Intel releases first 45nm Xeon CPUs...

As promised, Intel today released its first processors based on 45-nanometer manufacturing process and the accompanying new Penryn architecture. The unveiling is headlined by the Xeon 5400, according to the company. Billed as one of the fastest processors ever for workstations and servers, the new model uses the reduced power and heat demands of 45nm to increase the clock speed of a quad-core chip to a new high of 3.2GHz while also increasing the system bus speed to 1.6GHz and the level 2 cache to 12MB. These increases combine with new features to set new records for speed while also reducing the overall size and running more efficiently, Intel claims through its tests.