INDUSTRY

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Intel Corporation today revealed the industry's first dual processing capabilities for thin, low-power "ultra-dense" blade servers. Dual processor systems containing the new Low Voltage Intel® Pentium® III processors at 800 MHz offer up to 63 percent higher performance versus their single processor counterparts. They also offer new server-centric improvements including large memory support of up to four gigabytes. "Ultra-dense" blade servers typically contain the highest number of processors possible based on the lowest size and thermal requirements. The systems are popular with Internet service providers and others that place a unique emphasis on lowering energy and real estate costs. The systems are typically used for tasks such as Web hosting and firewall protection. "Ultra-dense" blade servers are part of the overall server blade market, which is marked by servers containing multiple motherboards stacked either vertically or horizontally, much like books in a bookcase. Larger blade servers are optimized for maximum performance in high-density configurations. "Today's announcement for dual-processing in 'ultra-dense' servers increases the capabilities for this emerging market segment," said Richard Dracott, director, Intel Enterprise Platforms Group. "These systems offer significant real estate, performance and power benefits versus single processor systems." System Specifications Each processor inside of the new dual processor systems contains 512 KB of on-chip level 2 cache memory (very fast memory). They are also the first Intel-based "ultra-dense" dual processing chips to support faster PC 133 SDRAM memory and a 133 MHz system bus. Due to their dual processing configurations, the new platforms received heavy testing in Intel's enterprise validation labs. They also contain reliability features such as error correcting code and remote manageability tools. The processors are produced in high volumes on Intel's 0.13-micron manufacturing process, an advanced process that enables low voltages. The chips come in Intel's uFCBGA package, the latest packaging technology for smaller systems such as high-density servers. New blade server systems from Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens and other major OEMs are expected later this year. System pricing varies by manufacturer.