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(tm) 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(tm) 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(tm) 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, Gateway Inc., 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® XScaleTM 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.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Intel,
Xeon, NetBurst, Pentium, and XScale are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
** Performance measured versus systems featuring the Pentium® III Xeon(tm)
processor. For more information please see <http://www.intel.com/eBusiness/products/server/processor/xeon_mp/bm021102.h
tm>.
*** For more information see
http://www.tpc.org.
**** IDC Quarterly Server Tracker, Q4 2001.
