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Sun Introduces 650 MHz UltraSPARC IIi CPU
Sun has announced the introduction of 550 MHz and 650 MHz UltraSPARC IIi processors, powering two new rackmount servers: the Sun Fire
V120 and Netra 120. The new UltraSPARC IIi is, in fact, an improved version of the UltraSPARC IIe -- a highly integrated solution announced late in 2000 and introduced in
systems in February 2001.
Like its predecessor, the new UltraSPARC IIi features an integrated PC100/133 SDRAM memory interface, PCI interface, and L2 cache. However, the L2 cache has been doubled from 256 KB to 512 KB, and the maximum supported memory size has been doubled as well,
from 2 GB to 4 GB. The complete specifications of this new chip are as follows:
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Architecture: 64-bit SPARC® V9 with VIS Instruction Set
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4-way superscalar
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L1 (instruction): 16 KB (2-way set associative)
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L1 (data): 16 KB (direct mapped)
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L2 (unified instruction and data): 512 KB (4-way set associative)
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Integrated Memory Controller, PCI Controller and L2 cache
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Memory Interface: SDRAM with ECC (800 MB/s)
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System Bus Interface: PCI 2.1 32-bit at 33/66MHz
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Memory Size: 16 MB to 4 GB
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Clock Rates: 550, 650 MHz
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Performance Estimate: 650 MHz: SPECint2000/SPECfp2000:250/260
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Power Consumption: 17.6W (maximum) 2.5W (maximum in Sleep Mode)
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Transistors: 23 million
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Process technology: 0.18 micron, 6 layer Cu metal, CMOS process
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Package: 370-pin ceramic pin grid array
While the UltraSPARC IIi won't win any awards for performance relative to the likes of the Pentium 4 or Athlon, it does manage a 43%
improvement in performance based on SPECint2000 estimates for a 35% increase in maximum power consumption over the 500 MHz UltraSPARC IIe.
Sun has contracted with UMC to produce UltraSPARC IIe (Hummingbird) processors. Therefore, it is very possible that these new UltraSPARC IIi processors are being produced by UMC.
The new UltraSPARC IIi is currently shipping in the V120 and Netra 120 servers. These servers are 1U rackmounted uniprocessor
servers featuring dual hot-swappable UltraSCSI hard disks, two 10/100Mbit ethernet ports, an external SCSI port, two USB ports, and two RJ45 serial ports (one for the console). Additionally, the 1U systems also feature room for a single full-length PCI card.
The V120 is an upgraded and more featureful version of the V100 (formerly the Netra X1), which -- along with its $1000 price tag -- has been the UltraSPARC IIe's claim to fame. The SCSI-based V120 starts
at $2,495 for a 550 MHz system, but can only assume that IDE-based systems using the new UltraSPARC IIi will follow in time, including perhaps an upgraded successor to the $1000 Sun Blade 100 workstation.
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