* Release of dual-core Xeons pushed up to 2005
Intel is stepping up development on multi-core processors in response to AMD’s release of dual-core processors in April. Intel will now ship its dual-core Xeon processors later this year rather than in 2006 as was originally planned.
In dual-core technology, two CPUs are place on a single piece of silicon, where they can reduce heat and increase performance for multithreaded applications.
These dual-core processors will see performance improvements as high as 60% over their predecessors. Paxville, which can be used in servers with as many as four or more processors, should have a 60% performance increase, while Paxville DP will show 50% improvement, according to Intel. Both chips will use Hyper-Threading, which makes them capable of simultaneously running four sets of computer instructions. They will also include enhanced security and better power management.
The Paxville chip is built on 90-nanometer technology. It is a dual-core Xeon MP processor. Paxville is expected to be used in four-processor servers and larger servers.
Paxville DP, a dual-core Xeon, is intended for use by early adopters of dual-core technology. It will be followed by Bensley and Glidewell next year. Bensley is a dual-core server platform; Glidewell is intended for workstations.
Paxville and Paxville DP use the E8500 and E7520 chipsets, respectively, and they support the Intel EM64T 32/64-bit addressing scheme.
Intel has big plans for multi-core technology – at the company right now 17 projects are under way. By the end of 2006, the company claims that 95% of the server processors it ships will be multi-core.
The company is also expected to ship dual-core Itanium processors later this year.
For AMD’s announcement, see: AMD brings dual-core Opteron to data center
