Apple builds Nehalem CPUs in new Xserve systems

Apple has announced the arrival of new Xserve machines, each of which can house up to two Xeon processors. Apple is also making the switch to Intel’s new Nehalem EP processors with its servers.

The standard configuration of the new Xserve includes a single 2.26GHz clocked Xeon 5500 quad-core and 3GB ddr3 ecc ram, running at 1066MHz. The new server model also includes a 160GB 7200rpm SATA disk, two gigabit ports, two PCI-e 2.0 x16 slots, and a redundant 750W power supply. Furthermore, the server offers two firewire 800 and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as an internal graphics card with a mini-displayport interface. apple supplies this entry-level model for 2900 euros, which includes a license for Mac OS X Server 10.5 Leopard.

The manufacturer from Cupertino also offers the option of equipping the Xserve systems with two 2.26 GHz, 2.66 GHz or 2.93 GHz Xeons. Storage can be enhanced with 1TB SATA drives, 450GB 15krpm SAS storage drives, an internal Xserve raid card with a speed of 497MBps and 4Gb fiber channel cards. Finally, a boot SSD of 128 GB is possible. According to the manufacturer, the systems are more economical than their predecessors. Apple focuses with its server line on SMEs, education and graphic artists.