PRESS KIT - Intel® Visual Computing Institute

Press Releases

• Intel Invests $12 Million to Create Visual Computing Research Center in Europe

Press Materials

• Backgrounder: History of Collaboration between Saarland University and Intel (PDF 29KB)
• Presentation: Intel Visual Computing Institute - A New Hub in Europe for Worldwide Innovation(PDF 3MB)
• Blog: Announcing the Intel Visual Computing Institute

New Intel Server Processors: Fewer Watts, High Performance

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 25, 2008 – Intel Corporation has further increased its energy-efficient performance lead today with the introduction of two low-voltage 45 nanometer (nm) processors for servers and workstations that run at 50 watts, or just 12.5 watts per core and frequencies as high as 2.50 GigaHertz (GHz). The Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® Processor L5400 Series takes advantage of Intel's unique 45nm manufacturing capabilities and reinvented transistor formula that combine to boost performance and reduce power consumption in data centers.

Benefiting companies with power-constrained, high-compute density environments, the Quad-Core Intel Xeon L5400 processors are as much as 25 percent faster¹ and have a 50 percent larger cache size than Intel's previous-generation, low-voltage Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors, while at the same time maintaining the low 50-watt thermal envelope. The quad-core L5420 and L5410 processors run at 2.50 GHz and 2.33 GHz, respectively, and feature a unique 12 megabytes (MB) of on-die cache and dedicated 1333 MHz front side buses (FSB).

"Using Intel's hafnium-infused high-k metal gate transistors has allowed our quad-core 45nm low-voltage server chips to attain new heights in power-efficient performance," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Server Platforms Group. "These chips deliver the speed needed while using meager amounts of energy."

A number of systems vendors are supporting the L5400 series and L5210, including Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, Fujitsu-Siemens, Gigabyte, HP, Hitachi, IBM, Microstar, NEC, Quanta, Rackable, Sun, Supermicro, Tyan and Verari. Next quarter, Intel will also begin shipping a new dual-core low-voltage processor that will boast a 40-watt rating and clock speed of 3 GHz, with a 6 MB cache size and a 1333 MHz FSB. Intel is also extending the existing Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5400 series for embedded market segments by offering the Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor L5410 with support for a 7-year life cycle.

Since unveiling the industry's first 45nm processors last November, Intel today is shipping more than 35 different server, desktop and notebook processors with Intel's Hafnium-based high-k metal gate formula and 45nm technology.

Pricing and Availability
Intel Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor L5420 2.50GHz 1333MHz 50W	$380
Intel Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor L5410 2.33GHz 1333MHz 50W	$320

In 1,000-unit quantities.

Further information is available at www.intel.com/xeon

About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available atwww.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.

Intel's new mobile chips equal to high-end Pentium 4

Launch is an important milestone

With the release of its Sonoma technology Wednesday, notebook PCs based on the most powerful version of Intel's Centrino mobile technology now perform just as well as desktop PCs with Intel's fastest Pentium 4 processors, an Intel executive said during a press briefing.

Mooly Eden, vice president and director of marketing of Intel's new Mobility Group, demonstrated a video game on a new Sonoma laptop and compared its performance to that of the same video game running on a Pentium 4 desktop PC. The Sonoma design contains the Pentium M processor, the new Alviso chipset with support for the PCI Express interconnect technology and DDR2 (double data rate 2) memory and an Intel Pro/Wireless chip. Intel brands the package as Centrino mobile technology.

In the demonstration, the performance of a Sonoma system with a 2.13GHz Pentium M processor, 1G byte of memory and the Alviso chipset was said to be comparable to that of a desktop system with a 3.6GHz Pentium 4 processor with hyperthreading, 1G byte of memory and the Grantsdale chipset that also supports PCI Express and DDR2. Intel had previously compared the high end of its notebook technology to the midrange of its desktop technology.

This is an important milestone for Intel, as it plans to eventually make the Pentium M processor the backbone of its chip designs, according to sources. Intel has not publicly confirmed those plans.

