Sapphire Rapids

Sapphire Rapids is a codename for Intel's server (fourth generation Xeon Scalable) and workstation processors based on Intel 7.^[2][3][4][5]

Sapphire Rapids

General information
Launched	January 10, 2023; 11 days' time (2023-01-10)^[1]
Marketed by	Intel
Designed by	Intel
Common manufacturer(s)	Intel
Architecture and classification
Technology node	Intel 7 (previously known as 10ESF)
Architecture	x86-64
Microarchitecture	Golden Cove
Instruction set	x86-64
Extensions	AES-NI, CLMUL, RDRAND, SHA, TXT MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, SSE4.1, SSE4.2 AVX, AVX2, FMA3, AVX-512, AVX-VNNI, TSX VT-x, VT-d, AMX
Physical specifications
Cores	Up to 56 cores
Socket(s)	LGA 4677
Products, models, variants
Core name(s)	Golden Cove
Brand name(s)	Xeon
History
Predecessor	Ice Lake-SP (1S and 2S systems) Cooper Lake (4S and 8S systems)
Successor	Emerald Rapids

Sapphire Rapids was intended as part of the Eagle Stream server platform.^[6][7] In addition, it will be powering Aurora, an exascale supercomputer in the United States, at Argonne National Laboratory.^[8]

History

Sapphire Rapids has been a long-standing Intel project in development for over five years and has been subjected to many delays.^[9] Sapphire Rapids was first announced by Intel at their Investor Meeting in May 2019 with the intention of Sapphire Rapids succeeding Ice Lake in 2021.^[10][11] Intel again announced details on Sapphire Rapids in their August 2021 Architecture Day presentation with no mention of a launch date.^[12] Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger tacitly blamed the previous Intel leadership as a reason for Sapphire Rapid's many delays.^[9] One industry analyst firm claimed that Intel was having problems with yields from its Intel 7 node with yields of 50-60% on higher core-count silicon.^[13] Sapphire Rapids was originally scheduled for a launch in the first half of 2022.^[14] It was later scheduled for release in Q4 2022 but was again delayed to early 2023.^[15] The specific launch date of January 10, 2023 was not revealed by Intel until November 2022.^[1]

Features

CPU

Further information: Golden Cove

• Intel Golden Cove CPU cores^[16]
• AVX512-FP16^[17]
• TSXLDTRK^[18]
• Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX)^[16]
• Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA)^[19]

I/O

• PCI Express 5.0^[16]
• DDR5 memory support^[20]
• On-package HBM2e Memory as L4 cache on some models^[21][22]
• Compute Express Link 1.1^[16]

Packaging

• Multi-die chip with up to 4 tiles. Each tile is a 400mm² SoC, providing both compute cores and I/O.^[23]
  • Each tile contains 15 Golden Cove cores
  • Each tile's memory controller provides two channels of DDR5 with a maximum of eight channels across 4 tiles^[24]
  • Each tile provides 28 PCIe 5.0 lanes for maximum of 112 across 4 tiles
• HBM tile interconnect

Products

Sapphire Rapids-SP (Server)

With its maximum of 56 cores, Sapphire Rapids-SP is designed to compete with AMD's 96-core Genoa. Sapphire Rapids Xeon server products will be scalable from dual-socket configurations up to 8 socket configurations.^[25][26]

Sapphire Rapids-WS (Workstation)

With its maximum of 56 cores, Sapphire Rapids-WS is designed to compete with AMD's 64-core Threadripper Pro 5000WX.^[27] Like Intel's Core product segmentation into i3, i5, i7 and i9, Sapphire Rapids-WS will be segmented into Xeon W5, W7 and W9.^[28] According to Wccftech, Sapphire Rapids-WS will be unveiled in February 2023 and launch in April.^[29]

See also

• Intel's process–architecture–optimization model
• Intel's tick–tock model
• List of Intel CPU microarchitectures

References

1. Shilov, Anton (November 2, 2022). "Intel's Sapphire Rapids Formal Launch Date Revealed". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
2. Cutress, Ian (August 13, 2020). "Intel's 11th Gen Core Tiger Lake SoC Detailed: SuperFin, Willow Cove and Xe-LP". AnandTech. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
3. Mujtaba, Hassan (October 14, 2019). "Intel Sapphire Rapids & Granite Rapids Xeons Are LGA 4677 Compatible". Wccftech. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
4. Cutress, Ian (February 17, 2022). "Intel Discloses Multi-Generation Xeon Scalable Roadmap: New E-Core Only Xeons in 2024". AnandTech. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
5. Shilov, Anton (October 27, 2020). "Intel: Alder Lake Sampling, Sapphire Rapids Samples in Q4". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
6. Mujtaba, Hassan (May 21, 2019). "Intel Xeon Roadmap Leak, 10nm Ice Lake, Sapphire Rapids CPU Detailed". Wccftech. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
7. Alcorn, Paul (June 29, 2021). "Intel's Sapphire Rapids Roadmap Slips: Enters Production in 2022". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
8. Russell, John (November 17, 2019). "Intel Debuts New GPU – Ponte Vecchio – and Outlines Aspirations for oneAPI". HPC Wire. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
9. Patel, Nilay (October 4, 2022). "Pat Gelsinger came back to turn Intel around — here's how it's going". The Verge. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
10. Schor, David (May 21, 2019). "Leaked Intel Server Roadmap Shows Sapphire Rapids With DDR5/PCIe 5.0 For 2021, Granite Rapids For 2022". WikiChip Fuse. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
11. Mujtaba, Hassan (May 21, 2019). "Intel Xeon Roadmap Leaked Out, Unveils 10nm Ice Lake-SP With PCIe Gen 4 & Up To 26 Cores in 2020, Next-Gen Sapphire Rapids With PCIe Gen 5 & DDR5 in 2021". Wccftech. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
12. Intel Technology (August 19, 2021). "Sapphire Rapids - Architecture Day 2021 | Intel Technology". YouTube. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
13. Wheatley, Mike (November 1, 2022). "Intel's Sapphire Rapids server chips face yet more delays, with AMD set to benefit". Silicon Angle. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
14. Cutress, Ian (June 29, 2021). "Update on Intel Sapphire Rapids in 2022: Q1 for Production, Q2 for Ramp, H1 Launch". AnandTech. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
15. Cunningham, Andrew (November 2, 2022). "Intel's oft-delayed "Sapphire Rapids" Xeon CPUs are finally coming in early 2023". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
16. Cutress, Ian (August 31, 2021). "Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids: How To Go Monolithic with Tiles". AnandTech. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
17. "Intel® AVX512-FP16 Architecture Specification, June 2021, Revision 1.0, Ref. 347407-001US" (PDF). Intel. June 30, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
18. "Intel® Architecture Instruction Set Extensions and Future Features Programming Reference" (PDF). Intel. May 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
19. Jiang, Dave (November 20, 2019). "Introducing the Intel® Data Streaming Accelerator (Intel® DSA)". 01 Intel Open Source. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
20. Verheyde, Arne (May 22, 2019). "Leaked Intel Server Roadmap Shows DDR5, PCIe 5.0 in 2021, Granite Rapids in 2022". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
21. Shilov, Anton (December 30, 2020). "Intel Confirms On-Package HBM Memory Support for Sapphire Rapids". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
22. Cutress, Ian (November 15, 2021). "Intel: Sapphire Rapids With 64 GB of HBM2e, Ponte Vecchio with 408 MB L2 Cache". AnandTech. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
23. Tyson, Mark (August 19, 2021). "Intel Sapphire Rapids utillises tiled, modular SoC architecture". Hexus. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
24. "Intel "Sapphire Rapids" Xeon 4-tile MCM Annotated". TechPowerUp. February 21, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
25. Robinson, Cliff (October 6, 2022). "Intel Xeon Sapphire Rapids to Scale to 4 and 8 Sockets". ServeTheHome. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
26. "Intel 4th Gen Xeon Scalable "Sapphire Rapids" Server Processors Launch in January". TechPowerUp. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
27. Liu, Zhiye (July 23, 2022). "Intel Sapphire Rapids Workstation Specs Leaked: Up To 56 Cores, 350W TDP". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
28. Mujtaba, Hassan (July 23, 2022). "Intel Sapphire Rapids-WS Xeon Workstation CPU Lineup Specs Leaked: Xeon W9 Up To 56 Cores, Xeon W7 Up To 28 Cores, Xeon W5 Up To 16 Cores". Wccftech. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
29. Mujtaba, Hassan (November 26, 2022). "Intel Sapphire Rapids-WS Xeon CPUs & W790 'Fishhawk Falls' Platform To Be Unveiled In February, Launch In April 2023". Wccftech. Retrieved November 30, 2022.