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Intel's Plans

Intel's plans for its next-generation server processors center on its code-name Nehalem architecture. According to reviews from Anandtech.com and elsewhere, performance of these processors should increase 15% to 20% over the current generation at the same clock speeds. That should mean a 20% to 30% increase in overall performance over the current generation, with only a 10% increase in power consumption, or 30% less power required to match current performance levels. With energy costs rising, reducing power consumption is important at the machine level and in reducing cooling demands for server rooms.

Nehalem chips will have between two and eight cores and will also offer hyperthreading so that each core can pursue two simultaneous tasks. To the operating system, the processor will appear to have twice as many cores (i.e., four to 16) as it really does, according to an Intel briefing document.

The memory controller of the Nehalem chip is integrated into the CPU, rather than on a separate device, which should improve overall performance by 20%, according to Anandtech. The cores will communicate with each other using a new high-speed internal bus called QuickPath.

Intel will be upgrading its Xeon processors with Nehalem technology. According to Intel's most recent road map, the high-end quad-core Xeon 7300 series of CPUs will be upgrading to the Nehalem-EX, an expandable version of the Nehalem processor, late this year. The Xeon 5000 series of CPUs used for workstations and high-performance computing will also upgrade to the Nehalem-EP energy-efficient processor by the end of 2008.

The entry-level Xeon 3000 series of CPUs will be upgrading to two new processors, code-named Havendale and Lynnfield, in 2009. These lower-cost versions of the Nehalem architecture are intended for desktop use. A new processor called Core i7 is also being introduced for high-end desktops, with features from Nehalem. Also expected in 2009, according to the Intel road map, is the code-named Boxboro four-socket platform, with four Nehalem processors and all with mutual QuickPath connections.

At the high end, Intel also is developing a next-generation architecture for its Itanium processor. Code-named Tukwila, IDC predicts that the new Itanium chips (the first microprocessors to have 2 billion transistors) will offer twice the performance of previous Itaniums. They will have four cores, with caches totaling 30 megabytes, and will use the same QuickPath intercore connection technology used by Nehalem.

AMD's Plans

The most common AMD processor in servers is the Opteron. The current generation of the Opteron uses quad-core technology code-named Barcelona.

According to IDC, AMD plans to replace Barcelona with enhanced quad-core technology, code-named Shanghai. Servers with this technology should be available by the end of 2008. Shanghai is expected to increase computing performance under ordinary workloads by 35%, ease virtualization, and cut power consumption by 35%. Shanghai, like Nehalem, has a high-speed bus connecting the cores.

Because Barcelona and Shanghai use the same sockets, in-place upgrades will be possible in some cases.

Later in 2009, AMD plans to release a chip with the code-name Istanbul. It will have six cores and other enhancements. In 2010, expect a chip with the code-name Magny Cours, designed with 12 cores.

Generally, though, IDC predicts that AMD will concentrate on quad-core processors in its eternal fight for market share with Intel.

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