Intel launches new Xeon with expanded cache

Intel added more cache to its Xeon server processor on Monday, boosting performance of its primary chip for low-end servers, the company said in a release.

The 3.06GHz Xeon DP processor now comes with 1MB of Level 3 cache. The rest of Intel’s Xeon DP processors, including another 3.06GHz chip, have 512KB of cache. The new Xeon keeps the 533MHz front-side bus found on the other Xeon processors.

Increasing the amount of cache available to the processor means that chips can store larger amounts of frequently accessed instructions close to the CPU (central processing unit), rather than having to access that information from the computer’s memory, which takes time.

The new chip can be plugged directly into servers with the Intel E7501 chipset or workstations with the E7505 chipset, Intel said. It costs $690 in quantities of 1,000 units.