2026-08-29
ServeTheHome has published a full review of the ASRock Rack W890D8-2L2T, one of the first server/workstation motherboards built around Intel's new Xeon 600 series (Granite Rapids). This is worth paying attention to even if you're not buying new — it signals what's coming down the used market pipeline in a couple of years.
The board is a standard ATX form factor with eight DDR5 DIMM slots, dual 10GbE via Intel X710 plus dual 1GbE, and support for PCIe 5.0. It targets the workstation and single-socket server crowd — exactly the kind of kit that eventually lands on eBay and r/homelabsales once enterprise refreshes kick in.
For homelabbers, the key takeaways:
- DDR5 ECC RDIMM support — memory density potential is massive, though prices remain steep today.
- Dual 10GbE on-board — no add-in card needed for serious networking, which matters when you're tight on slots.
- PCIe 5.0 lanes — future-proofing for NVMe storage arrays and GPU passthrough.
- Power draw — Xeon 600 chips can be thirsty. ServeTheHome's testing will give you real numbers, but don't expect this to be a sipping-power mini PC replacement.
The honest caveat: this is firmly "new enterprise" pricing right now. You're not picking up a W890 board for a budget homelab build this year. But understanding the new platform matters because it tells you what Xeon W-2400/W-3400 (and older Xeon W-series) kit it'll eventually push into the second-hand market. When companies adopt Xeon 600, their current gear gets surplus'd.
If you're currently running older Xeon workstation boards, this is a useful benchmark for what the next generation looks like and whether it's worth waiting.
Read the full review at ServeTheHome. If you're tidying up your current rig while you plan ahead, JAKEHOE Fan Cleaner – Dust Removal Tool for Server & NAS Fans keeps those ageing workstation fans running properly in the meantime.