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Originally published at Internet.comAiming its latest product release squarely at the database server market, Dell debuted two new PowerEdge systems featuring Intel's new 64-bit Intel Xeon MP (multiprocessor). The company also launched a new service that helps customers spec out their datacenters to prevent power and cooling related downtime.
According to the company, the new PowerEdge 6800 and 6850 models will provide up to 32 percent better performance over their predecessors (PowerEdge 6600 and 6650) with a trimmer price tag. The machines will ship with a choice of upcoming 64-bit Xeon MPs with 8 MB L3 cache, or a higher clocked processor with downsized L2 cache.
Currently, Intel offers 64-bit Xeon MP chips that top out 3 GHz with 512 KB of L2 cache and 4 MB of L3 cache. Processor choices aside, the 6800 and 6850 will also be outfitted with DDR2-400 RAM and PCI Express.
Available in the "coming weeks", 6800 and 6850 base configurations will sell for $3,999 and $4,899, respectively.
Along with the news of new servers, Dell also announced an upgrade to the company's OpenManage software. The new version 4.3 includes several updates including IT Assitant 7.0 and Microsoft SMS 2003 support. The company is also hoping to entice customers with expanding data centers both big and small to take advantage of the new Data Center Environmental Assessment service.
Under the program, Dell evaluates the physical environment of data centers ranging from 200 to 10,000-plus square feet. An assessment is then rendered which takes into consideration airflow, cooling, and power requirements.
As businesses pack more systems into their server rooms, providing adequate power and proper cooling becomes an even greater concern. Dell Services VP and general manager Gary Cotshott, explained in a statement, "As the trend shifts toward denser server environments, a new level of preparation becomes a key part of protecting and leveraging technology investments."
Pricing for the Data Center Environmental Assessment service starts at
Author: Enterprise IT Planet Staff
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