Specifications

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Technology Overview
Xserve
Dual-Core Intel Xeon
Processors
Inside every Xserve are two powerful new Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running
at up to 3.0GHz. Informally known during development as “Woodcrest,” they are the
first 64-bit processors based on the next-generation Intel Core microarchitecture.
Combining high performance and power efficiency, the new dual-core Xeon proces-
sors are ideal for a wide range of server workloads.
Quad Xeon Performance
Delivering industry-leading performance in a power-efficient design, the Xeon 5100
series processor helps make the new Xserve the most powerful Apple server ever.
Providing up to five times the performance of Xserve G5, the processors are ideal for
intense computing environments, 32-bit and 64-bit business-critical applications, and
robust server platforms.
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Running at clock speeds of 2.0GHz, 2.66GHz, or 3.0GHz, each dual-core processor
features a 1.33GHz independent frontside bus that maximizes system performance
and delivers a combined system bus bandwidth up to 21.3GB/s. In addition, a massive
4MB of shared L2 cache increases performance by keeping data and instructions
closer to the processor core. Cache memory is shared efficiently between the two
cores without duplication of data, reducing system bus contention.
Built using Intel’s state-of-the-art 65-nanometer process technology, the Xeon
processors are designed to deliver high performance at lower power consumption.
With the 2.0GHz and 2.66GHz models running at 65W per socket and the 3.0GHz
model running at 80W per socket, the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor provides
nearly four times the performance-per-watt of Xserve G5, for a significant reduction
in power and HVAC bills.
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Next-Generation Microarchitecture
Intel Core is a new, multicore-optimized microarchitecture that sets new standards for
energy-efficient performance. As implemented in the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor, it
incorporates a number of innovative features.
Wide Dynamic Execution
Intel Wide Dynamic Execution increases the number of instructions per clock cycle
to improve execution time and energy efficiency. Every execution core is wider,
allowing each core to fetch, dispatch, execute, and return up to four full instructions
simultaneously. Further efficiencies include more accurate branch prediction, deeper
instruction buffers for greater execution flexibility, and additional features to reduce
execution time.
Key features
• 64-bit processing
• Dual independent 1.33GHz system buses
• Wide Dynamic Execution
• Intelligent Power Capability
• 4MB Advanced Smart Cache
• Smart Memory Access
• Advanced Digital Media Boost