Processors: June 2009

Monday, June 1, 2009

AMD Phenom 9850 Quad Core Processor

(2.5GHz, 4x512kB, 2GHz FSB, Socket AM2+ - MPN: HD985ZXAGHBOX)
Price Range: $199.99 - $274.85 from 17 Sellers
Description: Realize new possibilities for connecting with friends, family, and digital entertainment with the phenomenal performance of the AMD Phenom 9000 series quad-core processor. Built from the ground up for true quad-core performance, AMD Phenom .... Read More
Description: Realize new possibilities for connecting with friends, family, and digital entertainment with the phenomenal performance of the AMD Phenom 9000 series quad-core processor. Built from the ground up for true quad-core performance, AMD Phenom processors speed through advanced multitasking, critical business productivity, advanced visual design and modeling, serious gaming, and visually stunning digital media and entertainment.

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Description: Phenom 9850 Quad Core Processor
Manufacturer: AMD
Lowest Price: $199.99
User Reviews: 5 Star Review
(5 / 5.00)
(Read 1 Reviews)
Rebates: (None)
Quick Glance
Processor Class: AMD Phenom
Processor Socket: AMD Socket AM2+
Processor Type: 4
Bus Speed: 2000 MHz
Processor Speed: 2500
Processor Speed + Class
Bus Speed: 2000 MHz
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Processor Class: AMD Phenom
Physical + Memory Specifications
L3 Cache Size: 2 MB
Included Fan Type: ATX
L2 Cache Size: 2 MB
L1 Cache Size: 512 kB
Number of Processor Cores: 4
Processor Socket: AMD Socket AM2+
Warranty
Warranty Information: 3 Year Limited Warranty

AMD's Athlon MP & Tyan's Thunder K7

Over the past two years AMD have established themselves as one of the two premier chipmakers for the desktop market. Today we will be looking at the products they hope will make a name for them in the workstation and server arena. The Dual Athlon MP system is finally here. This is the next logical step for AMD since they have managed to eat up quite a large chunk of the desktop market share since August 1999, but have, as of yet, been virtually invisible in the high-end business segment. Yes, some forward thinking companies like Boeing have put together huge clusters of Athlon based machines - but what AMD wants is for the less forward thinking companies to regard them as the company to bank on for their computer needs instead of their competitors.

To do this AMD has just announced a new processor, which they hope will challenge Intel’s Dual Pentium III and Dual XEON line of processors. This chip, whose codename Palomino has been changed to Athlon MP is the next step in the evolution of the previous Athlon Thunderbird. Besides a few new features which should help performance and long-term life the Athlon MP's main selling point is the ability to run in Dual processor machines (with support from AMD). To achieve this, AMD has also announced the AMD 760MP (762) Northbridge, which will allow motherboards to run two processors and utilize SMP

AMD Quad-Core Processors Native quad-core design puts the power of four processors into one

Quad-Core AMD Opteron Processors
Deliver industry leading power efficiency and virtualization with balanced performance
When it comes to the IT needs of today’s businesses, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with offer a compelling solution. They deliver industry-leading performance within a consistent footprint and thermal envelopes.
AMD Opteron processors also enable stable, long-term server and workstation solutions with industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. They’re designed to simplify your IT management — now and in the future.
Optimal VirtualizationFeaturing AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology with Rapid Virtualization Indexing, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors provide a balanced approach to improve virtualization efficiency, enabling more virtual machines to run per server for server consolidation and improved manageability. Increased performance for many virtual workloads allows for a higher performing, more flexible virtual environments with little or no performance compromise. AMD-V Extended Migration provides full live migration compatibility from single-core through quad-core processor solutions enabling a more reliable, more adaptable IT environment.
Industry Leading Power EfficencyQuad-Core AMD Opteron processors are designed to deliver industry-leading power efficiency, thanks to Enhanced AMD PowerNow! technology and the addition of innovative AMD CoolCore Technology. These innovations are designed to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), data center power needs, and cooling costs by lowering the energy consumption of your IT infrastructure. Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors deliver performance-on-demand capabilities for optimum performance-per-watt and power savings and optimize performance and power to match the compute workloads of each core, minimizing processor heat and energy consumption.
Superior Investment ProtectionBy leveraging AMD’s Common Core Strategy and Same Socket Technology, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are designed to minimize changes to your software and data center infrastructure to protect your IT investment and simplify IT management. AMD’s Common Core Strategy eases technology transitions, can reduce maintenance costs, and helps preserve your IT software image by allowing for fewer upgrade disruptions. Same socket technology enables seamless hardware upgrades by maintaining consistent thermal envelopes across multiple CPU generations to help hardware longevity and performance per watt, while easing facilities planning. AMD plans include a stable consistent roadmap and well-timed transitions to match true enterprise environments and help minimize your IT TCO.

Outstanding PerformanceQuad-Core AMD Opteron processors provide outstanding performance and power efficiency and can increase performance-per-watt to improve IT responsiveness while maintaining business costs.
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture are designed for optimum multi-threaded application performance. We start with a native quad-core design — featuring four cores on a single piece of silicon for more efficient data sharing — and add an enhanced cache structure and integrated memory controller designed to sustain multi-threaded application throughput. Direct Connect Architecture is a tested and proven architecture — in market since 2003, and available only from AMD.

AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors Do More than Dual-Core

Ready for a performance boost over single and dual-core processors? AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors offer three processing cores on a single chip, plus cutting-edge features and capabilities for next-generation applications.
FOR BUSINESS
AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors
True multi-core performance for the way businesses multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications employees will need in the near future. Stable commercial AMD PhenomX3 8000 Series processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. Plus, unique features for energy efficiency.
FOR HOME
AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors
Do more than dual-core. AMD Phenom X3 8000 Series processors offer outstanding performance on a balanced suite of applications, as compared to AMD AthlonX2 dual-core processors. Get added performance for multitasking, HD entertainment, content creation, and gaming applications

AMD Multi-Core Processors Performance geared for the needs of next-generation applications

As the latest software applications offer new features and cutting-edge capabilities, processor designers need to stay ahead of those demands. But these days, increasing processor performance isn’t enough. Computers need to run faster, cooler, take up less space, and use less energy.
The Multi-Core Solution
Multi-core processing helps address these challenges. With the power of two or more processors on a single chip, AMD’s true multi-core processors deliver industry-leading performance and unique features that help systems run cooler and more efficient.
Next-Generation Software and True Multi-tasking
The evolution of AMD’s multi-core design has allowed for increased performance and higher productivity to meet the needs of next-generation applications. AMD multi-core processors also offer true multi-tasking capabilities. Users can simultaneously run multiple complex applications and successfully complete more tasks in a shorter amount of time.
And, because they put more processing power into a smaller package, AMD multi-core processors help enable smaller form factors—including:
· Thin-and-light notebook PCs that run cooler and quieter
· Space-saving, high-performance desktop PCs
· Server infrastructures with a smaller footprint, reduced cooling needs, and energy efficiency that can improve TCO

AMD Athlon 64 3500, 2.2 GHz (OEM / Unboxed Processor)

You live at the forefront of technology, and you won't settle for less from your favorite software. That's why AMD is proud to bring you the AMD Athlon 64 processor, with AMD64 technology for dramatically higher performance and built-in support for future 64-bit applications - even running 32- and 64-bit software at... MoreYou live at the forefront of technology, and you won't settle for less from your favorite software. That's why AMD is proud to bring you the AMD Athlon 64 processor, with AMD64 technology for dramatically higher performance and built-in support for future 64-bit applications - even running 32- and 64-bit software at the same time. Maximize system efficiency and stay ahead of the curve with the technically superior PC processor, packed with advances such as HyperTransport technology and an integrated DDR memory controller. Whether it is for business, school or play, with the AMD Athlon 64 processor, you can address your current and future computing needs.

AMD Phenom™ X3 Triple-Core Processors Ready for a performance boost over single and dual-core processors? AMD Phenom™ X3 triple-core processors offer

AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors

Ready for a performance boost over single and dual-core processors? AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors offer three processing cores on a single chip, plus cutting-edge features and capabilities for next-generation applications.
FOR BUSINESS
AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors
True multi-core performance for the way businesses multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications employees will need in the near future. Stable commercial AMD PhenomX3 8000 Series processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. Plus, unique features for energy efficiency.
AMD Phenom X3 Triple-Core Processors
Do more than dual-core. AMD Phenom X3 8000 Series processors offer outstanding performance on a balanced suite of applications, as compared to AMD AthlonX2 dual-core processors. Get added performance for multitasking, HD entertainment, content creation, and gaming applications

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Processor

The new AMD Phenom X4 9850 is a great processor for its segment even though it is still not able to dominate in any fashion over the Intel quad-core options. Just as with the initial 2.3 GHz Phenom B2 launch, AMD still considers the Intel Core 2 Q6600 its primary competition, and I consider the Q9450 to be another potential threat as well. This new CPU is definitely getting AMD closer to its performance goals and any enthusiast or gamer looking for a ~$240 processor is going to have a fantastic experience with the 9850. The added performance and efficiency of the 2000 MHz memory controller and system bus add to the benefits of the 2.50 GHz clock rate producing the best fastest stock speed AMD quad-core CPU to date. Though I feel a bit like a broken record, we again should put a caveat on all of this: if AMD COULD put out a part to compete with Intel in the high-end processor segment they would. The 65nm process that the current generation Phenom is using just won't allow it and the engineers in Sunnyvale still have a lot of work ahead to start giving Intel competition in the high profit-margin area of $400+ processors.

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Processor

AMD Promises DirectX 11 in 2009

AMD has confirmed rumors that it is working on DirectX 11, announcing at CEATEC that it plans to release its first DirectX 11-compatible GPUs in 2009. The company also predicted an increase in general purpose computing on GPUs (GPGPU) and a transition to a 40nm fabricating standard, which ought to give graphics chip performance rates a considerable boost. In layman terms: Things are about to get a lot bigger and a lot prettier.

Bigger cache boosts performance of Athlon XP 3000+ processor.