Intel's Pentium 4 processor has been the company's flagship product since 2000. However, its useful life is coming to an end as faster clock speeds and smaller transistors have combined to make the chip extremely hot due to its inefficient power consumption. Intel has been forced to devote more and more engineering resources to generate the small bumps in the Pentium 4's clock speed that the company once took for granted, and recently decided to cap the chip's clock speed at 3.8GHz.

Given that the Pentium 4 was designed primarily to run at high clock speeds, Intel is investigating other methods of improving its performance. The company has already begun shipping new Pentium 4 processors to its PC customers that have twice as much cache memory as older Pentium 4 processors. Increasing the cache memory within a processor allows the chip to store larger amounts of frequently used instructions in a repository that can be accessed much more quickly than the main memory, improving performance without a corresponding increase in power consumption.

Later this year, Intel will also start to roll out dual-core processors. These chips will have two separate processors within a single package, allowing Intel to reduce the clock speeds of those processor cores in order to save power and reduce heat while increasing overall performance.

However, a long-term change is clearly needed to prevent Intel from hitting a "power wall," as Eden put it in an interview prior to the Sonoma launch. The Pentium M was designed to consume as little power as possible from the start of the project, extending battery life and reducing the size of the heat shields needed to protect the notebook from more power-hungry processors.

The fact that Intel now has a mobile technology that happens to equal its most powerful desktop technology is a strong argument for using the mobile technology in products other than notebooks, such as entertainment PCs or small-form factor desktops.

Pentium 4 systems require cooling fans that can be very annoying to users, especially if the PCs are used to watch movies or television. Pentium M-based systems would not require as powerful a cooling fan as the Pentium 4 systems, leading to a quieter experience, said Kevin Krewell, editor in chief of the Microprocessor Report in San Jose, California.

Pentium M-based home entertainment systems will probably start to appear after Intel launches Yonah, the dual-core version of the Pentium M, in 2006, Krewell said. Users will not accept the new platforms unless they offer the same performance they have been accustomed to with Pentium 4-based systems, and Yonah's performance combined with its cool running temperature will make for an attractive product, he said.

Intel® Desktop Boards

Featured product

The Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO is designed to unleash the power of the all new Intel® Core™ i7 processors

Intel® Desktop Board	Intel® Express Chipset	Socket	Form Factor
Extreme Series
DX58SO	Intel® X58 Express Chipset	LGA1366	ATX
DP45SG	Intel® P45 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
D5400XS	Intel® 5400 Express Chipset	LGA771	eATX
DX48BT2	Intel® X48 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
Media Series
DG45FC	Intel® G45 Express Chipset	LGA775	mini-ITX
DG45ID	Intel® G45 Express Chipset	LGA775	Micro-ATX
DP35DP	Intel® P35 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
Executive Series
DQ43AP	Intel® Q43 Express Chipset	LGA775	MicroATX
DB43LD	Intel® B43 Express Chipset	LGA775	MicroATX
DQ45CB	Intel® Q45 Express Chipset	LGA775	MicroATX
DQ45EK	Intel® Q45 Express Chipset	LGA775	Mini-ITX
DQ35MP	Intel® Q35 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
DQ35JO	Intel® Q35 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
Classic Series
DG41MJ	Intel® G41 Express Chipset	LGA775	Mini-ITX
DG41TY	Intel® G41 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
DG43NB	Intel® G43 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
DP43TF	Intel® P43 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
DG35EC	Intel® G35 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
DG31PR	Intel® G31 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
DG33BU	Intel® G33 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
DG33FB	Intel® G33 Express Chipset	LGA775	ATX
Essential Series
D945GSEJT	Intel® 945GSE Express Chipset	N/A	Mini-ITX
DG41RQ	Intel® G41 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX
D945GCLF2/D945GCLF2D	Intel® 945GC Express Chipset	N/A	Mini-ITX
D945GCLF	Intel® 945GC Express Chipset	N/A	Mini-ITX
DG31GL	Intel® G31 Express Chipset	LGA775	microATX

Intel® Graphics Technology

Making the most of your visual experience

Get stunning visual results from your mobile or desktop PC with Intel® Graphics Technology, including the full Microsoft Windows Vista* experience¹, beautiful video playback, and excellent mainstream gaming performance.

