by Anton Shilov
11/18/2002 | 07:17 PM
While AMD still develops and demonstrates its ClawHammer and Opteron processors and their platforms, their main rival continues to expand its presence on the workstation and server market. This Fall and Winter Intel powered entry-level servers and workstations will definitely be very popular since the rivals like Sun or HP are not presented so widely and cost significantly more. What is also very important, Intel continues to increase the clock-speeds of their Xeon processors, hence, their platforms become more and more powerful.
Intel Corporation today introduced a dozen Intel Xeon DP processor family products including new processors, chipsets and platforms for Intel-based servers and workstations. Today's product introduction marks the company's largest enterprise processor products launch to date and comes seven years after the company shipped its first multiprocessor-capable chip in November 1995, the Pentium Pro. Intel-based server shipments have grown to 87% of all servers shipped since the first quarter of 1996, the earliest date for which figures are available, according to analysts at IDC<%BANNER[article]%>
Intel has begun shipping four new Intel Xeon processors designed for two-way servers and workstations at speeds of 2.0, 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8GHz with 512KB integrated L2 cache. The new processors add support for a faster, 533MHz Quad Pumped Bus.
In addition, Intel revealed its E7501 (Plumas 533) and E7505 (Placer) chipsets. Both can support Intel Xeon processors with 400 or 533MHz system bus and offer dual-channel PC2100 and PC1600 DDR SDRAM memory solutions. The platforms provide the latest technologies such as two Intel PRO/1000 MT Server Network Connections, embedded Serial ATA, Ultra320 SCSI, AGP 8x (only for Placer) and Intel Server Management version 5.5 as well as PCI/PCI-X busses.
The Intel Xeon processors at 2.8 GHz, 2.6 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 2 GHz with a 533 MHz front side bus are available for Intel's suggested list prices of $455, $337, $234 and $198, respectively in 1000-unit quantities. The Intel E7501 chipset with one PCI/PCI-X controller hub for two-way servers, the Intel E7505 with one PCI/PCI-X controller hub for two-way workstations and the Intel E7205 for entry level workstations are available at Intel's suggested list prices of $92, $100 and $57, respectively in 1,000-unit quantities. Intel expects OEM and channel distributors to ship systems based on the new products in the coming weeks.