AMD has won its game of "cache up" with Intel. The newest Athlon XP processors, code-named Barton, have double the Level 2 cache of previous models. Our first tests show the results: Barton-based Athlon XP 3000+ systems flew through productivity work, just topping the fastest Pentium 4 systems we've tested. AMD-based PCs also continue to triumph in the pricing contest, often selling for hundreds less than comparably configured P4 computers.
Record Breakers
We tested three high-end PCs carrying the Athlon XP 3000+: Polywell's $2155 Poly 880NF2-3000; Sys Technology's $3153 Sys Performance 3000+; and Falcon Northwest's $3275 Mach V Athlon XP 3000+. All of them had 1GB of 333-MHz DDR memory and a slew of high-end components, including ATI's Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card. The Polywell and Falcon machines ran Windows XP Home while the Sys ran Windows XP Professional (a negligible factor in our PC WorldBench 4 tests). Polywell sent a preproduction unit; the other two PCs were shipping models.
The Sys PC raced in with a score of 137 on our benchmark--the fastest result of any system to date. The Polywell checked in at 136; the Falcon, at 134--all insignificant performance differences.
By comparison, the zippiest 3.06-GHz P4 system we've tested, a previously reviewed $2860 Sys unit with 512MB of 1.066-GHz RDRAM, scored 132, just slightly lower than our top-performing Athlon XP 3000+ system.
Three additional 3.06-GHz P4 systems equipped with 1GB of memory that we tested for the Januaryhyperthreading story averaged 121. That means the top Athlon XP PC scored about 13 percent higher, a noticeable difference.
For comparison we also tested AMD-based Poly and Falcon systems using the original, non-Barton Athlon XP 2800+ chip; PC WorldBench 4 results fell by 2 to 4 points. In several other tests, however--including Nero Burning ROM and Musicmatch--the 3000+ PCs performed slightly below the 2800+ systems.
The 3000+ systems' average time of 226 seconds in the AutoCAD test trounced the P4 PCs' average time of 273 seconds. The 3000+ PCs also outperformed the Intel-based systems in the Photoshop, Premiere, Nero Burning ROM, and Unreal Tournament tests; the P4 machines prevailed in the Musicmatch and Return to Castle Wolfenstein tests.
The 3000+ Skinny
AMD is shipping three new Barton-based processors: The Athlon XP 3000+ (running at 2.167 GHz), a new XP 2800+ (2.083 GHz), and the first XP 2500+ (1.833 GHz). All three include a 512KB L2 cache and a 333-MHz frontside bus. The 2800+ Barton-based CPU replaces an existing Athlon XP 2800+ chip that AMD shipped in small quantities to five PC vendors in fall 2002.
The original 2800+ chip, which runs at 2.25 GHz, is faster than both its replacement and the 3000+ chip. What gives? According to AMD, the 2800+ model number is based on the level of performance the chip delivers in PCs when running certain applications. The new 2800+ uses cache instead of megahertz to reach that level of application performance.
By the time you read this, all 2800+ chips shipping in PCs should be Barton-based models, according to AMD.
The company plans to ship an Athlon XP 3200+ processor by mid-2003, and in September it will debut its oft-delayed Athlon 64 CPU. AMD's future chip pairs 64-bit technology with a faster memory interface that should lead to improved performance.
Intel also plans several new chips, including a 3.2-GHz P4 that should be ready by April, says Kevin Krewell, general manager at research firm In-Stat/MDR. The company will follow that with a 3.4-GHz chip, code-named Prescott, offering twice the P4's current L2 cache (1MB) and improved hyperthreading, he says.
In the meantime, your best deal is likely a computer with AMD's Athlon XP 2800+ chip, since the prices of such systems are noticeably lower than those of 3000+ PCs (about $200) but their performance is not. And the price differences between Athlon XP 3000+ machines and 3-GHz P4 systems can run as high as $600.

Intel D945GCLF Motherboard CPU

(Intel 945GC Chipset, Mini ITX, 2GB DDR2, 533MHz FSB - MPN: BOXD945GCLF)
Price Range: $66.00 - $91.87 from 11 Sellers
Description: This motherboard has an embedded Intel Atom 230 processor. The Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF is designed to support Internet-centric computing delivering incredible capabilities for the flexible Mini-ITX form factor. Featuring the inte.... Read More

Description: This motherboard has an embedded Intel Atom 230 processor. The Intel Desktop Board D945GCLF is designed to support Internet-centric computing delivering incredible capabilities for the flexible Mini-ITX form factor. Featuring the integrated 45nm Intel Atom Processor and the Intel 945GC Express Chipset, this board is an energy-efficient solution for home users as well as for unique vertical market needs. Designed with 45nm Hi-k metal gate processor, this board delivers incredible opportunities to communicate, listen, watch, play, and learn via Internet connectivity.

Intel D5400XS Motherboard

(Intel Socket J LGA771, P35 Express, Extended ATX, 8GB DDR2, 1600MHz FSB - MPN: BOXD5400XS)
Price Range: $607.99 - $767.53 from 17 Sellers
Description: The Intel Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform is a dual socket desktop board from Intel. With dual CPU capability that provides up to 8 core processing, the Intel Desktop Board D5400XS delivers unmatched performance for advanced digital me.... Read More
Description: The Intel Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform is a dual socket desktop board from Intel. With dual CPU capability that provides up to 8 core processing, the Intel Desktop Board D5400XS delivers unmatched performance for advanced digital media creation and editing. The platform also delivers heart pounding performance for multi-core enabled game titles, particularly in a multi-tasking environment where simultaneous applications need maximum processing power.

