Intel has released the first six-core Xeon chip for workstations and servers based on its 32nm Westmere chip architecture, which it is touting as its ‘most secure’ line of server processors.
Besides blending both performance and energy efficiency, the new processors come with two new security features that apparently allow for faster encryption and decryption operations for more secure transactions (Intel Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions), and Intel Trusted Execution Technology that is designed for virtualised environments, providing data centers with a stronger foundation for cloud security.
Intel said these are the first server and workstation chips based on its 32nm fab process, which uses its high-k metal gate transistors to increase speed and decrease energy consumption.
Intel is boasting that the Xeon Processor 5600 series supports up to six cores per processor and delivers up to 60 percent greater performance than the 45nm Intel Xeon processor 5500 series. It claims that data centers can replace 15 single-core servers with a single new one, and achieve a return on their investment in as little as 5 months.
And of course Intel did not miss the opportunity to tout power efficiency benefits for the data center industry of the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series. “A two-socket server using the new low-voltage Intel Xeon processor L5640 can deliver the same performance as a server using the previous generation's champion; the Intel Xeon processors X5570 series, but with up to 30 percent lower platform power,” said the company.
"The Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series will be the backbone of mainstream computing environments," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Group. "New security capabilities will boost the confidence of IT managers. Improvements in performance, server virtualisation and power consumption will foster productivity and efficiency for a broad range of applications ranging from data transactions to workstations performing medical imaging and digital prototyping."
Hardware vendors including Dell, Fujitsu, HP and IBM are all expected to announce new systems based on the Xeon 5600 series in the near future.
They were beaten to the punch however by SGI (formerly Rackable Systems) which announced the full and immediate support of the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series across its entire scale-out server lineup, including Altix ICE high performance computing (HPC) clusters, CloudRack and Rackable scale-out servers, SGI InfiniteStorage servers, the Octane III personal supercomputer, and the newly announced Origin 400 workgroup blade solution.
"Our long-term investment in Intel technologies and the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series is critical to our customers accelerating their results," said Mark J. Barrenechea, SGI CEO. "We are excited to leverage these compelling processors to establish new standards in performance and density across the industry."
While Intel will make much of the improved performance, energy efficiency and security of its new Xeon processors X5570 series, the chip giant was nevertheless beaten to market by its chief rival AMD.
AMD introduced six-core versions of its Opteron processors way back in June last year, and indeed is expected to launch a platform codenamed Magny-Cours with up to 12 cores per chip, later this year.
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Keywords: Intel, energy efficiency, servers, encryption, decryption, virtulised environments, cloud security, data centers, efficiency, platform power, server virtulisation, power consumption, Dell, Fujitsa, HP, IBM. | |
