Intel® E8501 Chipset

The Intel® E8501 chipset contains higher performance and more scalability than the prior generation Intel® Xeon® processor family. The Intel E8501 chipset enables performance gains on Intel's four-way MP platform of up to 60% over the previous generation, making the platform well-suited to running demanding, multi-threaded applications, such as databases, financial services and supply-chain management.

The chipset is designed for longevity-architected for the Intel® Xeon® processor 7000Δ sequence, yet also compatible with Intel® single-core processors-for an enhanced lifespan and for lowering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The chipset's ability to support 64-bit as well as 32-bit applications lets you leverage your investment even further. It also offers increased bandwidth, and greater flexibility, manageability, and I/O integration than previous-generation MP chipsets.

Features and benefits
Supports Intel® Xeon® processor 7000Δ sequence
Significant performance improvement over previous generation single-core processors.
Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology◊
Enables extended memory addressability for server applications
Demand-Based Switching (DBS) with Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep® technology
Enables platform and software power management features to help lower average power consumption while maintaining application performance and improving acoustics
PCI Express* serial I/O
Next-generation I/O capable of up to 8 GB/s peak bandwidth
Improved RAS features compared to PCI-X
Lower latency compared to PCI-X for improved I/O performance
Software compatible with PCI-X to simplify parallel-to-serial transition
DDR2-400 memory
Provides up to 20% increase in memory bandwidth over DDR-333
Increased DIMMs per system for enhanced memory scalability
Enhanced reliability and manageability
Many memory controller features, together with PCI Express RAS features combine to help improve platform reliability vs. previous-generation platforms
Features include Error Correcting Code (ECC) system bus, memory RAID, and I/O and memory hot-plug
The Intel® E8501 chipset includes an SMBus port for remote management operation and support for a variety of third-party BMC (base management controller) and BIOS solutions
High-speed, 3-load front-side system bus (800 MHz)
12.8 GB/s—four times faster than previous Intel® Xeon® processor MP-based platforms with 400 MHz system bus
PIROM and thermal sensor
Allows for scheduled service in the event of a system manufacturing defect or cooling device failure