According to Intel, the Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7100 processor series offers up to twice the performance, and nearly three times better performance per watt, over previous Intel Xeon MP processors. These processors are also socket-compatible with the currently shipping platform, speeding deployment and reducing qualification costs and validation times, Intel adds.

Using the SPECjbb2005 benchmark, the Fujitsu-Siemens Primergy RX630 S3 server, based on the Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7140M processor, broke the previous record with a score of 178 201 business operations per second, Intel says.

A Dell PowerEdge 6800 server based on the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 71400M smashed another world record by scoring 16 320 QphH4 using the TPCH benchmark, which measures database performance, the company continues.

Servers based on these platforms are a suitable choice for server consolidation - particularly in virtualised environments - and for running demanding enterprise workloads such as database, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and e-commerce applications, Intel adds. Servers based on the Dual-Core Xeon 7100 series processors are expected to be available from more than 40 system manufacturers worldwide starting this week.

Today's introduction continues an historic 'summer of servers' for Intel where we have now delivered a record 23 new processors in three market segments in less than 100 days, says Tom Kilroy, vice-president and GM of Intels Digital Enterprise Group.

Built on Intels 65nm manufacturing process, the Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7100 series processors are claimed to boast more than 1,3bn transistors and 16MB of shared cache, in an architecture that features Intel Cache Safe Technology for optimal reliability. Systems scaling to 32 processors will be available, Kilroy continues.