IBM Unveils New x86 Servers With Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) Processors

New System Delivers 15% Performance Improvement for the New Enterprise Data Center




ARMONK, NY - May 2008: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced three IBM System x(TM) servers featuring the Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) processor. All of the new servers provide the IT efficiency needed in a new enterprise data center, with the System x3755 delivering 15 percent better performance than its predecessor.

IBM is delivering new Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based systems that offer exceptional power-efficiency, performance and virtualization capabilities for today’s most demanding datacenters. These include:

The System x3455 offers leading memory performance with 48 GB of memory, making it ideal for technical and financial applications. With today’s announcement of the addition of Quad-Core processors, the x3455 is now more competitive for high performance computing.
The System x3655 is now more effective for business performance computing and memory-intensive applications such as database, virtualization and dynamic web serving.
The new System x3755 leverages a unique modular design to scale to four sockets more affordably. Its flexible design allows customers to increase the size of their system as their databases, virtualization environments and collaboration applications grow. The x3755 provides a three socket configuration that outperforms many competitive four socket configurations.
The new servers are an important element in helping clients develop a new enterprise data center, which offers dramatic improvements in IT efficiency and provides for rapid deployment of new IT services to support future business growth. IBM is helping clients move to new enterprise data centers by focusing on best practices around virtualization, green IT, service management and cloud computing.

“IBM continues to deliver innovation and choice in the x86 market with today’s introduction of System x servers based on AMD’s new Quad-Core processors,” said James Northington, vice president, IBM System x. “The new System x3755 allows clients to grow the system along with their business, affordably scaling from the standard two socket system to three and four socket configurations while delivering industry leading price and performance.”

“The addition of Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers will help continue IBM’s tradition of enhancing its customers’ competitiveness through innovative, high-performing computing solutions,” said Randy Allen, Senior Vice President of CSG, AMD. “Datacenter managers are increasingly seeking a balance of performance, energy-efficiency, and advanced virtualization functionality in order to optimize server resources amidst skyrocketing power, cooling and space costs. The Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor is at the forefront of addressing this new paradigm of datacenter performance.”

Pricing and Availability
The IBM System x3455, x3655 and x3755 will be available with Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors in June, starting at $1,809, $2,499 and $3,407 respectively.