Intel today officially launched their latest Xeon processors that are based on Nehalem architecture. The new Xeon processors are already shipping in Apple’s Mac Pro desktops and they feature QuickPath Interface, which directly talks to memory and peripherals reducing lag and improving memory bandwidth. Intel will have two Xeon processor series based on Nehalem architecture – single socket Xeon 3500 series and dual socket Xeon 5500 series.

The new processors will also have support for HyperThreading and Turbo Boost.  HyperThreading will allow as many as eight program instructions to run at once on a quad-core processor, which previously could only run four instructions, one on each core. Turbo Boost dynamically shuts down unused cores to ramp up clock speeds on the remaining cores to provide more processing power for the processes running on those cores.

The Xeon 5500 series will feature processors starting at dual-core 1.86GHz and going all the up to quad-core 3.2GHz. The prices for 5500 series will range from $188 to $1,600. On the 3500 series side there will be three models between 2.66GHz and 3.2GHz. The starting price for 2.66GHz model will be $284 and the top-of-line 3.2GHz version will cost $999. Intel has announced that 70 vendors with more than 230 designs based on the new Xeon processors are coming to market soon.
[Via Macnn]