Intel raises DP server ante
Fresh workstation and server products unleash power trapped in dual-processor systems
THE STEADY CLIMB of clock speeds in 32-bit processors from Intel and AMD has not translated into markedly improved application performance. A multigigahertz processor runs at its rated speed only when it’s executing instructions from its on-board cache. Whenever the CPU interacts with RAM or peripherals, its effective speed is determined not by the processor’s clock rate but by the speed of the system’s memory and I/O buses.
Shackling a 2GHz CPU to a 133MHz bus — a common bus speed across platforms — is an unconscionable waste of computing potential that’s magnified in systems with more than one CPU. That throttling hits DP (dual processor) servers and workstations particularly hard.
Earlier this year, Intel took a step toward resolving the DP performance bottleneck and at the same time raised the respectability of entry-level servers. Intel’s E7500 chip set elevated the system bus from 133MHz to 400MHz and added powerful firmware-based, out-of-band (“lights out”) management. It also freed customers from Rambus memory, shifting to 200MHz DDR (double data rate) instead. Furthermore, 33MHz, 32-bit PCI expansion slots gave way to 133MHz, 64-bit slots; and Gigabit Ethernet became an integrated feature.
These were substantial improvements, but as the economy continued to slide, they were not enough to convince IT to upgrade existing PC servers or to switch from Sun hardware. Intel also risked having its 32-bit enterprise technology upstaged by coming mixed-mode (32/64-bit) processors from IBM and AMD. Intel had planned to delay the release of faster technology to give E7500 systems a chance to gain a foothold. That did not work out.
The market for DP systems took off, but Intel wasn’t getting the share it expected. In some circles, low-profile rack servers based on less expensive Pentium III and Sparc architectures were generating more buzz than Xeon.
To jump-start the market, Intel took the unprecedented step of revamping several core technologies mere months after they came to market. Xeon DP servers based on the new Intel E7501 chip set are endowed with a 533MHz bus and 266MHz DDR memory, while retaining the manageability and reliability features of the E7500. The E7505 workstation chip set matches the E7501’s bus and memory speed and adds Intel’s first implementation of the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 8X high-speed graphics bus.
This time, customers will pay attention. Those who invested in E7500-based systems might feel a little burned, but it’s worth it. Intel’s re-engineering has brought new value and excitement to the humdrum selection of DP servers.