Strengths: SLI, CrossFire both supported, High tech, great cooling
Weaknesses: expensive, no pci64 slot anymore, less memory support
Summary: (Edited July 22nd by spongy88) I'm using this MB with QX9775. Well, this MB still support LGA771 type of Zeon processor. Also both SLI and Crossfire supported. I choose SLI because of price of cards. Anyway this is first SLI supported from Intel. Looking very powerful and forceful desin. Specially I love that black platform. Also Box design is black and extremely powerful shape. But my opinion is if there is one of PCI64 slot for use SCSI raid controller, that it should be SUPER. I'm not SAS guy yet cuz SAS HDD is expensive at this point. So i'm trying to find out the SCSI controller that use on PCI express. Anyway It's great board and worth price!

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor

Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor
(3GHz, 6MB, 1333MHz FSB, LGA775 Socket T - MPN: BX80570E8400)
Price Range: $169.99 - $269.66 from 17 Sellers
Description: Based on Intel Core microarchitecture, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor family is designed to provide energy-efficient performance so you can do more at once without slowing down.
Quick Glance
Processor Socket: Intel Socket T (LGA775)
Processor Class: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Type: 2
Bus Speed: 1333MHz
Processor Speed: 3000
Processor Speed + Class
Bus Speed: 1333MHz
Processor Speed: 3 GHz
Processor Class: Intel Core 2 Duo
Physical + Memory Specifications
Included Fan Type: ATX
L2 Cache Size: 6 MB
Number of Processor Cores: 2
Processor Socket: Intel Socket T (LGA775)
Warranty
Warranty Information: 3 Year Limited Warranty

Intel Core2 Quad Q9300

Intel’s Core 2 Q9300 processor is fabricated using the 45nm Penryn process that we first saw in Benny's review of the Intel Core 2 Quad QX9650, which is a lovely CPU if you don't mind forking out £480. Thankfullly, the Penryn process is also used in more down-to-earth CPUs such as the dual core E8500, which is where things get interesting for most of us.
When we reviewed the E8500 in March 2008 it had a price of £182 but since then we’ve seen a surprising amount of price compression among the Intel dual cores. The 3.16GHz E8500 has dropped to £123, the 3.0GHz E8400 is £110 and the 2.66GHz E8200 is priced at £106. Who the heck would buy a £106 processor when you can get the next speed bump for only £4 more?

This reduction in price for the Wolfdale dual core Penryns leaves the £150+ price bracket open for affordable Yorkfield quad core processors which is where the Core 2 Quad Q9300 comes into the equation. It has a relatively slow clock speed of 2.50GHz which is achieved by a 7.5x multiplier and a 333MHz/1,333MHz front side bus which is matched by a price of £173. Now that’s cheap for a Yorkfield as faster models shoot past £200 and head for £390 with the Q9550 and upwards to £480 for the aforementioned QX9650.
Things aren’t entirely as they might appear, though, as most Yorkfields have 12MB of L2 cache with 6MB for each core while the Q9300 only has 6MB with 3MB per core. The rest of the features are just as you’d expect from a Penryn which is a significant advance from the 65nm Kentsfield including support for the SSE4.1 instruction set. The move to the 45nm process has allowed Intel to reduce the core voltage from a nominal 1.3V to 1.2V, which in turn reduces the TDP from 105W to 95W.

Intel Atom Processor N270

The Intel Atom processor N270, implemented in 45nm technology, is power-optimized and delivers robust performance-per-watt for cost-effective embedded solutions. Featuring extended lifecycle support, this processor offers an excellent solution for embedded market segments such as digital signage, interactive clients, thin clients, digital security, residential gateways, print imaging, and commercial and industrial control. The processor remains software compatible with previous 32-bit Intel architecture and complementary silicon.This single-core processor is validated with the mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset, consisting of the Intel 82945GSE Graphics Memory Controller Hub and Intel I/O Controller Hub 7-M. The chipset features power-efficient graphics with an integrated 32-bit 3D graphics engine based on Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 architecture with SDVO, LVDS, CRT, and TV-Out display ports. It provides rich I/O capabilities and flexibility via high-bandwidth interfaces such as PCI Express, PCI, Serial ATA, and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity.

