Two new Itanium CPU’s from Intel

Intel Corporation introduced two Intel Itanium 2 processors optimized for dual-processor systems.

The number of server and workstation models based on the Itanium processor family, including systems from Dell, HP and IBM, is expected to double this year to more than 40 two- and four-way systems. In addition, Intel offers to manufacturers a rack-optimized, dual-processor Intel server platform for these new Intel Itanium 2 processors.

The two new processors are the Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.40 GHz with a 1.5 MB level three (L3) cache, providing leading price-performance for technical computing applications, and the Low Voltage Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.0 GHz with a 1.5 MB L3 cache, which consumes approximately half the power of existing Itanium 2 processors.

Complementing the existing large-scale Itanium 2-based systems with up to 128 or more processors per system, the new processors allow for lower-cost and lower-power dual-processor systems for use in network edge, security and software engineering applications. These dual-processor platforms can help IT managers realize increased flexibility and efficiencies in broadening their Itanium architecture-based environments.

“Itanium 2 processor-based systems deliver industry-leading performance, business value and choice for data-intensive, business-critical enterprise solutions,” said Richard Dracott, group marketing director for Intel’s Enterprise Platforms Group. “With these new processors, Itanium 2-based systems can now power virtually all facets of the data center, from entry-level systems to supercomputers and massive database servers.”

The Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.40 GHz with 1.5 MB of cache is optimized for dual-processor, high-performance technical and scientific computing systems and clusters and entry-level, front-end enterprise systems. Enabling systems for less than $7,000, it also delivers outstanding floating point performance per compute node, resulting in an industry-leading price per gigaflop (billion calculations per second), a measure of price-performance for compute-intensive workloads.**

The Low Voltage Intel Itanium 2 processor (formerly code-named Deerfield) supports entry-level, front-end enterprise systems, offering a compelling alternative to entry-level RISC-based platforms. With maximum power consumption of 62 watts – less than half the power of existing Itanium 2 processors – it is optimized for lower-power and lower-cost systems. These solutions are typically used in network edge and software engineering where power consumption and cost are primary considerations.

In addition, hundreds of applications and tools are optimized for the Itanium processor family, including database solutions from IBM, Microsoft and Oracle; major enterprise and front-end server applications from BEA, BMC, LEGATO Systems, RSA Security, SAP, SAS, and Symantec; and technical computing applications from ABAQUS, Ansys, Accelrys, EDS, Fluent, LSTC, Mental Images, Mentor Graphics, MSC and PTC. Operating system support for the Itanium processor family includes Microsoft Windows* Server 2003; Linux* from Red Hat, SuSE, TurboLinux, and UnitedLinux; and HP-UX from HP.*

The Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.40 GHz with 1.5 MB of cache and the Low Voltage Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.0 GHz with 1.5 MB of cache are now available worldwide for $1,172 and $744 in 1,000-unit quantities, respectively.