Large Cache Intel® Xeon™ Processor MP Pushes Performance For Multi-Processing Servers By More Than 30 Percent
HANNOVER, GERMANY, March 12, 2002 - At CeBIT 2002, Intel Corporation today pushed the performance of mid-tier and back-end servers to new levels with the introduction of the Intel® Xeon™ processor MP at 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 gigahertz (GHz). The new products are expected to boost performance by more than 30 percent** versus existing multi-processing systems using the Pentium® III Xeon™ processor depending on applications and configurations.
The Intel Xeon processor MP adds an additional level of one megabyte (MB) or 512 kilobyte (KB) Level 3 cache onto the chip, and brings Hyper-Threading Technology and the Intel® NetBurst™ microarchitecture to the mid-tier and back-end server market segments. Today's introduction follows the February launch of the Intel Xeon processors for dual-processing servers and workstations.
"Adding a number of performance-boosting features, such as three levels of integrated cache will advance the capabilities of Intel-based, multi-processing servers," said Mike Fister, senior vice president and general manager of the Intel Enterprise Platforms Group. "We expect that platforms based on the new Intel Xeon processor MP will widen the performance lead over proprietary RISC-based systems."
The new processors extend Intel's performance leadership as servers utilizing the Pentium III Xeon processor currently hold the top positions in all transaction processing performance benchmarks in the world as measured by the Transaction Processing Council***. Intel's Xeon processors power virtually all facets of enterprise computing, from front-end servers to mid-tier and back-end systems.
According to IDC****, Intel-based server shipments made up 89 percent of all servers shipped in the fourth quarter of 2001. During this same period in the fastest growing segments of mid-tier and back-end servers, Intel-based servers comprised 64 percent of four- through eight-way capable server shipments. More than a dozen server manufacturers worldwide are expected to start shipping platforms using the new processor within the next few months, including Compaq Computer Corporation, Dell Computer Corporation, Egenera Corporation, Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, Hewlett Packard Company, IBM Corporation, NEC Corporation, SuperMicro Inc., Tyan Computer Corporation, and Unisys Corporation.
New Multi-processing Capabilities
The Intel Xeon processor MP brings a wealth of new capabilities to enterprise and e-Business servers. These multi-processing systems add more performance when scaling from two to four processors, enabling increased headroom for unpredictable workloads and expanding business needs. Multi-processor systems also enable a simplified environment and lower costs through reduced administration and footprint, and less cabling.
The Intel Xeon processor MP also implements a unique cache architecture specifically designed for the Intel NetBurst microarchitecture. The new structure offers three levels of integrated cache, including a 1 MB Level 3 cache in addition to the 256 KB Level 2 cache and eight KB Level 1 cache. This allows the processor to access frequently used data even more quickly than before, improving overall system performance, back-end application performance and decreasing the response time on many database and customer management applications.
Today's announcement completes the adoption of Hyper-Threading Technology for Intel's entire Intel Xeon processor family. This innovation allows an operating system to view a single physical processor as if it were two logical processors, significantly increasing server response time, transactions and workload performance.
Additional Intel Platform Products
Intel also recently introduced the Intel® IOP321 I/O processor for system RAID applications, complementing the platform built around the new Intel Xeon processor. The I/O processor is based on the Intel® XScale™ technology and facilitates fast, redundant disk operation improving overall platform performance and reliability. Intel also recently introduced the Intel® 82546EB Gigabit Ethernet controller, the world's first dual port, single chip Gigabit Ethernet controller for high-density servers, which helps remove communications bottlenecks and improves overall platform performance.
Pricing and Availability
The Intel Xeon processor MP at 1.6 GHz with 1 MB of Level 3 cache is priced at $3,692 in 1,000-unit quantities. The Intel Xeon processor MP at 1.5 GHz with 512K of Level 3 cache is priced at $1,980 and the Intel Xeon processor MP at 1.4 GHz with 512K of Level 3 cache is priced at $1,177, both in 1,000-unit quantities.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom |
