Sun announces dual-core across x64

Sun Microsystems has introduced its first dual-core server based on the new industry-standard Dual-Core AMD Opteron processor, and announced dual-core architecture for its entire x64 product line.

The Sun Fire V40z server powered by AMD64 dual-core technology is an enhanced 4-socket, 8-way server that integrates four microprocessors - each with two complete CPU cores. The dual-core architecture is designed to help customers achieve twice the performance and power efficiency of competitive x64 single-core server offerings based on Intel processors, resulting in half the operational costs.

"Our new dual-core server can deliver double the value to customers for their hardware investment," says Heidi Wahl, Volume Products Business Manager, Sun Sub Sahara Africa. "In some cases, the Sun Fire V40z servers powered by dual-core can take up to 60 percent less rack and floor space, require 50 percent less memory, disk space and I/O capacity, and cost less 50 percent less per node to manage than Xeon MP equivalent servers."

The Sun Fire V40z server with dual-core requires only 42 percent of the power needed to support the same number of processor cores in servers using the Intel XeonMP processors, and runs virtually any operating system, including solaris standard Linux distributions or Windows. Sun's line of x64 servers equipped with single-core processors are also designed to be easily upgradeable to Dual-Core AMD Opteron processors which in many cases may be as simple as replacing the processors and refreshing the BIOS (basic input/output system).

Customers can purchase an 8-way server equipped with the Dual-Core AMD Opteron processor Model 875 and 16GB of memory for about the same price as a 4-way server powered with the single-core AMD Opteron processor Model 850. The new dual-core Sun Fire V40z server will be available in May.

Sun Microsystems SA: 011 256 6300, http://www.sun.com/rsa