Intel informed today that it will be phasing out a large number of server Xeon processors during the next eight months. That's mainly because of the forthcoing Nehalem platform and the new Core i7 processors. Intel also said that it is already producing more 45nm processors than 65nm chips, so it's time for some of the 65nm parts to drop off the charts. The list includes six dual-core Xeon processors with Woodcrest core, these are the 1.86GHz Xeon 5120, 2.66GHz 5150, 2.33GHz LV 5148, 1.60GHz 5110, 2.0GHz 5130, 2.33GHz 5140 and 3.0GHz 5160. The list continues with nine quad-core models with Clovertown core, the 1.86GHz E5320, 1.86GHz L5320, 3.0GHz X5365, 2.66GHz X5355, 1.60GHz E5310, 2.33GHz E5345, 2.0GHz E5335 and 2.0GHz L5335. Sales of different variations of these CPUs are also going to be phased out. The total count is 31 server models, that won't be produced anymore. Final customer orders for these processors can be submitted until April 23, 2009. Intel plans the final shipment of these processors for July 23, 2009.

As promised, today Intel sliced the prices of several of its Core 2 and Xeon processors, just before the Nehalem launch. Below is the list that describes best all price reductions.

After flaunting the P6T Series motherboards, and the monstrous Rampage II Extreme, ASUS decided to expand its Bloomfield CPU-supportive motherboard lineup with its workstation-class offerings. ASUS is known for bringing in workstation boards on desktop platforms. They have had Intel 975P based workstation boards, just as they had nForce 590 SLI boards. These desktop-thru-worksation platforms are usually single CPU socket platforms, with certain workstation features, such as PCI-X interface, enterprise-grade storage controllers, among other features that make them durable and suitable for mission-critical environments. They don't sport enterprise chipsets, and hence carry batch-leading desktop chipsets.

With Nehalem and the new Socket 1366, ASUS did just that, with the inclusion of two single-socket workstation boards. These motherboards, at the outset support the upcoming Core i7 processors, and have the potential to support Xeon processors that use the same socket, or even the same core. There are two models lined-up: P6T6 WS Revolution and P6T6 WS Pro. The P6T6 WS Revolution is the flagship board. It features six full-length PCI-Express slots, which might have variable number of available PCI-Express lanes, depending on the number of PCI-E cards connected. It features a 16+2 phase CPU power circuit. The board features the Tylersburg X58 chipset, along with an ICH10 series southbridge. There is passive cooling for the VRM area, northbridge, and a large southbridge block, that could be possibly cooling a supplementary PCI-Express switch chip. Storage options include Serial-attached SCSI (SAS), SATA II and e-SATA ports.

Noctua today released four new CPU coolers for Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron processors. Optimized for use in dual socket systems, the new DX (Dual Xeon) and DO (Dual Opteron) versions of Noctua's highly successful NH-U12 and NH-U9 series introduce the premium quality quiet cooling performance that has become synonymous with Noctua to the world of professional workstations and servers. "Maximum cooling performance at minimum noise levels and excellent reliability can be particularly important when it comes to high-end workstations and special server applications", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "Due to the ever-growing demand for our Xeon and Socket F mounting kits, we decided to design new, customized versions of our coolers that are completely tailor-made for use on Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron systems, especially dual socket configurations. Enter the DX/DO series!"

Intel Corporation has extended its lead in the high-end server segment, setting new standards in virtualization performance with the launch of seven 45 nanometer (nm)-manufactured Intel Xeon Processor 7400 Series products. With up to six processing cores per chip and 16MB of shared cache memory, applications built for virtualized environments and data demanding workloads, such as databases, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning and server consolidation, experience dramatic performance increases of almost 50 percent in some cases.

