Leak! Intel's server board strategy to 2002

Part One Sources working within Intel in Europe have leaked comprehensive details of the firm's strategy for server boards which reveal plans the chip giant currently has up until the year 2002. Documents seen by The Register show that the firm is scrambling to ensure that its lucrative server business carries on being the cash cow to fuel future growth. As we revealed yesterday, internal rifts between motherboard and chipset divisions in the firm have caused bitterness, with heads rolling as those at the top try and sort out difficulties in the middle and the bottom of the firm. The roadmaps we have been shown are internal Intel documents and the firm is stressing to its customers that these are "preliminary" and "subject to change". In Q2 this year, Intel will release two important revs in its future plans. The S440GE2 board will use Ultra160, fast CuMine technology, have a 100MHz spin and will use either a Hudson (5U) or Byrd (2U) chassis. In Q1 next year, Intel will release the Juniper board, using Serverworks (Reliance) chipsets and supporting a dual Foster (Willamette) processor, and using the Hudson II chassis. Also in this quarter, Intel will introduce the Tupelo, again using Serverworks chipsets, and using the Hudson or the Byrd II chassis. The third Q1 intro will be the Ginkgo, once more based on a Serverworks chipset, and using the Hudson (5U) or the Byrd-II (2TU-TBD) chassis. As we revealed yesterday, Gingko will be followed by the Gingko-II using Tualatin, and again based on the Hudson or Byrd II chassis, during the first half of 2001. In the first half of 2002, Intel will introduce the Hickory board, based on two-way Gallatin technology, and using the Hudson II chassis. Juniper-II will tip up in the first half of 2002, again using a two-way Gallatin chipset. Intel has to perform quite a few conjuring tricks to make the transition from Lancewood L440GX+ technology. It has to move the Lancewood to the value segment, and add Hudson and Byrd chassis support to existing Lancewood motherboards. It will shift Lancewood out of the value segment to the performance segment by introducing its Glen Echo (S440GE2) board. That has to come in two stages, the first of which is to change the Hudson and Byrd chassis to support existing Lancewood boards, while minimising changes in the existing baseboard design. The second phase will be to add extra features to the Glen Echo S440GE2 board including U160 and faster processor support to the Lancewood design. Intel's board division is vastly increasing its motherboard factory capacity. The Lancewood factory has already increased support. In week ten of this year, Intel will have managed to double the output of the factory from week four. It may increase capacity after week ten, and expects to fix its backlog by week 13 because of the increase in capacity. Glen Echo will take over this increased support for the Lancewood production. But there are still severe material constraints on other products Intel is manufacturing. Sitka will be fully recovered from its backlog by around now using the P0CH SKU, Cypress boxed boards using the C440GX+ chipset were expected to recover by week nine. Cabrillo II and Astor II will recover from their backlogs by weeks ten and 14 respectively. However, Intel's Polar, Bear and Saber systems have constrained deliveries through to week 11, while key customers can expect full recover between weeks 12 and 14, in other words, round about now. To increase Lancewood capacity, Intel had to convert existing test equipment, and in week ten of this year added an SMT line to its factory and completed the installation of its test equipment. Lancewood will support all 100MHz system bus Pentium IIIs processors on Intel's roadmap, apart from the CuMine 850/100, where support for the product is planned. The 1GHz processor, however, does not seem to be part of these plans. ® Contents: Intel Server Board strategy to 2002 Page 2 Classy chassis, Glen Echo and Raid options Page 3 End of lines, dates, closures and $1.5 million in dosh Related Story Bitter war breaks out inside Intel