Intel introduces performance class Intel Xeon-W processors that might power iMac Pro

Intel introduced the Xeon-W processors at IFA 2017 in Berlin on Tuesday. The processor has been developed for workstation-class performance and its capabilities match up to the performance expected on iMac Pro.

Xeon-W will feature in 8, 10 and 18 core configurations and puts the LGA2066 socket and Skylake-SP architecture to use. The processor can be overclocked to 4.5GHz with Turbo Boost. It supports 48 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, and up to 512GB of DDR4-2666 ECC memory.

Apple has already disclosed that the upcoming iMac Pro will feature Intel Xeon-W processors. Apple could stick with the following configurations of Xeon-W: 8-core 3.7GHz Xeon W-2145, the 10-core 3.3GHz Xeon W-2155, and the 18-core 2.3GHz Xeon W-2195.

The price for Intel Xeon-W starts at $1,113 while the price for 18 core processor has not been disclosed yet. Moreover, Intel plans to launch the 18 core Xeon-W processors in the fourth quarter of 2017 which is close to the expected release of Apple's iMac Pro.

Apple iMac Pro will boast Radeon Pro Vega graphics, up to 4TB of solid state storage space, four Thunderbolt 3 ports, and up to 128GB of ECC RAM. It will supposedly include a redesigned thermal architecture to support the components.

Earlier, there were reports that Apple could use Intel's server-grade Purley processors with a LGA3647 socket rather than the desktop-class LGA2066 socket.

Intel recently introduced the Core-X series that promise to deliver undeterred performance for personal computers for professionals. With Intel Xeon-W launched, it is quite safe to assume that Intel is ready to provide for the next generation of performance processors.