Intel launches six-core Xeon 7400, your bank account shudders

Thanks to Google's Chrome and Microsoft's IE8, discrete processes are the new hotness, and more apps running simultaneously on your desktop is a great excuse to buy a CPU with more cores! On cue, Intel has officially launched its new Xeon 7400 processor, hitting 2.6 GHz on six cores and boasting an advertised 43 percent jump in performance over the lowly quad-core 7300, which had only half the 7400's 16MB of L3 cache. Impressive stuff, especially considering a bonus 10 percent drop in power consumption, but at $2729 for the top of the line model it's not exactly consumer-oriented. Perhaps Intel could interest you in a nice Core i7?

[Jash Sayani @ Sep 16th 2008 10:46AM]

Too expensive to buy..!!!!

[B3ASTx3G @ Sep 16th 2008 11:21AM]

your right

[Tim Brown @ Sep 16th 2008 11:34AM]

Hmm, I am trying to work out a way of getting my company to pay for this. I think its time for a new Graphics Workstation! I'm thinking 4 of these with 32GB of RAM and 5TB RAID 5? Just got to get it past my boss! Anyone know some good tutorials on forging signatures? ;-)

[devil666 @ Sep 16th 2008 1:19PM]

any chance of shoehorning these into a recent mac pro? :D

[d840 @ Sep 30th 2008 7:05PM]

@devil666

You DO realize you're talking about a mac, right? You'll have to wait at least 8 months before it can go in a NEW mac pro. About a year later, they'll release their own version of this processor to work with the older mac pros like yours, but it will cost 30% more than fair market value.

(that is, if the 8800gt was any indication of how apple works :P)

[whowhatme @ Sep 16th 2008 10:53AM]

does having more cores help with more simultaneous apps running?

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 11:05AM]

All depends on the OS and if the programs you're running take advantage of it. In todays world not much but later on these things will kill anything out...

[MioTheGreat @ Sep 16th 2008 11:27AM]

Yes, it will.

[Pedro d'Aquino @ Sep 16th 2008 12:43PM]

Yes it will. The OS is able to run each process at the same time by scheduling them to run on different processors.

But actually, the fact that Chrome and IE8 run each tab on a separate process doesn't change anything. The way it is done nowadays is giving each tab its own thread, which makes it just as parallelizable.

[linuxamp @ Sep 17th 2008 12:23AM]

Only if the apps are actually doing something. If you have Word, Excel, FireFox etc open but just sitting there then they won't be utilizing much of any cores. Check your task manager, you'll notice that most programs don't use much CPU unless you're interacting with the program. Other apps like encoders etc will use tons of CPU while processing. The extra cores will certainly help in these cases and your UI will be much more snappy.

[kal326 @ Sep 16th 2008 10:58AM]

Well when you consider that the Xeon 7300 is still $1,000-$1300 the 7400 isn't all that bad considering the nearly 50% increase at a lower clock speed. Then again the 7300 was designed for 4-way servers, so the consumer price point comparison is kinda moot. I can't think of too many home users with a 4-way quad core desktop.

[goQQinurBbB @ Sep 16th 2008 11:03AM]

heh heh "4 way" heh heh

[Samuel Wat @ Sep 16th 2008 7:56PM]

@ Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 2:33PM

"Intel used the "i" before apple did.. Check out their old processors..."

Damn it, it's just an "i."

[kal326 @ Sep 19th 2008 11:32AM]

Samuel, wtf are you babbling about?

[Xavian-Anderson Macpherson @ Sep 23rd 2008 10:26PM]

I have a Tyan S4980 motherboard. That's four quad-core sockets on a single board. And is sits right behind me here in my living room.

Shingoshi

[TareX @ Sep 16th 2008 10:59AM]

At $2729 you know it's built to power NASA computers.

Regardless, great news, because:

New processor >>> Quad-core gets cheaper >>> Xtreme gets cheaper >>> Maxed out Area51-x17 becomes more affordable.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 11:10AM]

Alienware=Overpriced...

[TareX @ Sep 16th 2008 11:27AM]

Yeah, it is. Like the first iPhone, and the first iPod....etc
But it has the WOW factor. The illuminated keyboard, the skull shaped casing... the Alien logo... Engraved name on case....etc

And when you consider the m17x is the only laptop with Core-2-Extreme processor AND Dual 8800 GTX... it is unique. And it's in this distinguished individuality where the price tag rises.

[wickedpheonix @ Sep 16th 2008 11:36AM]

TareX: don't kid yourself. It's an Alienware, it doesn't have a wow factor anymore. Your money is better spent elsewhere, say at Voodoo or Falcon-NW.

[thatrotierkid @ Sep 16th 2008 11:49AM]

you lost me at the skull shaped casing. i hate the alienware cases. gimme a nzxt tempest or antec 900 anyday. honestly, if i ever bought an alienware tower, i would buy a case from newegg to throw the parts in. that being said, ill stick to my home built rig.

laptops a different story, but then again i dont use a laptop for gaming so the 2x 8800gtx doesnt interest me

[Nano2e @ Sep 16th 2008 11:51AM]

Speaking of the iphone. Has Apple tried to file a copyright infringement against Intel for the use of the 'i' and the glossy effects in the logo?

[vypergts @ Sep 16th 2008 11:57AM]

Better yet get a Sager from someplace like http://www.pctorque.com/ It's the exact same machine as alienware without the fancy paint job and price markup.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 2:15PM]

Dude I'd seriously check out avadirect if I were you or just learn to DIY...