Product highlights
•Intel Atom processor N270 at 1.6 GHz core speed with 533 MHz AGTL+ front-side bus and 2.5 watts thermal design power
•Intel hafnium-based 45nm Hi-k metal gate silicon process technology reduces power consumption, increases switching speed, and significantly increases transistor density over previous 65nm technology
•Intel Hyper-Threading Technology provides high performance-per-watt efficiency in an in-order pipeline and increased system responsiveness in multi-tasking environments. One execution core is seen as two logical processors, and parallel threads are executed on a single core with shared resources
•Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology reduces average system power consumption

IBASE Reveals MI940 Mini-ITX motherboard with Intel 945GC Express Chipset

IBASE Technology (TASDAQ: 8050), a leading supplier of industrial computers, reveals the MI940 Mini-ITX motherboard incorporating the Intel 945GC Express chipset with GMA950 graphics core. The MI940 is designed with an LGA775 socket for Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Intel Pentium D Processor and Intel Pentium 4 Processor supporting HT Technology with system bus of 800/533MHz. It comes with two DDR2 memory sockets for up to 2GB system memory for faster system responsiveness.
MI940 is ideal for applications in the medical, point-of-sale, kiosk and gaming sectors. Featuring the Intel 945GC integrated graphics and Chrontel CH7307, MI940 comes with CRT and DVI-D interfaces at the board edge. LAN functionality is provided by an Intel 82574L PCI-Express Gigabit Ethernet controller.Aside from having a PCI and PCI-E (x1) slots, MI940 is expandable with the optional ID394 and ID395 daughter boards to support additional serial ports and TPM function respectively. Other useful features on board include four SATA II ports, six USB 2.0 ports, watchdog timer, digital I/O and two serial ports. Board dimensions are 170mm by 170mm.
MI940 FEATURES
LGA775 socket for Intel Core 2 Duo / Pentium D / Pentium 4 CPU
Intel 945GC Express chipset based
Supports up to 800MHz system bus
Two DDR2 DIMM for up to 2GB memory
Supports one Intel PCI-E Gigabit LAN
4x SATA II, 1x IDE, 6x USB 2.0, 2x COM, 5.1 channel high definition Audio
1 x PCI Express (x1), 1 x PCI (supports 2 Master)

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Intel Core2 Processor with Viiv Technology

When you want a sensational high-definition (HD) experience, look no further than PCs with Intel Core2 processor with Viiv technology. Built on the latest hafnium-infused 45nm dual- and quad-core processors, these systems give you performance for HD audio and video and your most demanding applications.
Key components
The cutting edge is now. Every PC with an Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo or Intel Core 2 Quad processor to give you the performance to run demanding applications and manage your HD entertainment. To see the list of all processors available for the Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology, see the PC Requirements page.
PCs built from the ground up for sensational high-definition experiences. The Intel Core 2 processor with Viiv technology includes the latest Intel chipsets with most everything you need to build a multimedia PC for HD content. Experience stunning sound from movies and music with up to 7.1 surround sound capabilities enabled by Intel® High Definition Audio (Intel® HD Audio). Get full 1080P video playback for movie clips, media streams, and the latest generation of HD video cameras with optional Intel® Clear Video Technology. And explore the Internet with 1GB-capable broadband Ethernet to quickly access high-definition content. The possibilities are endless.
Operating system
Microsoft Vista Home Premium makes it easy to control and enjoy your digital media.

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Dual Core Atom: Intel D945GCLF2 & Atom 330

Last week, when going through the "what's new" list of a local supplier, I found a gem: an inexpensive mini-ITX motherboard with a dual core Atom processor. This little marvel, the Intel D945GCLF2, does not even show up on the Intel web site - other than being noted as announced during IDF. Interested in what it was capable of, I bought one on the spot.
The idea of very low power processors that are "fast enough" for many applications is starting to catch on. It would be fair to say that Asus took the world by fire with their original Eee PC, and followed it up with the highly successful Eee PC 901 - spawning a whole new "netbook" category of sub-notebook computers with enough processing power for Internet access and every day tasks. Mind you, Asus dropped the ball by not hitting its initially announced $199 Eee PC price tag, however there are now very capable netbooks around $300, like some models of the Acer AspireOne.

Asus then followed by releasing the Eee Box, bringing low powered tiny desktops to the public - sure they won't run Crysis, but they will do office apps and internet browsing, for less money, and while only sipping power compared to gaming boxes, and they can save even more money by avoiding the Microsoft Tax, by shipping a friendly Linux distribution pre-installed on the computer.
Low power computers are in fact enough for most people's use, and make excellent second, third or fourth computers in a family home. After all, how much power do you need to run Open Office and FireFox? Not much.

Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Dual Core Processor

The Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 is new low-cost Core 2 processor targeted at the mainstream market.
Like all processors that use the Intel Wolfdale core, it is built upon the smaller 45nm process technology using Intel's new high-k (hafnium) dielectric and metal gate technology. The result is a smaller, cooler and more efficient processor.
Unlike other Wolfdale-based processors though, the Core 2 Duo E7200 has half its L2 cache disabled. This leaves the processor with only 3MB of L2 cache. It also uses a slower FSB speed of 1066 MHz.
But does that mean it is slower than the Conroe-based Core 2 Duo processors that have 4MB of L2 cache and a faster FSB speed? You would be surprised at the results when we tested this processor and compared it against the performance of the Conroe-based Core 2 Duo processors.

