Apple introduced the new Xserve,
a 1U rack-optimized server that is up to twice as fast as its predecessor and
includes an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server Leopard. The new
Xserve has up to two Quad-Core 3.0 GHz Intel Xeon processors for 8-core
performance, new server architecture, faster front side buses, faster memory,
up to 3TB of internal storage and two PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots for
greater performance and flexibility.

Xserve is configurable with up to
two Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 series processors running up to 3.0 GHz with 12MB
of L2 cache per processor and features a new high-bandwidth hardware
architecture, dual-independent 1600 MHz front side buses and up to 32GB of 800
MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM memory for a 64 percent increase in memory throughput. Two
PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots provide up to four times the I/O bandwidth of
the previous Xserve to support the latest high-bandwidth expansion cards
including multi-channel 4 GB Fibre channel and 10 GB Ethernet cards.

Xserve now includes built-in
accelerated graphics to drive up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema Display and a new
front-facing USB 2.0 port. Using Apple’s Server Monitor, an administrator can
remotely turn Xserve on or off and manage server software from anywhere on the
network. Each of Xserve’s three drive bays can be configured with 73GB or 300GB
SAS drives or 80GB and 1TB SATA drives, providing a mix of high performance and
vast storage capabilities for a wide range of server applications. Apple offers
a hardware RAID card option that delivers hardware RAID levels 0, 1 and 5 with
256MB of cache and an included backup battery for up to 72 hours of cached data
protection. The Xserve RAID card delivers up to 251MB/s RAID 5 performance for
the most demanding server workloads, without using a valuable PCI Express
expansion slot.

The new Xserve improves energy
efficiency with Intel’s 45 nanometer core microarchitecture technology. The
processors draw a maximum consumption of 80W, and drop as low as 4W when idle.
Power supplies exceed Energy Star recommendations from the US Department of
Energy and Apple’s thermal management technology cools the systems efficiently
in a wide variety of environments while reducing power consumption.

The Xserve standard configuration:

• a single 64-bit 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Xeon processor with 12MB of L2
  cache and a 1600 Mhz front side bus;
• 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM RAM, expandable up to 32GB;
• a single 80GB SATA Apple Drive Module;
• dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board;
• internal graphics;
• two FireWire 800 and three USB 2.0 ports; and
• An unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server version 10.5
  Leopard.

In addition to the standard
configuration, Xserve offers numerous build-to-order options and accessories
including: dual 2.8 or 3.0 G