Intel Graphics Technology is built right onto your PC's motherboard, so you get excellent speed and functionality at low cost, compared to typical add-in graphics cards.

You want rich, vibrant color. You want smooth, crisp images. You want to play high-definition content at full resolution. You want cool realism when you play games on Microsoft Windows Vista.

Thanks to Intel Graphics Technology, that's not a problem. Whether you're shopping for a new notebook, a desktop PC, or a motherboard for a build-it-yourself system, make sure your PC integrates Intel Graphics Technology.

Invigorate your video

High-definition video has revolutionized entertainment, and you shouldn't have to settle for playback that looks less than stunning. Intel® Clear Video Technology, a suite of video enhancements built into Intel Graphics available on select chipsets², means you don't have to.

Intel Clear Video Technology brings you enhanced video playback, sharper images, precise color control, and advanced support for the latest HD displays. This outstanding video experience is available without an add-in video card.

The image on the left is improperly de-interlaced, causing colors to shift. The image on the right, with Intel Clear Video Technology, is sharp and clear.

• Read more about Intel® Clear Video Technology

Energize your gaming sessions

Make the leap into compelling game realism and life-like effects, enabling a cost-effective PC solution with built-in Intel® Graphics Technology.

Intel Graphics Technology supports the latest Microsoft DirectX* and 3D features such as Microsoft Shader Model 3.0* to enable stunning visual effects in games, such as object deformation, motion blurs, and complex animations with realistic shading, lighting, and textures.³

These 3D features are supported by the latest Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (Intel® GMA) software drivers.

• View the Intel® Graphics Technology game compatibility list

Get more for your money

With the dramatic improvements in Intel® Graphics Technology and Intel® processors, it's no longer necessary for most users to buy expensive add-on graphics cards. Users can pocket the difference, or spend the extra money instead on system enhancements like a more powerful CPU.

Intel Graphics Technology is an especially smart choice if you're looking for a value platform for Microsoft Windows Vista, because you get a great built-in graphics adapter capable of the full Microsoft Windows Vista experience.¹ Plus, this cost-effective solution is ideal if you're a mainstream PC user who needs broad, modern feature support.

Intel's solution allows the PC to connect to the latest digital display interfaces, including the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). HDMI carries uncompressed HD video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in a single cable.◊

Intel Graphics Technology powers the next generation of PC display technology. When you buy a PC with Intel Graphics, you get a cost-effective solution with the performance you need.

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology

Performance on demand

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is one of the many exciting new features that Intel has built into latest-generation Intel® microarchitecture (codenamed Nehalem). It automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits.

Dynamically increasing performance

As an independent and complimentary feature, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) along with Intel Turbo Boost Technology increases performance of both multi-threaded and single threaded workloads. Intel Turbo Boost Technology is activated when the Operating System (OS) requests the highest processor performance state (P0).

The maximum frequency of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is dependent on the number of active cores. The amount of time the processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost Technology state depends on the workload and operating environment, providing the performance you need, when and where you need it.

Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology on a given workload:

• Number of active cores
• Estimated current consumption
• Estimated power consumption
• Processor temperature

When the processor is operating below these limits and the user's workload demands additional performance, the processor frequency will dynamically increase by 133 MHz on short and regular intervals until the upper limit is met or the maximum possible upside for the number of active cores is reached. Conversely, when any of the limits are reached or exceeded, the processor frequency will automatically decrease by 133 MHz until the processor is again operating within its limits.

