HP Adds To The Growing Crowd Of Dual-Core, AMD-Based ServersHP Adds To The Growing Crowd Of Dual-Core, AMD-Based Servers

Hewlett-Packard is expanding its ProLiant server lineup with new systems based on Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s dual-core Opteron processors.

The number of dual-core Opteron systems from major server vendors has been increasing steadily since AMD introduced the processor in April. Last week, IBM added its first dual-core blade server, the LS20, and also made the server available as part of its eServer Cluster 1350 platform of preconfigured server nodes. IBM also offers dual-core Opteron versions of its eServer iSeries 326 rack-mounted systems. Sun Microsystems offers a dual-core Opteron version of its four-socket SunFire V40z server and will add a dual-core version of its two-socket V20z server later this summer.

HP revealed the new server Wednesday, part of its celebration of shipping its 10 millionth ProLiant server. HP introduced the ProLiant line in 1993, and it took seven years for the first 1 million ProLiant severs to ship; now HP ships around 7 million ProLiant servers per quarter. But HP isn't venturing any predictions for the latest offering. "We see dual core as a significant market trend and believe a substantial percentage of our volume will be dual-core enabled by 2006," says Colin Lacey, director of platform marketing for industry-standard servers at HP.

The new dual-core ProLiant servers include the DL385, an Opteron-based version of the Xeon-based DL380. Other dual-core Opteron systems added are the DL145 G2, a 1U system, and the BL25p and BL35p, two blade-server systems. The dual-core systems are available now. The DL385 is priced starting at $3,299, the DL145 G2 at $1,219, the BL25p at $3,099, and the BL35p at $2,599.