Aimed at single- and dual-processor workstations, the CPU code named Nocona is Intel's first Xeon chip to use its 90-nm process technology, incorporate new power saving technology and come with a chip set supporting PCI Express.

Intel said it will follow up the launch with a multiprocessing-capable version of the 64-bit Xeon early next year. It will ship a server chip set supporting PCI Express in August.

Although many new technologies are bundled into the new CPU and chip set, the 64-bit capability is the most significant because AMD has had for several months a full line of 64-bit capable X86 CPUs.

"By bringing out 64-bit CPUs compatible with the AMD approach, Intel has endorsed AMD's design. That's the good news for AMD," said Nathan Brookwood, a market watcher with Insight64 (Saratoga, Calif.).

"The bad news for AMD is that until today if you wanted a 64-bit X86 with good 32-bit performance you had to go to AMD. Now you have a choice," Brookwood added.

OEMs have not had much opportunity to make hay with AMD's innovation to date. Although IBM has been marketing systems with the AMD 64-bit chips for some time, Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems are just ramping up their AMD products. However, Intel has yet to ship a server-ready 64-bit CPU, Brookwood noted.

"By the middle of next year, virtually all our server products will be 64-bit capable," said Phil Brace, a marketing director in Intel's server group. "I would expect to see a [multiprocessing] product refresh early next year," he added.

Linux currently supports 64-bit X86 processors. However a version of Microsoft Windows for 64-bit systems is still in a beta release.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved