Intel updates low power server chips

Intel on Tuesday announced two 50 watt server processors that can reach the 2.5 GHz mark.

The quad-core Intel Xeon Processor L5400 Series--there's a mouthful--are 45 nanometer chips with cores that run at 12.5 watts each. The power pitch is gaining increasing urgency as companies spend more on electricity than the servers in their data centers.

The low-voltage updates are 25 percent faster than Intel's previous low-volate offering. The cache is also 50 percent larger.

According to Intel, the quad-core Xeon processor L5420 2.50GHz 1333MHz 50W      will run you $380 in quantity of a 1,000. The 2.33 Ghz L5410 will run you $320 in quantities of 1,000.