For the first time, Itanium 2 processors have a 667 megahertz (MHz) front side bus (FSB), which connects and transfers data between the microprocessor, chipset and system's main memory. Servers designed to utilize the new bus are expected to deliver more than 65 percent greater system bandwidth over servers designed with current Itanium 2 processors with a 400 MHz FSB. This new capability will help set the stage for the forthcoming dual core Itanium processor, codenamed "Montecito," which will feature the same bus architecture.
Itanium-based servers continue to make strides in three target market segments: RISC replacement, mainframe migration and high-performance computing. Today, more than 40 percent of the Global 100 corporations have deployed Itanium-based servers and 79 of the TOP500 list of the world's fastest super computers are powered by Itanium processors. The ecosystem continues to grow with more than 3,600 applications available, while eight of nine RISC vendors and six of seven mainframe vendors sell mainframe-class Itanium-based servers.
The improved front side bus bandwidth allows for 10.6 gigabits of data per second to pass from the processor to other system components. In contrast, the current generation 400 MHz FSB transfers 6.4 gigabits of data per second. The ability to move more data in a very short period of time is critical to compute intensive applications in the scientific, oil and gas and government industries.
The Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.66 GHz with 9 MB of cache with 667 FSB is available for $4,655 in 1,000-unit quantities. The Intel Itanium 2 processor at 1.66 GHz with 6 MB with 667 FSB of cache will be available for $2194 in 1,000-unit quantities.
