The Johnson City platform listed in the logs is validation gear used by Troubled Chipzilla and its partners to prod and poke Diamond Rapids before launch.

The entries name a JNC server board marked as “validation material,” two versions labelled “1SPC 500 DMR,” and another with a 650-watt TDP. These figures point to Diamond Rapids pushing thermal loads well beyond some desktop power supplies, which feels about right for a server platform that wants to win benchmarks by brute force.

Another listing mentions a JNC Multi-S platform numbered 2+1+1S, which hints at a multi-socket or multi-chiplet build, though the labelling is vague enough to leave plenty of wiggle room.

Older leaks suggested Diamond Rapids would pack up to 192 Panther Cove cores, and rumours have stretched that figure to 256, although Chipzilla has kept its cards close to its chest. The chips are slated for the 18A process node and will drop into an LGA 9324 socket that dwarfs even Granite Rapids’ already ludicrous LGA 7529.

Reports have also claimed that the Xeon 7 versions will only ship with 16 memory channels, leaving the mainstream eight-channel platforms on the cutting room floor, but Chipzilla is said to have its reasons. Chipzilla chief executive Lip-Bu Tan said once Diamond Rapids has lumbered onto the scene, the firm plans to follow with Coral Rapids, which will restore SMT.

Plenty of details remain hidden, though Diamond Rapids is expected in the second half of 2026, where it will square off against AMD’s Epyc Venice. Until then, the only certainty is that server builders will need to check their wiring before they let one of these beasts loose.