server snapshots: IBNp570 power 6

The IBM POWER6 processor-based System p570 is a midrange server that aims to deliver outstanding price/performance while providing mainframe-like reliability and availability. This 19-inch rack-mount system, which can handle up to 16 POWER6 cores, is best-suited to database and application serving, as well as server consolidation."The first server to use the new POWER6 processor is the System p570," said Jeff Howard, director of System p offering management for IBM (Armonk, N.Y.). "The p570 leverages the chip's many breakthroughs in energy conservation and virtualization technology."POWER6 Packs a PunchThe modular p570 takes over from its predecessor, the IBM POWER5+ processor-based System p5 570 server. POWER6 processors can run 64-bit applications while concurrently supporting 32-bit applications. They feature simultaneous multithreading, allowing two application threads to be run at the same time."At 4.7 GHz, the dual-core POWER6 processor doubles the speed of the previous generation, POWER5, while using the same amount of electricity to run and cool it," said Howard. "This means customers can use the new processor to either increase their performance by 100 percent or cut their power consumption in half."Dan Olds, principal of Oregon-based Gabriel Consulting Group, believes the p570/POWER6 combo is an impressive one. The new processors come in 3.5 GHz, 4.2 GHz and 4.7 GHz flavors. IBM has effectively doubled the frequency over its predecessor without increasing the number of cores on the chip.