Intel Investors - A Summary of Intel's XEON Customers
Whatever the Internet HYPE, the Web Sites must run on Web Servers and Web Servers must have CPUs and Intel has the BEST CPUs for servers - XEONS.
Here's a run down on the customer for Intel's latest and greatest.
Paul
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infoworld.com
Xeon servers reach next level
By Ed Scannell
Related article:
Celeron makes corporate push
Intel has turned the crank one more time on its Xeon series of chips, this time delivering the once-delayed 450-MHz version that now features 2MB of Level 2 cache.
The speedier chip was quick to draw a raft of both large and small server OEM supporters. While Compaq, Dell, NEC, Unisys, Data General, Hitachi PC, and Intergraph all launched systems early
last week, several others, including IBM, are expected to deliver similar servers later this month. (See "PC servers move up in weight class," Dec. 21, 1998.)
Not known for turning down added speed and power, most corporate IT shops seemed pleased with the choice of systems from top-tier players.
"The larger cache will make an important difference in running some of our lower-end enterprise applications and the price seems right among most of these machines," said George Thomas, a
purchasing agent at a large East Coast-based insurance company.
Compaq attempted to pad its lead in the PC-based servers market by rolling out four new machines centered around the chip, each capable of handling as many as four processors. New systems with the chip will be added to Compaq's ProLiant 5500, 6000, 6500, and 7000 enterprise server families.
The model in the low-end 5500 series features a built-in cache of either 512KB or 1MB; the series 6000 model has processor frequency and cache mixing; and the 6500 system has either 512KB,
1MB, or 2MB Level 2 cache. All units contain a 100-MHz front-side bus.
The 5500 model features 256MB of error-correcting code memory that can be expanded to 4GB; the 6000 system's memory can be expanded as much as 8GB of EDO memory; the 6500 supports as much as 4GB of memory; the 7000 unit can house as much as 8GB of memory. The 7000 model can be upgraded to eight processors when that chip set becomes available from Intel in March or April, Compaq officials said.
Compaq's arch rival, Dell, also rolled out two new Xeon systems, one as part of its PowerEdge 6300 and the other joins the PowerEdge 6350 series.
The starting price for a Dell PowerEdge 6300 server with one 450-MHz chip with a 512KB cache processor is set at $8,418.
Also hoping to grab more server market share was Gateway, announcing its ALR 9200 four-way server. Available this week, and priced starting at $7,999, the ALR 9200 server features between
512KB and 2MB of cache, 256MB of memory expandable to 4GB, a dual-channel Ultra II SCSI controller, and six PCI/ISA drive bays.
Hitachi PC added a new server to its VisionBase line of PC-based servers. Pricing on the four-way model 8460 starts at $18,500 and can range as high as $40,000 for four-way units that
are fully configured.
Data General beefed up its Aviion line of servers announcing the lower-end AV 3700 that is capable of supporting as much as 4GB of memory. Pricing for the uni-processor model with a
512KB cache will cost less than $7,000, Data General officials said.
The higher-end AV 8700, which Data General officials claim is one of the first systems specifically designed for Windows NT-based clustering, has a chassis to accommodate two or four-way
systems and includes Clarion Fibre Channel storage capability.
A dual-processor version with 512KB cache for each processor in a two-way configuration is expected to be priced at $20,000.
Compaq Computer Corp., in Houston, is at www.compaq.com. Dell Computer Corp., in Round Rock, Texas, is at www.dell.com. Gateway Corp., in North Sioux City, S.D., is at
www.gateway.com. Hitachi PC Corp., in Milpitas, Calif., www.hitachipc.com. Data General Corp., in Westborough, Mass., is at www.dgc.com. |
