Intel today promised a version of its Xeon processor specifically tailored to high performance computing (HPC). The design will share the same architecture as the eight-core Nehalem-EX but drop to six cores in return for greater overall performance. Clock speeds should be higher and will still take advantage of the extra bandwidth of the new platform, making it a better pick for clusters and multi-processor servers.

A single computer could have as many as 256 of the processors linked together, Intel says. They should continue to support Hyperthreading, which lets each core act as two with the right software.

The processors themselves will receive full details and ship sometime in the first half of 2010. Nehalem-EX is unofficially expected early that year.