X-bit labs

Intel Advances Itanium 2 Processors Family.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 11/10/2004 | 06:51 AM ]

As expected, Intel Corp. unveiled this week its new Itanium 2 chips aimed at high-end servers. The product launch appeared to be the densest throughout the Itanium history, as the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker introduced a huge number of new offerings targeted at different segments of the server market.

“Intel is refreshing the Itanium 2 product line with 6 new processors that deliver performance increases of 15% for database transaction processing and up to 35% percent for overall integer and floating point performance,” the company said in its statement for press.

The new processors include three new Intel Itanium 2 processors for multi-processor servers: 1.60GHz chip with 9MB level three (L3) cache at 400MHz processor system bus, 1.60GHz product with 6MB of L3 cache and the 1.50GHz MPU with 4MB of L3 cache. Earlier this year sources close to Intel Corp. said the top Itanium 2 clock-speed would reach 1.70GHz. Additionally, Intel launched new Itanium 2 processors for 2-way and low-voltage systems: the Itanium 2 DP 1.60GHz with 3MB L3 cache at 400MHz or 533MHz system bus and the Itanium 2 LV 1.30GHz with 3MB L3 cache at 400MHz bus.

Intel did not provide details on the 533MHz processor system bus infrastructure for the new Intel Itanium 2 processors for 2-way applications.

Already, the new Itanium 2 processors are being deployed for mission-critical applications including powering one of the world's fastest supercomputer at NASA, a SGI Altix system consisting of 10 240 Itanium 2 processors running the Linux operating system. Additionally, MGM MIRAGE, a leading and respected hotel and gaming company, has deployed a Unisys system with 16 Itanium 2 processors for a data-warehousing project based upon Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

The fresh Intel Itanium 2 processors are the last two Itanium 2 SKUs made using 130nm process technology. Future Itanium products, including the dual-core processor code-named Montecito, will be made using 90nm process technology.

The new Itanium 2 MPUs are available for purchase from Intel as well as in systems from a variety of system makers around the globe. Intel Itanium 2 1.60GHz with 9MB cache costs $4226, Intel Itanium 2 1.60GHz with 6MB cache is quoted at $1980, Intel Itanium 2 1.50GHz with 4MB cache costs $910. The Itanium 2 chips 1.60GHz with 3MB L3 cache with 533MHz and 400MHz PSB are available for $1172 and $851 respectively. The latest Low Voltage Itanium 2 1.30GHz with 3MB cache costs $530.