Internet: Meet Your New Intel Processor

New Intel® Server Processors Boost Speed, Efficiency, Add More Intelligence, Adapt to Energy Usage Needs

The news -- Intel Corporation introduced 17 enterprise-class processors today led by the Intel® Xeon® Processor 5500 series. It is Intel's most revolutionary server processors since targeting the market with the Intel® Pentium® Pro processor nearly 15 years ago. The chips can automatically adjust to specified energy usage levels, speed data center transactions and customer database queries, and will play a key role in scientific discoveries by researchers who use supercomputers as their foundation for research, all while delivering great energy-efficiency for reduced electricity costs. The context -- The Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series represents a new era in computing. Intel helped spark the Internet revolution with the Intel Pentium Pro processor. Featuring new levels of intelligence and versatility, the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series will usher in an exciting era of innovation and discovery by enabling customers to tap new growth markets such as cloud computing, high performance computing and embedded systems. Why it matters -- As use of the Internet expands towards Intel's vision of 15 billion connected devices, the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series will also power an upcoming transformation for the Internet's infrastructure. The high-tech industry has rallied around a goal to run applications from optimized processors and computing hardware, which are available on demand and scalable to the masses. Often called cloud computing, this vision could flourish due to the adaptability, capability and intelligence of the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series. QUOTES "The Intel Xeon processor 5500 series is the foundation for the next decade of innovation," said Patrick Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group. "These chips showcase groundbreaking advances in performance, virtualization and workload management, which will create opportunities to solve the world's most complex challenges and push the limits of science and technology." "Nehalem is a game changer in just about every way, especially performance. It overcomes most, if not all, the potential performance roadblocks associated with multicore configurations. It creates a foundation for future processors, and it resets performance expectations, especially for applications requiring high I/O or memory bandwidth." -- Jim McGregor, Industry Analyst, InStat "The London Stock Exchange recognises the importance of both low latency and latency consistency in the operation of efficient markets. We make extensive ongoing use of the Intel fasterLAB in order to evolve our core business applications and to test the effect of processor-level innovation. We have been able to see the immediate impact of the move to 45nm and scaling to the multi-core Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series and beyond. The fasterlab – being equipped with advanced testing facilities and Intel engineering expertise – is a significant asset to our ongoing software development programs." -- Robin Paine, Chief Technology Officer, London Stock Exchange "As one of the world's largest business and IT consultancy firms, Capgemini is asked by its clients to consult on improving their business performance while reducing costs. One of their primary concerns is the power consumption in the data centre. Capgemini evaluated the new Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series because the promised performance per Watt could help our clients reduce their concerns. Capgemini noticed an enormous performance increase up to 500%, while the power usage dropped a staggering 65%. As an example queries to a Microsoft SQL* database took just ten seconds, compared to three minutes on a previous generation Intel® Xeon® processor. Even older applications, not designed for multi-core processors are no challenge for this processor. The time for login sequences, went back from 40 seconds to just five. For Capgemini it is without doubt that this processor provides customers with increased performance while reducing energy costs." -- Arnold Verhoeven, Managing Consultant, Capgemini, Netherlands "Based on our benchmarks of the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series, we expect an increase in performance-per-Watt of about 30% or more, compared to the already very power-efficient combination of the previous generation Intel® Xeon® processors and the Intel 5100 (San Clemente) chipset. The new CPU is a strong candidate for highly demanding Physics applications." -- Helge Meinhard, Coordinator for Server and Storage Procurement at CERN-IT "It is a challenge to build a high performance computer that suits the different demands of our many research groups. Our new Sun* blade cluster powered by Intel® Xeon® processors 5500 series is a very well balanced system, tuned to highest performance. With 12 TB memory, a quad data rate Infiniband network and 160 TB fast parallel file system, we will be able to satisfy most of our users' demands for the next three to four years. The Sun* blades with Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series also satisfied our energy consumption and TCO demands. Compared to our five-year-old cluster, the new platform provides more than 10 times the compute power for less than three times the energy consumption." -- Alexander Godknecht, CTO IT Services, University of Zürich "The European Space Agency (ESA) has recently been testing brand new systems based on the innovative new Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series. Its unrivalled performance enables ESRIN, the ESA establishment in Frascati, Italy, to analyse and share large volumes of data collected by its satellites more quickly and efficiently via its Grid computing infrastructure. Early tests revealed that the new processor technology has reduced critical computational time, for example as requested for mapping of large flooded areas, by 50 percent." -- Luigi Fusco, Senior Advisor of Earth Observation Applications and GENESI-DR project coordinator at ESA