Intel launched a bevy of new processors, including its highest-end desktop CPU and new, security-enhanced 32nm CPUs for the enterprise. The Xeon Processor 5600 series also includes the chipmaker's first six-core embedded processors, plus a dual-core processor for “micro servers” that has a TDP of only 30 Watts, the company says.

We'll start with a nod to the processor Intel's calling its fastest-ever desktop CPU, though this is of course unlikely to be relevant to embedded devices. The Core i7-980X Processor Extreme Edition is a 32nm processor sporting six cores and 12 threads.

Said to offer "stunning performance for digital content creation, 3-D rendering, multitasking and hardcore gaming," the i7-980X runs at 3.33GHz, is overclocking-enabled, and is "drop-in compatible" with most X58 Express chipset-based motherboards, the chipmaker says. According to Intel, this premier Core i7 offering has a 130 Watt TDP and will cost $1000 in quantities of 1000.

Intel's other new processors are all Xeon-branded, and include 16 different CPUs aimed at enterprise workstation and server applications. The 32nm CPUs deliver up to 60 percent greater performance than their predecessors, but with platform power consumption that can be 30 percent lower, the company claims. It's suggested that data centers will be able to replace 15 single-core servers with one server, achieving a return on their investment in as little as five months.

According to Intel, almost all of the new Xeons include two new security features, AES-NI (advanced encryption standard new instructions) and TXT (trusted execution technology). AES-NI is a new set of instructions that accelerates AES performance, improving performance for disk and database encryption plus secure Internet transactions, the company says. TXT provides a more secure platform launch environment, and protection for applications that move between virtualized servers, adds Intel.

As listed in the table later in this story, the "frequency-optimized" quad-core version of the Xeon Processor 5600 series peaks at 3.46GHz with a TDP of 130 Watts, while the six-core version reaches 3.33GHz with a TDP of 130 Watts, according to Intel. The chipmaker adds that other six-core versions will top out at 2.93GHz and a TDP of 95 Watts, while a standard quad-core processor will reach 2.66GHz at 80 watts. Low-voltage versions of the chip will have TDPs as low as 60 Watts and 40 Watts and feature six and four cores respectively, the company says.

New embedded and micro server CPUs

In addition to announcing enterprise-class processors, Intel also introduced four new CPUs for embedded applications, with seven-year lifecycle support. These chips are "built for thermally constrained and robust communications environments, and will route applications more quickly and efficiently between connected devices," the company claims.

Two of the chips offer six cores and 12 threads. Each priced at $958 in quantities of 1000, they're the Xeon E5645, which has a 2.4GHz clock speed and an 80 Watt TDP, and the Xeon L5638, with a 2.0GHz clock speed and 60 Watt TDP, according to Intel.

Quad-core entrants, meanwhile, are the Xeon E5620 and L5618, priced at $387 and $530 respectively. The E5620 has a 2.4GHz clock speed and 80 Watt TDP, while the L5618 has a 1.86GHz clock speed and 40 Watt TDP, Intel says. (Both these CPUs are said to include AES-NI and TXT as well as Turbo Boost and hyperthreading.)

Finally, Intel fielded the Xeon L3406, a dual-core processor that is said to be intended for single-CPU "micro servers." This 2.26GHz part drops AES-NI, but in return, costs just $189 in quantities of 1000 and has a TDP of only 30 Watts. As a result, it's "ideal for high-density form factors and power-sensitive environments," the chipmaker claims.

Starting today and continuing over the next 45 days, server and workstation systems based on the new CPUs are expected to be announced by manufacturers including Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, and Oracle, Intel says. More information on the new Xeon Processor 5600 series may be found on the company's website, here and here.

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