Rapids CPUs to ship in late 2025 or early 2026. As for the socket, the screenshot lists it as up for pre-orders with shipments anticipated to start within the closing quarter of this 12 months.

Intel OKS-AP, LGA9324
OKS, Oak Stream Platform / utilizing Diamond Rapidshttps://t.co/LEmUmksSE0 pic.twitter.com/dMGKMnsyFX

– í¬ìÂÂí¬ì (@harukaze5719) August 21, 2024

As for why Diamond Rapids wants such a gargantuan socket, the main principle is that it’ll pack considerably extra cores and reminiscence channels than earlier Xeon chips. Rumor has it Diamond Rapids might rise up to 16 DRAM channels together with help for PCIe 6.0.

After all, that is all hypothesis for now. What we do know with larger certainty is that Diamond Rapids will comply with Intel’s 18A “Clearwater Forest” Xeons within the product roadmap. Clearwater Forest continues to be in early testing, having simply powered on alongside Panther Lake for the primary time this month, as revealed by Intel.

Diamond Rapids will make the most of Intel’s 14A course of node when it will definitely arrives in a 12 months or two. And with that monstrous LGA 9324 socket, it appears clear Intel is prepping one thing really huge to tackle AMD’s personal high-core-count Epyc “Venice” chips within the subsequent spherical of the server CPU wars.