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 2:33PM]

Intel used the "i" before apple did.. Check out their old processors...

[TareX @ Sep 16th 2008 2:34PM]

Believe me I know all about Sager notebooks.

Sure you'll get:

- A Quad instead of an Extreme processor.
- Dual 9800M GTX instead of Dual 8800M GTX
- And you'll save around 300$

But the Sager notebooks have the worst exterior designs hands down. After a certain level of performance (Dual 8800mGTX SLI + Extreme processor), the outer components mean more to me. Sager could be a bit better on the inside, but it's a LOT uglier on the outside.

[TareX @ Sep 16th 2008 2:40PM]

..... recalculated it.

You save $550 with Sager.... (and get a Quad, and dual 9800m GTX)... that's a lot of money.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 16th 2008 6:29PM]

Yeah when it comes to desktops I DIY my laptops I get through avadirect... Yeah alienwares cosmetic looks at time are sweet but I want the performance and price value over anything else...

[pfromg @ Sep 16th 2008 11:04AM]

at $2729 , not oriented at all.

They only have a few of these and obviously don't want to sell them.so yet another paper launch.The real product will show up in 6 moths.

[Richard @ Sep 16th 2008 2:50PM]

Then I will ramp up the wattage of my outdoor light bulb to tempt one of these moths into my clutches.

[cyber75sax @ Sep 16th 2008 11:20AM]

OW! OOH! EECH! HOLY COW THAT'S EXPENSIVE!!! What the heck, Intel?! Even power users are only used to sub-$1000 processors.

[Alamo @ Sep 16th 2008 12:04PM]

^^^ Ditto. This man speaks sense. These processors have a legit (too legit to quit...it's hammer time!) purpose. Perhaps you gamers/hackers/code monkeys think it's over priced...but think of the scope of the computer world. It won't save you money to build a gaming rig with this. Or a media center. Or hell...even a small domain server for your business...but when you're dropping millions on your server infrastructure you save money where you can...and there's a lot of money to be saved when you work in those numbers.

[Alamo @ Sep 17th 2008 8:51AM]

dang....replied to the wrong post. I meant the dude below me. Cheers andrew.

[Andrew @ Sep 16th 2008 11:24AM]

I don't know what you're talking about pfromg. They're going to sell a boatload of these. Ever heard of server virtualization? Might want to read up on it. A four socket * 6 core server (24 cores total) and 256GB RAM could easily run 40:1 or 50:1 consolidation ratios under VMWare ESX 3.5.

Think about it this way. Say your company needs 200 servers. Would you want to buy 200 * $5000 servers for $1 million, or 5 * $40,000 servers for $200,000?

Now imagine your company needs 5000 windows servers, like mine does.

[pfromg @ Sep 16th 2008 11:25AM]

$2729 for a cpu.

This is what intel will do if AMD cant catch up again.

[Yor1001 @ Sep 16th 2008 11:33AM]

I was saying the same thing.....it have begun :( intel are once again jacking up its price due to lack of competition....AMD we need you!!!

[Andrew @ Sep 16th 2008 11:29AM]

...and these are absolutely not meant for use in your gaming desktop machine. Xeon chips are for servers and pro level workstations. If it doesn't have "Core" branding, it's not meant for playing Call of Duty.

[broli @ Sep 16th 2008 11:36AM]

Even if tough use the "it's for servers argument" it's way to expensive if you know quad cores are almost given away for free compared to this. Not one company is right in its mind to spend so much more for so little more...unless it's tax funded one muahahaha.

[broli @ Sep 16th 2008 11:37AM]

Thanks engadget for not being able to edit your comment.

[Dani Reader @ Sep 16th 2008 8:48PM]

sadly its weblos incs fault, so you're stuck with it

[Dani Reader @ Sep 16th 2008 11:39AM]

well, the xeon's never been a consumer chip has it? My understanding was that it was a high end workstation CPU

[Dani Reader @ Sep 16th 2008 11:40AM]

but still, holy shit

[Liquidretro @ Sep 16th 2008 11:44AM]

Can anyone say a 12 Core Mac Pro for North of $10,000

[Apple @ Sep 17th 2008 8:45AM]

a 12 Core Mac Pro for North of $10,000
:D

[dedykul @ Sep 16th 2008 11:51AM]

Is this CPU built on new Nehalem platform or not? Are we going to see 6core i7 then? or maybe 7 core so it will be more confusing for customers ;) Core i7 7C 7400 with 2.7GHz...
You really need to study CPUs these days.

[greyscale @ Sep 16th 2008 12:18PM]

It is not a Nehalem. There will be 6 and 8 core i7s.

[kb2zuz @ Sep 16th 2008 4:02PM]

How long until they start putting these in dual processor boards? Dodeca-Core Mac Pro anyone? Just in time for Snow Leopard and CS 4.

[cowjuice13 @ Sep 16th 2008 12:43PM]

Are they going to call the desktop version of this the Core 2 Sex?

[Maestro @ Sep 16th 2008 1:33PM]

What's a bank account?

[Echo1 @ Sep 16th 2008 11:52PM]

time to use that off-shore account

[Frankenstein Black @ Sep 16th 2008 1:49PM]

Hum! isn't a Skulltrail and 2 quads cheaper?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?ISList=13-121-330-S01%2c13-121-330-S02%2c13-121-330-S03%2c13-121-330-S04%2c13-121-330-S05&S7ImageFlag=1&Item=N82E16813121330&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=Intel%20BOXD5400XS%20D5400XS%20Extended%20ATX%20Motherboard%20-%20Retail