Intel Corporation continues to expand its 45-nanometer (nm) manufacturing chip portfolio with the launch of its first four halogen-free Intel Xeon processors, signaling another step in Intel's march toward minimizing the environmental footprint of its products. The chips reach new heights in performance and energy efficiency. Much of the energy efficiency these new processors provide comes from Intel's advanced 45nm manufacturing capability and its reinvented transistors that use a Hafnium-based high-k metal gate formula. In addition, all previously launched versions of the Intel Xeon 5200 and 5400 series will now be halogen-free.

On September 15th Intel plans to fabricate the Intel Xeon 7400 Dunnington series processor, the company's last Penryn generation processor to be released. Xeon 7400 will mark the end of a previous server era, and after it the new Nehalem Core i7 processor family will start to appear in the fourth quarter. The Xeon 7400 will be Intel's first 6-core server chip. It will be produced using 45nm high-k process technology and will boast 16MB of L3 cache. The Xeon 7400 Dunnington series is also one of the first Intel chips to have a monolithic design, like Nehalem. In other words, all six cores will be on one piece of silicon. To date, for any processor having more than two cores, Intel has put two separate pieces of silicon - referred to as die - inside of one chip package. Server vendors announcing Xeon 7400 powered products will include Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, IBM and Unisys, according to Intel senior vice president Pat Gelsinger.

During the ongoing Intel Developer Forum (IDF) event, Intel has announced its first 6-core processor codenamed Dunnington. It will be branded as the Xeon X7460 and is expected to become available in servers beginning next month. Intel claims that systems using this chip already broke performance records, including an 8-socket 48-core IBM System x3950 M2 server, which became the first platform to break the 1 million tpmC barrier on the TPC-C benchmark.

Intel has also shed some light on the upcoming fleet of processors based on the Nehalem architecture. The first wave would only include quad-core, HyperThreading-enabled processors based on the Bloomfield core, also said is that they are planning to manufacture a second server derivative designed for the expandable server market (Nehalem-EX). Later, desktop processors based on the Havendale (dual-core) and Lynnfield (quad-core) processors, while the notebook/mobile platform will be offered the dual-core Auburndale and Lynnfield quad-core parts.

Following price-cuts for some of the desktop offerings (covered here) , Intel has cut the prices of some models of the enterprise-segment Xeon processor, reports industry observer DigiTimes.

The Xeon X3220, X3210 and E3110 get a roughly 12% cut with the X3220 and X3210 both dropping from an original price of US $224 to US $198 with the E3110 price dropping from US $188 to US $167, according to the company.

According to a product change notification sent to Intel customers yesterday, Intel will be moving all of its 45nm Xeon DP processors from the C-O to the E-0 stepping. A total of 18 processors will get a new CPUID (0xA005b013): the Quad-Core Intel Xeon X5482, X5460, X5450, X5472, E5450, E5472, E5440, E5462, E5430, E5420, E5410, E5405, L5420, L5410 and dual-core Xeon X5272, X5260, E5205, and Intel Core 2 Duo L5240 processors. The new stepping chips will have the same specs, only the Xeon DP X5482 CPU will have its TDP changed from 150W (C-0) to 130W (E-0). However, a BIOS update will be required in order to run the new stepping CPUs. First E-0 samples are expected to become available on July 3rd. The updated processors are scheduled to begin shipping on October 6th.

Intel Corporation has further increased its energy-efficient performance lead today with the introduction of two low-voltage 45 nanometer (nm) processors for servers and workstations that run at 50 watts, or just 12.5 watts per core and frequencies as high as 2.50GHz. The Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor L5400 Series takes advantage of Intel's unique 45nm manufacturing capabilities and reinvented transistor formula that combine to boost performance and reduce power consumption in data centers.

Taipei, Taiwan, February 26, 2008 -Catering to users who need a powerful motherboard with high speeds and great expansion slot interface support, ASUS, worldwide leader in motherboard design and production, has today released the Z7S WS workstation motherboard. This innovative motherboard is equipped with dual socket 771 and utilizes the latest Intel 5400 chipset for vigorous performance. It also supports fully buffered DDR2 800MHz dual-channel memory, dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 lanes; and comes in the compact CEB form factor. With this innovative motherboard, users will enjoy convenient slot expansion and enjoy fast and efficient work efficiency.

