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Intel adds another quad-core Xeon

Server makers requested faster delivery of a 2GHz server processor scheduled for February, and the chipmaker obliged. Photos: Quad-core Xeon 5335

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.
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Stephen Shankland
Intel announced a new quad-core Xeon server processor Monday, a 2GHz model that originally was slated to appear in February.

The Quad-Core Xeon 5335, which consumes a maximum of 80 watts, is a midrange model. Its early arrival was requested by server makers that wanted a fuller product line ready for the new year, Intel spokeswoman Erica Fields said. Previous members of the quad-core "Clovertown" family of chips arrived in November.

"Almost all major OEMs (original equipment manufacturers)--including Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM, NEC, Rackable and Silicon Graphics--will offer servers based on this part," Fields said.

Xeon 5355

The chip costs $690 in quantities of 1,000. That's cheaper than the $1,172 and $851 models, which run at 2.66GHz and 2.33GHz respectively, but use the same 1333MHz front-side bus connection to the rest of the server that the 5335 uses. The price is higher than for the 1.86GHz and 1.6GHz models that use a slower 1066MHz front-side bus.

Intel's quad-core processors combine two dual-core Xeon 5100 "Woodcrest" chips into a single package. Rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, which beat Intel to the dual-core server punch in 2005, is waiting until 2007 to release its first quad-core "Barcelona" chip. Unlike Intel's Xeon, AMD's processor will have all four cores on a single slice of silicon.