Nehalem-EX. That’s the code name of the new Intel Xeon processor that Intel previewed this week.
The chips will go into production later this year and target server consolidation, virtualized applications, enterprise applications, and technical computing environments.
Intel is betting heavily on its chipset, calling it the heart of the next generation of intelligent and expandable high-end Intel server platforms. Those platforms promise technical advancements to boost enterprise computing.
“The capabilities of Nehalem-EX, especially in highly virtualized environments, offer a clear jump on performance over previous generations of Xeon,” said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. “What they are talking about with EX is a two-and-a-half times jump in performance over EP. That’s pretty impressive.”
A Major Step Up
Specifically, Nehalem-EX will feature up to eight cores inside a single chip supporting 16 threads and 24MB of cache. That marks a dramatic performance increase that posts the highest-ever jump from a previous-generation processor.
The new processor will offer nine times the memory bandwidth of the previous-generation Intel Xeon 7400 platform. Nehalem-EX will also double the memory capacity with up to 16 memory slots per processor socket, and offer four high-bandwidth QuickPath Interconnect links.
On the scalability front, Nehalem-EX offers a range that includes large-memory two-socket systems through eight-socket systems capable of processing 128 threads simultaneously. Enterprises will be able to add scalability options such as greater socket counts through third-party vendors.
A Major Turning Point?
Intel said Nehalem-EX will add new reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS) features, including Machine Check Architecture (MCA) recovery, traditionally found in the company’s Intel Itanium processor family. The company expects its high-end processors to hasten the transition from more expensive, proprietary RISC-processor based systems by delivering a lower total cost of ownership, higher performance, lower electricity bills, and the ability to standardize on a flexible IT environment.
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