Sun bumps UltraSparc to 1.8GHz
Speed increase improves the overall performance of servers with the chip about 20 percent, Sun Microsystems says.
Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Sun Microsystems increased the top speed of its UltraSparc IV+ processor from 1.5GHz to 1.8GHz last week, a move the company said improves the overall performance of servers with the chip about 20 percent. Sun reversed market share losses with systems using the 1.5GHz chip. But IBM earlier this month upgraded its Power5+ processor, and Hewlett-Packard will begin adopting Intel's faster "Montecito" Itanium chip in weeks.
Sun also began a promotion for IBM and HP customers, offering free Sun Fire E6900 and E25K server chassis, hardware valued at $55,000 and $315,000, respectively. The new servers now include a newer input-output subsystem, PCI-X, the company said. Sun has introduced an ambitious low-end processor, the UltraSparc T1 "Niagara"; the IV+ is for more mainstream computing tasks.