SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Intel Corp. today announced its fastest Xeon microprocessor to date--a 2-GHz chip for dual-processor workstations and other system products.
The 2-GHz Xeon processor, code named "Foster," is a 0.18-micron chip, based on Intel's Pentium 4 architecture. Tailored for dual-processor workstations, the new processor includes Intel's NetBurst architecture and 256 kilobytes of Level 2 cache memory, said the Santa Clara-based company.
The central processing unit works in conjunction with the company's 860 chip set, which supports Rambus Inc.'s RDRAM memory architecture. The 860 supports 600- and 800-MHz Rambus DRAMs.
The new CPU is now Intel's fastest Xeon processor. Until today's launch, the fastest Xeon was a 1.7-GHz chip. The 2-GHz version "is greater than 10% faster than the 1.7-GHz Xeon," noted Shannon Poulin, marketing manager at Intel.
The 2-GHz CPU is also one of the last 0.18-micron Xeon chips planned by Intel. Last week, Intel said had accelerated the launch schedule for new 0.13-micron CPUs, code named "Prestonia," which are aimed at the same dual-processor server segment and now slated for introduction in the first half of 2002 (see Sept. 19 story). These 0.13-micron CPUs will have 512 Kbytes of cache and operate at 2.2-GHz speeds.
The new 2-GHz Xeon processor is housed in a 603-pin flip-chip, pin-grid array (PGA) package. It sells for $615 each in quantities of 1,000 units.
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