Intel introduces new processors for servers

Jake Widman
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 03:03

Business IT - Technology

At a Monday morning event in San Francisco, Intel introduced the Xeon processor 5500 series, which the company called the most "revolutionary server processors" since the Pentium Pro. Several other companies also announced products based on the new processors.


The 5500 series, aka the "Nehalem-EP," is marked by its flexibility. "These chips showcase groundbreaking advances in performance, virtualization and workload management," said Patrick Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group. Among the technologies contributing to the chip's versatility are Intel's Turbo Boost, which lets the processor cores run faster than stated speed under certain conditions; hyper-threading, for improved parallel processing; and advanced virtualization capabilities.

Besides improving the operation of data centers, Intel also positions the new processor series as a boon to cloud computing. The adaptability of Xeon 5500-based servers will supposedly make it easier to offer on-demand, scalable services from the cloud.

Intel further touts the processors' energy efficiency. It claims an idle power level of 10 watts, "enabling a 50 percent reduction in system idle power compared to the previous generation."

The Xeon 5500 series ranges in price from $188 to $1,600 and is available in quantities of 1,000. Multiple manufacturers have already announced products using the new processors -- for a rundown, continue on to page 2 .

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