Intel set to intro Atom-based 'micro servers'
updated 11:45 pm EDT, Tue March 15, 2011
Category to get four new processors
Intel has announced plans to expand its range of low-power processors with several new chips designed for the 'micro server' segment. The emerging category is said to be geared for configurations that can benefit from dense arrays of low-power servers, rather than fewer numbers of more powerful servers. The new offerings will range from 45 watts down to below 10 watts of power consumption.
Customers will be able to choose from servers with 45W and 20W Xeon processors, which are already in production. Upcoming additions include a 15W variant based on the company's Sandy Bridge architecture, along with the sub-10W server processor that will fit within the Atom series. All of the chips will support standard server features including 64-bit compatibility, virtualization, and error-correcting code (ECC).
The Sandy Bridge chips are expected to launch sometime in the second half of this year, while the Atom chips will not be ready until 2012.