Intel informed vendors that it will begin cleaning up its dual-core Xeon 3000-series portfolio. The 3000-series version 3040, 3050, 3060 and 3070, all based on the 65 nm Conroe core, are entered into the firm's product discontinuance program and are going to be phased out. The high end models 3075 (2.66GHz) and 3085 (3.0GHz) will remain available for now.

When we reported about the Inquirers review of the Asus Z7S we were quite skeptical. ASUS contacts could not confirm existence and even doubted the news themselves due to various reasons. (naming scheme, FB-DIMM's on enthusiast board, etc)
Besides a small review the Z7S was not heard of. Though we are happy to be able to tell you it isn't a hoax, a contact at Asus confirmed existence of the board and it is indeed aimed at previous PC-DL/NCCH-DL users.
Unfortunately nothing new is known, but seeing how the aforementioned boards were priced odds are it will not cost you an arm and a leg. Which is, of course, relative.
Strategically it would make sense to release this around the release of Skulltrail, the only board with similar features. So let's hope for some more news next month.

We all know the Inquirer isn't always right. However this story seems solid. The Inq is reporting of a new Asus s771 board. Of course nothing special, though next to Skulltrail this would be the only board with overclocking options in the BIOS.

Noctua today announced the availability of a new mounting kit for Intel Xeon processors as well as a new Xeon-Edition of the much acclaimed NH-U12F and NH-U9F coolers. Noctua's CPU coolers, which have won more than 100 awards and recommendations by leading international websites and magazines, can therefore now be used in Intel Xeon-based servers and workstations.

Intel today announced the Xeon 7300/7200 series of processors, the final products to be based on the company's Core microarchitecture. Manufactured using a 65nm process, the new Xeon MP chips (codenamed Tigerton) are part of the Caneland platform, which has been designed largely for virtualisation applications. This means that the processors should provide up to 2.5x the virtualisation performance and up to 3x the performance-per-watt compared to the preceding Xeon 7100 platform based on the Netburst architecture. There are eight new processors in total, six quad-core models with clock speeds ranging from 1.6GHz through to 2.93GHz, with respective prices ranging from $851 to $2301, and two dual-core models running at 2.4GHz and 2.93GHz being priced at $856 and $1177 respectively. Interestingly, the dual-core models can support twice as much memory as the quad-core, which could allow for cheaper servers where memory is more important than being able to run multiple threads quickly. This announcement comes just five days before AMD launches its new Barcelona processors.

Intel's latest roadmap reveals three new Penryn based Xeon models with a higher front-side bus speed - 1600MHz. The three new processors are available in dual-core and quad-core models. Quad-core Xeon E5472 and E5462 are the first quad-core models to receive the 1600MHz FSB treatment. The Xeon E5472 features a 3.0GHz clock speed while the E5462 is clocked at 2.8GHz. Both CPUs feature 80-watt TDP. Intel plans to release these 1600 MHz front-side bus processors in Q4 2007 with the rest of the Penryn family. Pricing for the quad Xeons starts at $797 for the E5462 and $958 for the E5472, per processor, in 1,000 unit quantities. The third and only dual-core 1600MHz FSB processor is E5272. The Xeon E5272 features a 3.4GHz clock speed and is priced at $1,172. Intel has also pulled in the launch of E5272 to Q4 2007, with the quad-core processors.

After hearing nothing about the 1600MHz FSB Xeons for several months VR-Zone tells us they will appear in Q4 this year. There will be 2 quad core Harpertown models at 2.8 and 3 GHz and a single dual core Wolfdale at 3.4 GHz. Additionally the cache is increased by 50% to 3MB per core. The faster FSB and increased cache will raise the bar even higher for Barcelona, however since both CPU's aren't available it is yet to be seen if this will be enough.

