End-users are finally being offered performance-boosting
dual-core 32-bit processors from Intel with the first dual-core
Intel Xeon-based servers and workstations from Dell.
Dual-core processors use two physical processing units that can
each perform multi-threaded calculations, doubling the performance
of certain applications optimised for dual-core chips.
Martin Reynolds, vice-president at Gartner Dataquest, said,
"Dual-core processors will deliver the greatest advance in
performance since the introduction of the 386, but developers and
users must test and tune their software to receive the full benefit
of this performance boost."
The Dell machines will be available with Red Hat Enterprise
Linux or Windows Server 2003 and will be targeted at the whole
range of business end-users.
Dell said the new servers will yield up to 53% performance gains
on comparable two-socket Xeons.
Hugh Jenkins, enterprise marketing manager at Dell UK, said,
"There is a tremendous performance kick from this generation of
Intel server processors. Customers who are running the most
demanding applications - Java in particular - and database and
messaging, can make good use of dual-core."
Jenkins confirmed that Dell will still offer single-core
processor servers "probably well into 2006" for users who do not
want to make the jump to dual-core.
Dell will offer Intel's new dual-core 2.8GHz Xeon chip in four
two-socket server models: the 1.75in Poweredge 1850; the 1855 blade
server; the 3.5in 2850 and the free-standing 2800 server. Servers
have 2Mbyte of memory cache per chip. Dell will also offer the chip
in two workstation models: the Precision 470 and 670.
In November Dell will start selling high-end four-socket servers
using dual-core Xeons.
Dell said the dual-core 2.8GHz Xeon outperforms the single-core
equivalent running at 3.6GHz in several server speed tests.
Microsoft Exchange runs 18% faster; database software, 37%; and
Java applications, 43%, Dell said.
Intel's rival AMD introduced its dual-core Opteron processor in
April. A number of hardware suppliers started selling dual-core
Opteron-servers then, including Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard
and IBM.
Software licensing remains an issue for dual-core and multi-core
processor buyers, because software suppliers still have different
ways of licensing applications.
Business benefits of dual-core Xeon
- Applications can experience significant performance
increases.
- The best performance is seen by 'hyper-threaded'
applications.
- Integer processing programs see the best performance (up to
53%). Java applications (up to 46%), database (up to 26%), and
floating point (up to 23%) also improve, according to Dell.
- Dual-core chips can bring performance-per-watt improvements.
Dell recorded over 40% better power consumption in datacentre
tests.