The first chipset-based motherboard was introduced Intel W890in which the processors are located Xeon.
Intel W890: Unlocking the potential of Xeon “Granite Rapids”
In particular, it is a model ISB-W890 from ADLINK, and we’re seeing the first official look at this style of motherboard that will house workstation processors Intel Xeon Granite Rapids.
This new platform promises a significant leap in capacity, speed and expansion potential. This robust solution is designed for AX server environments and professional and enterprise users who require maximum power for intensive tasks such as modeling, 3D rendering and AI development.
Xeon Granite Rapids processors can be increased to a maximum 86 cores. This high core count makes the W890 a strong contender in the high-performance workstation market, which currently seems to be dominated by AMD and its Threadripper processors, which can offer up to 96 cores with the Threadripper PRO 9995WX model.
From what we can see, the ISB-W890 motherboard doesn’t skimp on resources, offering eight DDR5 RDIMM slots with capacity support of up to 1 TB of DDR5 memory and a speed that reaches 6400 MT/s.
One of the most interesting features is the inclusion of support for overclocking (OC) on some models of “X” processors from the “Granite Rapids-WS” series. This feature, which was reserved for consumer platforms, will allow professionals and enthusiasts to fine-tune and optimize processor performance.
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Expandability is also a very positive point. The chipset will offer top-notch PCIe connectivity with up to 128 PCIe cards (and 80 lanes for “Mainstream” chips). This means the total amount seven PCIe slotsincluding multiple PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, vital for connecting multiple next-gen graphics cards or AI accelerators. Built in the CEB (305x267mm) form factor, the ADLINK board also offers high-speed storage options with two M.2 NVMe slotstwo Slim SAS and eight SATA III ports.
The platform is expected to be present in CES 2026which will be held in January next year. We will keep you updated.
