Supermicro unveils its dual-core server range

Server integrator claims Xeon processors and E7520 chipset will significantly increase performance

Server integrator Supermicro has taken the wraps off a huge range of servers and server motherboards based on dual-core Intel Xeon processors.

The Intel stalwart, which last week finally gave in to customer demand and announced support for AMD64 processors (CRN, 17 October), has launched more than 10 new dual-core products. The additions are mainly based on the E7520 chipset to ensure scalability and compatibility between single-core and dual-core platforms.

The systems use the new dual-core Xeon processor – codenamed Paxville DP – which Supermicro has claimed delivers up to 50 per cent performance gain over previous generations. The new processors should also improve server response, speed and multi-processing as the software can now manage information from up to four threads per processor.

“Supermicro has become the first server manufacturer to ship dual-core Xeon solutions,” claimed Charles Liang, chief executive of Supermicro. “Our dual-core Xeon products present a significant performance upgrade over the predecessors. We have also combined them with the latest technologies, such as Serial Attached SCSI and Infiniband to create truly optimised solutions.”

For integrators and channel partners, Supermicro has introduced several 64bit dual-core Xeon serverboard solutions customised for different users. Power users are targeted with the high-end X6DH3-G2 serverboard, which features PCI-Express expansions, ECC registered double data rate 2 memory support and dual gigabit connectivity. It is built around the Adaptec 8-port SAS controller which supports 3GB storage access.

The rackmount server range includes the X6DHR-3G2 and X6DHP-3G2 serverboards, both of which are for use with Supermicro’s 1U chassis. They boast all of the same features as the high-end X6DH3-G2 plus two universal PCI-Express slots that allow users to choose PCI-Express or PCI-X expansion cards depending on their applications. By using the E7320 chipset and single-channel SCSI though, they are cheaper and targeted at the entry-level space.

Kirk Skaugen, general manager at Intel server platforms group, said: “After in-depth engineering, Supermicro has aggressively optimised and is now shipping a range of Intel E7520 chipset-based products for Intel’s new dual-core Xeon processors.”