To support these new processors Intel will release the Seaburg chipset, it is not mentioned if the current chipsets will officially support the faster bus.
For a full list of new Wolfdales and Harpertowns visit VR-Zone.

Intel Corporation launched two quad-core Intel Xeon processors. The new Intel Xeon X5365 and L5335 processors boast unprecedented combinations of performance and energy efficiency, along with a pricing strategy to move the enterprise industry to multi-core systems. Designed for companies running performance-critical server and workstation applications, the Intel Xeon Processor X5365 is the industry's first 3.0GHz quad-core processor to fit inside a standard 120 watt power envelope. The X5365 also features front-side bus speed of 1333MHz. The Intel Xeon Processor L5335 includes a 2.0 GHz clock speed and 1333MHz FSB within a 50 watt power envelope - or just 12.5 watts per processing core. The Intel Xeon X5365 and L5335 CPUs also contain new Intel Virtualization Technology processor extensions for improved interrupt handling in virtualization of 32-bit Microsoft Windows OS. Price in 1,000 unit quantities (as of Aug. 9, 2007) is $1172 for the X5365 3.0GHz Xeon version, while the L5335 CPU will be available for $380.

The new batch of 45nm Xeons is actually based on the Penryn processor and also feature the 1333 MHz front-side bus found on the new Core 2 Duo stepping. Each die features 6MB of L2 cache resulting in a total of 12MB of L2 cache.
The latest 45nm Xeon ( Codename HarperTown ) Quad Core line is as follows

Intel plans to announce the phase out date for its Xeon 5000 series (Dempsey) 2-way server processors in July, while its Xeon 7000 (Paxville MP) series 4-way server processors is scheduled to be phased out by August of this year. With the low acceptance of Dempsey and Paxville MP processors in the server market, the phase-out plan will assist Intel in simplifying its product lines and will benefit server vendors and ODMs. Intel is currently pushing its Xeon 7100 series processors (Tulsa) in the 4-way server market, while pushing its Xeon 5100 (Woodcrest) and Xeon 5300 (Clovertown) series processors in the 2-way server market and its Xeon 3000 (Conroe) and Xeon 3200 (Kentsfield) series processors in the 1-way server market.

Intel (or "Chipzilla", as The Inquirer lovingly refers to them), according to Intel spokesperson Danny Cheung, has sold one million quad-core Xeon 5300 processors. "Clovertown" was unleashed just last November, and thanks to great performance and competitive pricing, is solely responsible for re-claiming the Server market for Intel. The entire Clovertown line is priced between $455 and $1,172 USD, according to Intel's price list.

Intel has released a BIOS patch for Windows machines running Core 2 and Xeon 3000/5000 chips that addresses potential unpredictable system behavior. The Microsoft website describes the patch as:

A microcode reliability update is available that improves the reliability of systems that use Intel processors. This article describes how to download this update.

It is available for all Windows XP, Server 2003 and Vista system, no matter if 32-bit or 64-bit. It does not seem to be critical enough to offer it as a security update and it does require a "Genuine Advantage" check.

Intel Q6600, Xeon X3220 and X3210 to Receive New Stepping

Intel has informed its customers that the Core 2 Quad Q6600 desktop quad-core processor as well as the Xeon X3220 and X3210 server quad-core CPUs have been transitioned to a new stepping. According to a product change notification released on Friday, the three processors were transitioned from the B-3 to the G-0 processor stepping. All new stepping CPUs have 10W lower TDP - 95W instead of the original 105W. The new CPUs, which can be identified by the CPUID "06FB" (B-3 processors were labeled "06F7"), also increase the Tcase, a value that describes the maximum temperature a CPU can sustain, by 11 degrees Celsius. All three G-0 CPUs require BIOS updates. Samples of the processors are expected to be available on May 11. General availability of the units is scheduled for July 16.