IBM started selling quad-core chip servers

Starting next week, IBM will sell five models using Intel's new quad-core Xeon 5300 Clovertown processor.

IBM's new server products are both dual-chip processor servers and are expected to have higher performance than similar products but use Xeon 5100 Woodcrest dual-core processor chips. IBM's tests show that the performance of servers using 64-core quad-core chips is 64% higher than those using dual-core chips.

IBM will start accepting orders for new servers using quad-core chips from next Tuesday. However, the product will only be delivered to customers in December with the first two models being x3650 and x3550. The remaining three production models will be available in January 2007.

The manufacturer also announced the following product specific prices: x3650 3.5-inch thick groove ($ 2,419), x3550 1.75-inch thick groove ($ 2,369), x3500 and x3400 free-tower form ( $ 2,189 and $ 3,049) and the HS21 blade server ($ 3,049).

Previously, since November 7, Dell has started to market servers using Intel's new quad-core chips.

Intel's new quad-core chip integrates up to four processor cores, so it is expected to greatly increase the performance of PC and server streams. However, Intel's first quad-core chip is just a 'dual-core chip'. Intel thinks this chip package technology will meet the demand of launching new products and surpassing competitors. AMD announced that it will launch a real quad-core chip - technology that integrates 4 processors on a single piece of silicon - by mid next year.

Intel said the quad-core chip will be manufactured on a 45-nanometer technology line.

Hoang Dung