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Intel Xeon 7460 Six Cores to Bulldoze Opteron Processors

The upcoming Intel Nehalem CPU has been in the spotlight for months now. In contrast and despite the huge die size and 1.9 billion (!) transistors, the 6-core Xeon 74xx is a wallflower for both the public as Intel's marketing. However, if you've invested in the current Intel platform, the newly launched Intel 74xx series deserves a lot more attention.
The Xeon 74xx, formerly known as Dunnington, is indeed a very interesting upgrade path for the older quad socket platform. All Xeon 74xx use the same mPGA604 socket as previous Xeons and are electrically compatible with the Xeon 73xx series. The Xeon 73xx , also known as Tigerton, was basically the quad-core version of the Xeon 53xx (Clovertown) that launched at the end 2006. The new hex-core Dunnington combines six of the latest 45nm Xeon Penryn cores on a single die. As you may remember from our dual socket 45nm Xeon 54xx review, the 45nm Penryn core is about 10% to 20% faster than its older 65nm brother (Merom). There is more: an enormous 12MB to 16MB L3 cache ensures that those six cores access high latency main memory a lot less. This huge L3 also reduces the amount of "cache syncing" traffic between the CPUs, an important bottleneck for the current Intel server platforms.
2.66GHz, 6 cores, 3x3MB L2, and 16MB L3 cache: a massive new Intel CPU
With at least 10% to 20% better performance per core, two extra cores per CPU package, and an upgrade that only requires a BIOS update, the newest Xeon 7460 should be an attractive proposal if you are short on processing power.
Six Cores?
Dunnington was announced at the past IDFs as "extending the MP leadership". Readers who read our last quad socket report understand that this is a questionable claim. Since AMD introduced the Opteron 8xxx in April 2003, there has never been a moment that Intel was able to lead the dance in the quad socket server market. Sure, the Intel 73xx was able to outperform the AMD chip in some areas (rendering), but the AMD quad-core was still able to keep up with Intel chip in Java, ERP, and database performance. When it comes to HPC, the AMD chip was clearly in the lead.
Dunnington might not be the darling of Intel marketing, but the chip itself is a very aggressive statement: let us "Bulldoze" AMD out of the quad socket market with a truly gigantic chip that only Intel can produce without losing money. Intel is probably - courtesy of the impressive ultra low leakage 45nm high-K process technology - the only one capable of producing large quantities of CPUs containing 1.9 billion transistors, resulting in an enormous die size of 503 mm2. That is almost twice the size of AMD's upcoming 45nm quad-core CPU Shanghai. Even IBM's flagship POWER6 processor (up to 4.7GHz) is only 341 mm2 and only has 790 million transistors.

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Intel IXP455

Ideal for Communications and Embedded Networking Applications

The highly integrated, single-chip design of the Intel IXP455 network processor provides a unique combination of performance, reliability, and flexibility, and extends Intel XScale® technology into a broad range of applications that require built-in communications functionality such as networking gateways, security appliances, interactive clients, test and instrumentation, RFID readers, and networked print imaging applications.

Features and Benefits

Intel XScale® core available at 266, 400, and 533 MHz Delivers high MIPS/power consumption ratio and provides ample processing headroom for value-added software features
32-bit 33/66 MHz PCI v2.2-compatible, host and option interface Provides flexibility to directly connect devices including 802.11x chips, PCMCIA controllers, and cable MAC/PHYs
USB v1.1 device controller
USB v2.0 host controller, supports low-speed and full-speed modes only
Industry-standard interface for connection to a wide array of devices
32-bit, DDR1-266 SDRAM interface for 32 MByte to 1 GByte of memory High-bandwidth memory interface
32-bit expansion bus interface with parity
Master/Target capable
25-bit address
Glueless connection to other devices
External mastering capability allows external devices to communicate with each other and with internal peripherals resulting in shared memory subsystem design and lower system cost
Up to three integrated 10/100 Ethernet MACs with MII interface
Industry-standard networking interface
Multiple ports allow lower system cost, multiple LAN port support, and concatenation of networking modules
UTOPIA-2 interface with multiple ADSL/G.SHDSL or VDSL PHY support Industry-standard WAN interface
Two High-Speed Serial (HSS) ports for connecting to T1/E1 or SLIC/CODEC Connects to T1/E1 or SLIC/CODEC for voice support
Silicon functional assistance for Random Number Generation Accelerates public key exchange, authentication and key generation
Integrated hardware support for popular cryptography algorithms Acceleration for popular applications such as IPSec and SSL VPNs (AES/ AES-CCM/ 3DES/ DES /SHA-1 /SHA-256 /SHA-384 /SHA-512 /MD-5 /RSA /DSA /Diffie-Hellman algorithms)
Two high-speed UARTs support up to 921 Kbaud each Provides an interface for debug and passing control information
Integrated I2C and SSP interfaces Provides serial interface for common embedded and communications application; reduces system BOM
Spread-spectrum clocking Improves system reliability by reducing EMI
Comprehensive pre-validated, pre-integrated "out-of-the-box" development infrastructures ready for application development using Linux* and VxWorks* Ease of design and fast time-to-market
544-ball PBGA package
35 mm x 35 mm, 1.27 mm ball pitch
Lead-free packages available
Commercial temperature
(0° to 70° C)
Extended temperature
(–40° to 85° C)
High-performance package provides improved reliability
Lead-free packages help meet environmental regulations
Extended temperature support for industrial control and automation applications

Intel shows smallest PC motherboard at IDF

Intel showed what it considers the smallest PC motherboard in the world at the Intel Developers Forum (IDF) in Shanghai. The motherboard, or main PC circuit board, will go into the company's next-generation "Moorestown" mobile Internet device (MID) platform due in the 2009-2010 time frame.

