New Developments Offer Hope For Server Power-SavingsNew Developments Offer Hope For Server Power-Savings

Intel has unveiled a new low-wattage, high-power version of the Xeon processor that offers hope for data centers considering moving to Greenland to stay cool. At the low end, bMighty also offers solutions for small offices.The new Xeons, announced this week, include the quad-core L5430 that consumes 50 watts, or only 12.5 watts per core while running at 2.66 gigahertz. Consuming 80 watts, or 20 watts per core, is the new X5270, which runs at 3.5 gigahertz. These are not low-end devices: the former costs $562 in thousand-unit quantities, while the latter lists for $1,172.

For a wattage comparison, two non-low-wattage Xeons were also introduced, including the 120-watt X5470 running at 3.33 gigahertz and listing for $1,386. And there was also the 150-watt X5492, which ran only slightly faster at 3.4 gigahertz, but has a 1,600-megahertz bus instead of a 1,333-megahertz bus. It costs $1,493.

The new chips use Intel's 45-nanometer geometry, which was unveiled in the Xeon line in March 2007. Those initial chips also included a version that consumed only 12.5 watts per core. However, those Xeons ran no faster than 1.86 gigahertz, or about half the speed of the ones that were announced this week.

Of course, the chip prices of the new Xeons are themselves higher than most small businesses would prefer to pay for an entire server. But at the low end, even a small office with a few servers can face problems with heat buildup and the need to conserve power, without paying big money for low-wattage chips. For them, bMighty offers some practical suggestions in a new white paper. Hint: the on-off switch does more than cover a hole in the enclosure.

Visit the bMighty Server How-To Center for practical, hands-on information about how to choose, install, and maintain your company's servers.

Don't miss the exclusive, downloadable guides: Servers Simplified Your Server Questions, Answered 12 Ways to Secure Your Servers 8 Ways To Reduce Server Power Consumption