Intel Corp. on Monday said it was accelerating the availability of dual-core, hyper-threaded Intel Xeon processors and Intel Xeon processors MP. Instead of launching the first dual-core chips intended for dual-processor and multi-processor servers in 2006, Intel will make them available already this year.

“As they did with dual-core PC processors earlier this year, Intel engineers have executed exquisitely, and because of that we’ll bring our dual-core Intel Xeon processor platforms to the marketplace well ahead of schedule,” said Kirk Skaugen, general manager of Intel's Server Platforms Group.

Intel plans to introduce the dual-core Intel Xeon processor MP, code-named Paxville, for servers with four or more processors later in 2005. The Xeon MP processor based on Paxville core will be drop-in compatible with existing server platforms based on Intel E8500 core-logic. For dual processor servers, Intel plans to ship a premium dual-core Intel Xeon processor, code-named Paxville DP in 2005. Paxville DP will use the Intel E7520 chipset, but it is unclear whether it will be drop-in compatible with already shipping apps.

In mid-June, 2005, Intel’s chief Paul Otellini already expressed hopes to introduce the company’s first dual-core processors for dual-processor and multi-processor servers this year instead of 2006.

As Intel indicated during Intel Developer Forum Spring 2005, the code-named Paxville core is to power Intel Xeon MP processors, which will be available in Q1 2006. The chip is drop-in compatible with E8500 chipset-based Truland platform and thus should operate using 667MHz processor system bus. The chip will support EM64T, EDB and Hyper-Threading technologies. The microprocessor was originally meant to be an MP part, designed to work in multiprocessor servers, this is the first time when Intel refers the Paxville as a chip for dual-processor servers.

Paxville DP is targeted at early adopters and evaluators of dual-core technology and is to be followed by a broader – code-named Dempsey – family of dual-core Intel Xeon processor-based platforms, code-named Bensley for servers and Glidewell for workstations, in the first quarter of 2006. Bensley and Glidewell are targeted to complete an extremely aggressive transition to dual-core top to bottom in Intel’s entire server and workstation lineup.

Intel Paxville processors are to be produced using 90nm process technology, whereas Intel Dempsey chips are set to be made using 65nm fabrication process.

Intel Corp.’s its arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices has been shipping its AMD Opteron dual-core processors for MP and DP servers as well as AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core products for weeks now.