Intel's Anand Chandrasekher holding motherboard
(Credit: Intel Corp.)

"Our engineers have been very hard at work on Moorestown," Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, said during an IDF keynote speech Wednesday. "The platform design teams have been hard at work in figuring out what is the smallest form factor that they can actually fit a complete PC motherboard into so they can deliver a great mobile Internet experience."

"What I'm holding in my hand is what is possibly the world's smallest PC motherboard," Chandrasekher said. The Moorestown motherboard houses the processor, chipset (including graphics), and memory, along with silicon for 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, he said. "This is the heart of the new machine."

Moorestown will be Intel's showcase system-on-a-chip, combining the CPU, graphics, and memory controller (and other silicon mentioned above) on a single die. It will likely be the main launching pad for Intel into the mobile phone market--what the chipmaker calls "MID phones." Moorestown may also be a major market for Intel's upcoming solid-state drives.

Network Appliance FAS960 Filer (8TB)

The FAS960 provides industry-leading high performance in a simple, reliable, flexible, and manageable system scaling to 24TB. With the capability to accommodate thousands of independent users, support an enormous amount of enterprise data, and deliver the performance needed for large, high-bandwidth applications, the FAS960 can meet the storage demands of virtually any enterprise.

Configuration Highlights
- NAS File Server Head
- DS14 MK2 shelf with 2 x AC PSU & LRC
- 56x 144GB 10,000 FC Disk Drive (8TB)
- Dual Channel FC HBA, Optical
- Quad Gigabit NIC Adapter
- 2-Port Gigabit Ethernet Card, Optical, LC R5
- Remote Monitor/Admin Card
- ESH module HSSDC2-HSSDC2
- ESH Module Opt-Cop
- NFS Software, FAS960 (Transferable)
- iSCSI SW License, FAS960 (Transferable)

Network Appliance FAS960 Filer (22TB)

The FAS960 provides industry-leading high performance in a simple, reliable, flexible, and manageable system. With the capability to accommodate thousands of independent users, support an enormous amount of enterprise data, and deliver the performance needed for large, high-bandwidth applications, the FAS960 can meet the storage demands of virtually any enterprise.

Configuration Highlights
- FAS960 NAS File Server Head, DATA ONTAP
- DS14 MK2 shelf w/2*AC PSU & LRC
- ESH Module Opt-Cop
- 156x 144GB 10K FC Disk Drive (22TB)
- 2-Port Gigabit Ethernet Card, Optical, LC R5
- Quad Gigabit NIC Adapter
- Dual Channel FC HBA, Optical (X2051A)
- Dual Channel FC HBA, Optical (X2050A)
- Storage Equipment Cabinet
- iSCSI SW License, FAS960 (Transferable)
- NFS Software, FAS960 (Transferable)

Network Appliance FAS940C Cluster (4TB)

The FAS940 can be deployed on demand in any enterprise. The flexibility and performance capabilities of the FAS940 bring FAS900 series features to a broad range of enterprise applications, including CRM, ERP, DSS, and OLTP massive home-directory consolidation and Web serving.

Configuration Highlights:
- 2 x FAS940, CFO, IB, DATA ONTAP
- DS14mk2 Shelf, FC, AC
- ESH Module, Copper-Copper (HSSDC2)
- ESH Module, Optical-Copper (LC-HSSDC2)
- GigE NIC, Copper, Dual Port
- FC HBA for Disk, Dual Port Optical
- 56x 72GB 10,000 RPM FC Disk for DS14/DS14mk2 (4TB)
- CIFS Software, FAS940C (Transferable)
- iSCSI SW License, FAS940C (Transferable)

NetApp VTL

Enterprise-Level Performance and Storage Efficiency

As data levels grow and backup windows shrink, traditional tape-based backup can't keep pace. To get ahead of business requirements for data protection, you need a solution that boosts performance and reliability without adding complexity. NetApp® VTL can help.

Purpose built for data center needs, NetApp VTL with deduplication delivers an industry-leading combination of performance, scalability, and integration. NetApp VTL makes intelligent disk appear as tape, enabling:

High-speed backup and restore
Cost efficiency and scaling up to 10 PB
Faster, more efficient tape creation and disaster recovery
Simplified management, implementation, and scaling

Network Appliance FAS2000 Series

Technical Highlights

SAN Protocol Support
Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for SCSI; fabric-attached and direct-attached; iSCSI

Network Protocol Support
NFS V2/V3/V4 over UDP or TCP, PCNFSD V1/V2 for (PC) NFS client authentication, Microsoft CIFS, HTTP 1.0, HTTP 1.1 virtual hosts

LUNs
Up to 1,024

FlexVol Volumes
Up to 200 per controller on FAS2020 and up to 500 per controller on FAS2050

Snapshot Copies
Up to 51,000 per controller on FAS2020 and up to 127,000 per controller on FAS2050

Number of Supported Hosts
Up to 2 ports per controller configured as front-end (host) connectivity ports
Up to 4 directly connected servers per active/active configuration
Up to 24 SAN host connected servers on FAS2020 and up to 32 SAN host connected servers on FAS2050

