| Intel introduces a new line of Xeon server chips |
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16/03/2010 19:05 (697 Day 03:26 minutes ago) | |||||
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The FINANCIAL -- Intel Corp., the world’s largest semiconductor maker introduced a line of Xeon server chips. The new line of processors is the Xeon 5600 series featuring a pair of new security features.
The semiconductor is the first Intel server part that has six processing cores built onto one piece of silicon and includes new security features, said Boyd Davis a director of marketing at the Santa Clara, California-based company, according to Bloomberg.
Intel is trying to push ahead of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which later this month will begin offering its Magny-Cours design in 8- and 12-core versions. Both chipmakers are trying to woo companies that they say are poised to make purchases, as the same source reports. Last year, many customers delayed or reduced purchases of computers that run their corporate databases and Web sites.
The new microprocessors, designed to power both servers and high-end desktop PCs, are the first of Intel's server chips featuring smaller transistors that have helped the company's laptop and desktop chips push stronger performance while eking out better energy efficiency, according to Reuters.
The same source reports that the chips will be released under the Xeon product line for servers, and Core i7 for desktop computers, which Intel hopes will gain traction particularly with the entertainment and video game markets.
The 15 new processors in the Xeon 5600 line include low-power chips and come in quad-core and six-core variants, the company said, according to PC World. The processors are faster than the older Xeon 5500 series chips, which were launched about a year ago.
The same source reports that the clock speeds of the new chips range from 1.86GHz for the quad-core Xeon L5609 processor, which consumes only 40 watts of power, to 3.46GHz for the fastest Xeon X5677 six-core chip, which draws up to 130 watts. All the processor chips include 12MB of cache.
According to Bloomberg, the Xeon 5600 also has built-in encryption functions that speed up online banking and other tasks that require security.
According to PC World, the security features include a new instruction set for faster data encryption and decryption called Advanced Encryption Standard - New Instructions (AES-NI). The AES algorithm is commonly used in software to encrypt and decrypt hard drives. Another new hardware security technology is the Intel TXT (Trusted Execution Transaction) technology, which could help secure data as it moves in virtualized environments, Boyd said.
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