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New Dell servers blow . . . cool

PowerEdge gets its Energy Smarts

Dell today entered the green data center wars with a pair of PowerEdge servers tweaked for improved performance per watt.

Customers can now purchase Energy Smart versions of Dell's two-socket 1950 and 2950 boxes. The systems include low voltage flavors of Intel's Xeon chip, more energy efficient power supplies and fans and some add-ons to improve air flow. At full rhetoric, the systems show 25 per cent better performance per watt and 24 per cent lower power consumption than regular versions of the PowerEdge iron.

You will, however, have to pay for the power savings.

Dell officially says that the Energy Smart systems start at $100 more than Energy Dumb PowerEdge 2950 (2U) and 1950 (1U) servers. In theory, that cost is offset by a $200 per year reduction in energy charges.

The problem is that Dell's web site does not elaborate on the Energy Smart program in any detail, as of this writing, and the company doesn't like to talk to us about server matters.

What we can tell you is that Dell currently charges $350 extra for the low voltage Xeons and does not present the new fans or power supplies as options on its web site.

Web-savvy blogging powerhouse that it is, Dell is sure to correct the information vacuum shortly.

Dell has vowed to keep pushing forward with its green computing agenda, as have rivals IBM, Sun Microsystems and HP.

All of the hardware makers look to capitalize on rising energy costs by pitching themselves as environmentally sound sellers of plastic, metal and chemically-enhanced computing innards.

We won't really be impressed until one of the vendors rolls out a corn-based bezel. ®

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