Intel ships low-power Xeons, cuts Atom price
updated 04:10 pm EST, Mon February 23, 2009
LP Xeons and Atom Cut
Intel has begun the week with three new low-power Xeon processors as well as a price drop on its most important Atom processor. The Xeon L3110 clocks in at 3GHz across its dual cores and 6MB of Level 2 cache but consumes a more modest 45W of power, suiting it to very compact workstations and rackmount servers. A higher-end Xeon L3360 uses a higher but still moderate 65W in return for a move to quad-core, a 2.83GHz clock speed and 12MB of cache. Topping the updates is the 3.16GHz, quad-core X3380 with the same amount of cache and 95W of energy use.
All three chips should be ready for use today and carry prices of $224, $369 and $530 in large batches for PC makers.
Simultaneously, the 1.6GHz Atom Z530 used by many netbooks has dropped slightly from $70 to $65 in similarly large quantities. Intel hasn't explained the move, though the reduction comes just shortly after the launch of the 1.66GHz N280 that will likely replace the very low-power chip in newer systems. [via CNET]
Mid-level tower
02/23, 04:43pm reply
I would love if Apple would put these into a mid-level prosumer tower. I'm not holding my breath, though.
wymer100
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Joined: Oct 2003
why?
02/23, 05:17pm reply
So they complain about losing money on netbook chips because they are so cheap and now the reduce the price even more! Maybe they should just leave it and make some profit. I don't see any other netbook CPUs getting in the way right now.
Guest
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Joined: Nov 1999
I hope these Xeon
02/23, 07:46pm reply
processors are at least going to power the next iMacs. And hopefully that quad-core processor might sneak into the iMac, too. I wouldn't know which one to choose (the 3 GHz duo or the 2.83 GHz quad), but I think that 3.16 GHz quad-core would be a little too much for an iMac to handle without turning it into an electric heater.
Constable Odo
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Joined: Aug 2007
not for imacs
02/23, 11:13pm reply
No xeons for imacs. Those are 'pro' chips, not for the consumer desktop device (otherwise why would anyone get a mac pro)?
LouZer
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Joined: Nov 2000
re: not for imacs
02/24, 05:34am reply
why would anyone get a mac pro)?
• because they want a better screen than comes with the imac
• because they want better graphics performance
• because they need to expand their computer, you know actually use it for some work thing (add a card, lots more HD space etc.)
• because they have too much money and don't know what to do with it
• because they have a dumb boss who will sign for anything
chucker
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Joined: Mar 2007