Intel has launched its six-core Dunnington server microprocessors. The new microprocessors  are part of the Xeon 7400 family which are available in four-core and six-core versions designed for systems with four or more processors.  The new processors deliver up to 50% better performance and consume 10% less power compared to the previous line of Xeon CPUs. The new processors include a 16MB of shared L3 cache which is also a key factor in the processors’ performance aside from the their extra cores.

Intel will offer the server processors in seven flavors, three six-core versions and four quad-cores. On top of the line is a 2.66GHz with a 130W thermal design point, there are also low-power versions that will bring the thermal design point down to 50W for the quad-core and 65W for the six-core, both running at 2.13GHz.

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Godson 1 (Loongson 1), China’s first microprocessor released in 2002 and the 64-bit Godson 2 (Loongson 2) released in 2005 weren’t able to compete against Intel and AMD. However, there are reports that Chinese inventors are developing a new microprocessor called Godson 3.

The Godson 3 processor is a 64-bit quad-core MIPS RISC chip that includes 200 extra instructions which allow to run x86 code on the CPU making it an alternative to Intel and AMD microprocessors. The central processing unit will have integrated DDR2 memory controller and scheduled to arrive in 2009.

There are also reports that an eight core version of the microprocessor is also under development. The eight-core version promises to be a heterogeneous processor like IBM’s Cell which means that not all eight cores have to be the same.

This is going to be a headache for Intel and AMD if the Chinese inventors develop an alternative processor that can compete with their products. Why? The market for computers in China is a booming market and if the Chinese inventors develop an alternative processor, the demand for Intel and AMD chips in China will be severely affected. Not only that, it’ll be a big concern for Western chip makers if the Chinese Government starts marketing their chips outside China.

Well, let’s see how far the Godson 3 will go and if it can really compete with Intel and AMD processors in the future.

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Intel Corp., the world’s largest microchip manufacturer has announced four new Xeon “Harpertown” processors. According to Intel, the revamped server processors under the 5000 line include three quad-core processors and a dual-core processor built using 45nm technology.

The faster and greener processors include the 150 watts 3.4GHz X5492, the 120 watts 3.5 GHz X5470, and the 50 watts 2.66Ghz X5430 quad-core processors. Also included is the 80 watts 3.5GHz X5270 dual-core processor. These processors are the first in Intel’s server family chips to use halogen-free packaging materials, making them environment-friendly since halogens release toxins if incinerated.

The quad-core models are now available while the dual-core model is expected later this year. Since these processors are used in servers, they are not that cheap, the X5492 is $1493 and the X5430 is $562.

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Intel has introduced the Atom 330, the company’s first dual-core 45nm Atom processor for desktop computers. The clock speed of the Atom 330 is still unknown as of posting time because Intel did not mention anything about it. However, there are reports suggesting that it will  run at 1.6GHz, the same clock speed  of the Atom N270 which are being used in current netbooks. Presumably, the Atom 330 will have 1MB of L2 cache (512MB for each core) and will use HyperThreading technology to appear as four separate cores in Operating Systems.

The 330 will be soldered in the new Intel D945GCLF2 motherboard, a new mini-ITX board based on the 945GC chipset and GMA 950 integrated graphics. The new D945GCLF2 motherboard can accomodate up to 2GB of memory in a single slot. It will also feature Gigabit Ethernet, support for a pair of PATA drives, two 3Gb/s SATA ports, six-channel HD audio, S-video out, and the ability to eight USB 2.0 ports.

The D945GCLF2 motherboard will arrive in September and hopefully the Atom 330 too.

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In a clear sign that Advanced Micro Devices is not giving up the fight against Intel’s Core i7 processors dubbed as “Nehalem”, the company announced that their “Shanghai” processor will be available in the 4th quarter of this year.

Shanghai is the first AMD processor made using the 45nm manufacturing process, which translates to a higher clock speeds while consuming less power. Shanghai will have 6MB of L3 cache and will support 800MHz DDR2 memory. According to AMD, Shanghai chips will be compatible with the Opteron chips and users can easily upgrade their Opteron based servers by simply upgrading the BIOS.

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Advanced Micro Devices announced four new Phenom processors targeted for business customers.

The new models are the 95-watt 2.4GHz Phenom X4 9750B  and Phenom X3 8750B, the 65-watt 2.9 GHz Athlon X2 5600B and the 45-watt 2.5GHz Athlon X2 4850B processors. These new Phenom processors extend AMD’s B-series platform to a total of 11 processors.

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