IBM debuts Power5 processor

As expected, IBM last week released servers for small and midsized business that incorporate its newest processor, the Power5.

The eServer i5 runs i5/OS, Windows, AIX 5L and Linux concurrently. The i5/OS is a new version of OS/400 for the i5 servers.

The server also includes IBM’s Virtualization Engine, which allows customers to run multiple operating systems simultaneously. The Power5 processor can be partitioned more granularly than the Power4. Each processor can run 10 different operating systems.

Companies that purchase the i5 will see a 40% price/performance improvement over previous iSeries servers, IBM claims.

The i5 comes in two models: the Model 520, a one- or two-processor server, and the Model 570, which has one to four processors. The Model 570 can be configured for Capacity on Demand, which allows users to pay for only the number of processors they use. Each model can also run IBM’s DB2 database and WebSphere Express.

The Power5 processor that the i5 servers use is a 64-bit chip that contains 276 million transistors per processor. It was designed at IBM’s facilities in Austin, Texas, and features 0.13-micron manufacturing and silicon-on-insulator technologies. The Power5 also features simultaneous multithreading, which lets a single processor act as two processors and run two applications on the same processor concurrently.

IBM will announce servers in the future that have as many as 64 processors.

The IBM eServer i5 520 starts at $11,500; the eServer i5 570 starts at $85,200. Both systems are expected to be available in June.