As we reported back on Saturday, Intel Corporation today announced that it is now shipping the Intel Xeon MP processors with an enhanced 2MB integrated L3 cache at the speeds of up to 2GHz (see this news-story).

When compared to the previous generation Intel Xeon MP CPUs, the new processor delivers up to 38% better performance for typical server workloads such as databases, customer relationship and supply-chain management, and further enhances scalability for the increasing demands of enterprise deployments, according to Intel.

Designed for mid-tier and back-end servers with four or more processors, today's Intel Xeon MP chip rounds-out Intel's delivery of industry-leading 0.13 micron process technology for its IA-32 server processor family. This technology enables smaller processors at faster speeds and allows for additional performance enhancements such as increased cache size. The new processor maintains hardware platform compatibility with previous generations, which helps to reduce the cost of platform development and eases the integration of new systems in to existing enterprise infrastructures.

The Intel Xeon processor MP is based on the Intel NetBurst microarchitecture and includes support for Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology. These features help software vendors enhance the performance of applications and operating systems running on Intel-based servers by optimising their products according to certain recommendations from Intel. Servers ranging from 4 to 32 processors and beyond using these technologies will be available from multiple vendors, the Santa Clara, Califorina-based processor developer said. Intel is also now sampling server platform building blocks that support the new Intel Xeon MP processors and the latest Intel networking technologies.

The Intel Xeon processor MP at 2 GHz with 2.0MB of integrated L3 cache is available for Intel's suggested list price of $3 692 in 1 000-unit quantities. The Intel Xeon processor MP at 1.90GHz with 1MB of integrated L3 cache and the Intel Xeon processor MP at 1.50GHz with 1MB of integrated L3 cache are available for the suggested list prices of $1 980 and $1 177 in 1 000-unit quantities, respectively. Intel expects OEM and channel distributors to ship systems based on the new processor in the coming weeks, the first companies to adopt the novelty will be HP, Dell and IBM (see this news-story for more details).

During the second quarter of 2002, Intel-based servers accounted for 87% of all server shipments and more than 73 percent of all four-way server shipments worldwide, according to industry analysts at IDC.