Intel processor sequences are intended to help developers select the best processor for a particular
platform design. Intel offers three processor number sequences for server applications (see Table 1).
Intel processor series numbers within a sequence (for example, 5100 series) help differentiate
processor features such as number of cores, architecture, cache, power dissipation, and embedded
Intel technologies.
Intel processor sequences
Table 1.
Processor sequence
Two-Core Intel® Xeon™ processor 3000 sequence
Two-Core and Four-Core Intel
5000 sequence
Two-Core, Four-Core, and Six-Core Intel
processor 7000 sequence
Intel enhances the microarchitecture of a family of processors over time to improve performance and
capability while maintaining compatibility with the processor architecture. One method to enhance
the microarchitectures involves changing the silicon process technology. For example, Figure 2 shows
that Intel enhanced NetBurst-based processors in 2004 by changing the manufacturing process from
130nm to 90nm silicon process technology.
In the second half of 2006, Intel launched the Core® microarchitecture, which is the basis for the
multi-core Xeon 5000 Sequence processors, including the first four-core Xeon processor (Clovertown).
Beginning with the Penryn family of processors, Intel enhanced the performance and energy efficiency
of Intel Core microarchitecture-based processors by switching from 65nm to 45nm Hi-k
technology with the hafnium-based high-K + metal gate transistor design. In 2009, Intel produced the
first processors based on the "next generation" Nehalem microarchitecture.
Figure 2. Intel microarchitecture introductions and associated silicon process technologies for industry-standard
servers
1
Hi-k, or High-k, stands for high dielectric constant, a measure of how much charge a material can hold. For
more information, refer to
k.htm?iid=tech_arch_45nm+body_hik.
Xeon
processor
®
®
Xeon
®
®
http://www.intel.com/technology/silicon/high-
Platform
Uni-processor servers
Two-processor high-volume servers and workstations
Enterprise servers with 4 to 32 processors
1
process
3
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