Dell begins dual-core push, upgrades blade servers

While HP, IBM and Sun already have begun shipping systems based on Advanced Micro Devices' dual-core Opteron, Dell this week is set to enter the dual-core fray with a single-processor box aimed at small and midsize businesses.

The SC430, a tower server built on Intel's dual-core Pentium D processor, adds 50% more storage capacity with up to 4G bytes of Double Data Rate 2 Synchronous Dynamic DRAM. It also has 50% more high-speed buses, with three PCI Express slots, than its predecessor, the PowerEdge SC420, Dell says.

The box is designed for companies looking to support e-mail, file and print, and Web-serving applications. The dual-core design will give multi-threaded applications a 40% bump in performance, Dell says. The system starts at $499 for a single-core Celeron processor and comes with management software and professional services now. It supports Windows Server 2003 and Red Hat and SuSE Linux.

The introduction of the SC430 should end any doubts among IT professionals as to whether dual-core x86 systems are becoming mainstream platforms for data center workloads, analysts say. Both Intel and AMD are transitioning their processors to dual-core designs, although Intel isn't expected to have dual-core Itanium or Xeon systems until year-end.

"Dell typically waits until other companies build the market and then comes out with a product targeted at the demand that has been established," says Joe Clabby, a vice president at Summit Strategies.

He says it's not surprising to see Dell remain loyal to Intel, rather than supporting AMD's Opteron. "They told me they have seen Intel's road map and [Intel] will catch up with [AMD] very quickly," he says. "They also like Intel's ability to meet their manufacturing demands."

Meanwhile, Dell continues to make its blade server more attractive for corporate customers, expanding the storage connectivity options for its PowerEdge 1855 blade server. Last week, Dell introduced a new Fibre Channel switch for its blade chassis. The McData 4314 switch, starting at $9,000, gives end users another choice when it comes to native Fibre Channel connectivity. Dell also offers a Brocade Fibre Channel switch for its blade enclosure, as well as an InfiniBand switch from Topspin Communications.

After stumbling with its initial blade product, the PowerEdge 1655 MC, Dell says it has seen quick adoption of the PowerEdge 1855 it introduced last fall.

Tim Golden, director of PowerEdge server marketing at Dell, cites IDG statistics indicating that in the first four months of shipping the product, Dell grew its share in the two-processor x86 blade market from 4% to 12%.

Making it easier to integrate blades into current network infrastructure is a key part of moving blades into a more mainstream role. Golden says end users can expect Dell to continue to expand network connectivity options for its blade servers. Dell is in talks with Cisco, for example, to integrate a Cisco Ethernet switch into its blade offering.