Supported Configurations
Controller Configurations
Single controller, active/active controller with clustered failover (CFO)1
Back-End (Disk) Configurations
Dual-path, multipath HA storage (PDF)

Reliability
Redundant hot-swappable controllers, cooling fans and power supplies

Management
Full-duplex 10/100 Base-T Ethernet onboard console, diagnostic LED, Maintenance Center, SNMP, telnet, SSH, HTTP, Web (SSL), host scripting, e-mail alerts
Security Virus protection, SecureAdmin, IPSec, CHAP authentication, role-based access control (RBAC)

Network Appliance FAS3100 Series

Technical Highlights

Maximum RAID Group Sizes

RAID-DP (high performance RAID 6)
FC: 28 (26 data disks plus 2 parity disks)
SATA: 16 (14 data disks plus 2 parity disks)

RAID 41
FC: 14 (13 data disks plus 1 parity disk)
SATA: 7 (6 data disks plus 1 parity disk)

SyncMirror (high resiliency RAID 1)
Options:
1. RAID-DP + RAID 1
2. RAID 4 + RAID 1

SAN Protocol Support

Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for SCSI (4/2/1Gb); fabric-attached and direct-attached; IP SAN(iSCSI)

File Service Protocol Support

NFS V2/V3/V4 over UDP or TCP, PCNFSD V1/V2 for (PC) NFS client authentication, Microsoft CIFS

Other Protocol Support

HTTP 1.0, HTTP 1.1 virtual hosts

LUNs

Up to 2,048 server host LUNs

FlexVol Volumes

Up to 500 per controller
Volume/Aggregate Size2
16TB
Snapshot™ Copies
Up to 127,000

Number of Supported SAN Hosts

Up to 12 ports3 per controller configured as front-end (host) connectivity ports
Up to 12 directly connected servers4 (per controller and per active-active configuration)
Up to 256 SAN connected servers (per controller and per active-active configuration)

Supported Configurations

Highly Available Controller Configurations
Active-active controller with controller failover5, active-active controller with stretch (non switch) MetroCluster, active-active controller with fabric-attached MetroCluster
Highly Available Back-End (Disk) Configurations
Dual-path, multipath HA storage

Reliability

Redundant hot-swappable controllers, cooling fans, power supplies, optics, and RJ-45 ports

Management

Onboard serial console, diagnostic LED, full-duplex 10/100Base-T Ethernet remote LAN management port with RLM and onboard management interfaces, SNMP, telnet, SSH, HTTP, Web (SSL), host scripting, e-mail alerts

Security

Virus Protection
Authentication: Kerberos (MIT/Active Directory)
Authorization: LDAP, NIS
Auditing: File access logging
Encryption: IPSec, SSL, SSH, SMB signing
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Network Appliance FAS6000 Series

Operating System

NetApp Data ONTAP 7.2.4 software

Operating Systems Supported

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Linux, Sun Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Mac OS, VMware, ESX

Standard Software Features

Integrated automatic RAID manager, including RAID-DP, Snapshot, Fast Boot, telnet, e-mail alerts, NIS, DNS, SNMP, FilerView, FlexVol, FlexShare, SSH, Maintenance Center, Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP)

File Service and Other Protocol Support

NFS V2/V3/V4 over UDP or TCP, PCNFSD V1/V2 for (PC) NFS client authentication, Microsoft CIFS, HTTP 1.0, HTTP 1.1 virtual hosts

SAN Protocol Support

Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) for SCSI (2Gb and 4Gb); fabric-attached and direct-attached; iSCSI

Licensed Software Products

FlexClone, FlexCache, MultiStore, SnapMirror, SnapRestore, SnapDrive, SnapManager for Microsoft Exchange, SnapManager for Microsoft SQL Server, SnapManager for Oracle, Single Mailbox Recovery, SnapVault, SnapMover, SnapLock Compliance, SnapLock Enterprise, SyncMirror, MetroCluster, NearStore Personality Option, CommandCentral Storage, Protection Manager2 , Virtual File Manager, File Storage Resource Manager, SAN Manager, Operations Manager3, ApplianceWatch for HP Openview, ApplianceWatch for Tivoli

Standard Hardware Features

ROHS-compliant, full-duplex 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet onboard console, diagnostic LED/LCD, Remote LAN Management (RLM) Card standard, redundant hot-plug cooling fans, redundant hot-plug power supplies, Compact Flash, 19" rack-mount enclosure, optional 220 V 42U 19" system cabinet

Maximum RAID Group Sizes

RAID 6 (RAID-DP) FC – 28 (26 data disks plus 2 parity disks), SATA – 16 (14 data disks plus 2 parity disks)
RAID 44 FC – 14 (13 data disks plus 1 parity disk), SATA – 7 (6 data disks plus 1 parity disk)
RAID 6 + RAID 1 or RAID 4 + RAID 1 (SyncMirror)

Disk Shelves Supported (Fibre Channel, SATA) and Configurations

DS14, DS14mk2 FC, DS14mk4 FC, DS14mk2AT
Dual-path

Disk Drive Capacities Supported

FC-91/181/361/721/144/300GB, SATA-250GB, 500GB, 750GB, 1TB

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