Intel's server chip directions undergo sea-change

As we've written previously, the "Nocona" processor is a die shrink for the Xeon from .13µ microns to 90 nanometers, while the Potomac processor is a different fish altogether.

Intel is telling its customers that the "Prestonia" 3.06GHz 1MB processor will be introduced in the third quarter of this year and claims this will give a big performance boost, while it will introduce the Nocona 533 in the fourth quarter.

But it's in the first half of next year that the spark will start to fly with the introduction of the Lindenhurst chipset which will give a faster bus, support more memory, give direct connect LAN and storage, and support PCI Express, a seachange for all PCs in 2004.

Single microprocessor workstation CPUs will change to Prescotts in the fourth quarter, while Intel will shift all of its pedestal server designs to Gigabit Ethernet during the course of this year.

The following table hurriedly scribbled down during our last session at the Concubine gives a clearer picture of this move, and also shows Intel's Tejas "next generation processor" moving into the workstation realm.

Blades
The low power blade roadmap is also looking rather interesting. Not only will we see low voltage Intel Xeon processors using the 7501 chipset and at speeds of 2/2.4GHz arriving this quarter and the next, but by Q2 of next year, Intel will have its "Next Generation" LV platform available for two way systems. Not many details on that yet.

As we pointed out a few days back, the Pentium M at 1.6GHz and based on the 7501 will be targeting the ultradense dense one way blade market this quarter, and by the fourth quarter of this year, the "Dothan" 90 nano shrink at 1.8GHz will supersede its .13 micron younger brother. These will have 2MB of cache, support 400MHz system buses, and use two different types of socket, the microCPGA2 and the microFCBGA2.

Intel is advocating the use of dual Northway and Capilano silicon for networking and switching for its blade platforms.

Other Stuff
Intel Xeon "Gallatins" will eventually have 4MB of cache, quite an achievement.

The successor to the Itanium II "Madison" platform will be the Madison 9M, which will be based on the 8870 chipset. The chip giant wants to push this combo as suitable both for clustering and tech computing.

There will be some chassis and mobo re-designs to support 533MHz bus server chips, and come June we'll see a 1U Kahana chassis available. µ

See Also
Bang up to date Intel roadmaps
Links to other roadmaps on the INQUIRER