1Introduction

As the complexity of computer systems increases, so do the power dissipation requirements. Care must be taken to ensure that the additional power is properly dissipated. Typical methods to improve heat dissipation include selective use of ducting, and/or passive heatsinks.

The goals of this document are to:

Outline the thermal and mechanical operating limits and specifications for the

Intel® E8500/E8501 chipset North Bridge (NB) component and the Intel® E8500/E8501 chipset eXternal Memory Bridge (XMB) component.

Describe two reference thermal solutions that meet the specification of the E8500/E8501 chipset NB component.

Describe a reference thermal solution that meets the specification of the E8500/E8501 chipset XMB component.

Properly designed thermal solutions provide adequate cooling to maintain the E8500/E8501 chipset die temperatures at or below thermal specifications. This is accomplished by providing a low local-ambient temperature, ensuring adequate local airflow, and minimizing the die to local- ambient thermal resistance. By maintaining the E8500/E8501 chipset die temperature at or below the specified limits, a system designer can ensure the proper functionality, performance, and reliability of the chipset. Operation outside the functional limits can degrade system performance and may cause permanent changes in the operating characteristics of the component.

The simplest and most cost effective method to improve the inherent system cooling characteristics is through careful chassis design and placement of fans, vents, and ducts. When additional cooling is required, component thermal solutions may be implemented in conjunction with system thermal solutions. The size of the fan or heatsink can be varied to balance size and space constraints with acoustic noise.

This document addresses thermal design and specifications for the E8500/E8501 chipset NB and XMB components only. For thermal design information on other chipset components, refer to the respective component datasheet. For the Intel® 6700PXH 64-bit PCI Hub, refer to the

Intel® 6700PXH 64-bit PCI Hub Thermal Design Guidelines. For the ICH5, refer to the Intel® 82801EB I/O Controller Hub 5 (ICH5) and Intel® 82801ER I/O Controller Hub 5 R (ICH5R) Thermal Design Guide.

1.1Design Flow

To develop a reliable, cost-effective thermal solution, several tools have been provided to the system designer. Figure 1-1illustrates the design process implicit to this document and the tools appropriate for each step.

Intel® E8500 /E8501Chipset North Bridge (NB) and eXternal Memory

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Bridge (XMB) Thermal/Mechanical Design Guide

 

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Intel E8501 manual Introduction, Design Flow

E8501 specifications

The Intel E8501 is a high-performance server processor that belongs to the Intel Itanium 2 family, designed primarily for enterprise-level demands. With its advanced architecture, the E8501 targets mission-critical applications that require reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) alongside superior computational power.

One of the key features of the Intel E8501 is its 64-bit architecture, allowing for the handling of larger data sets and improved performance for applications that demand extensive computations. This architecture is built on Intel's Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) design, which enhances instruction-level parallelism and enables efficient processing of multiple instructions simultaneously, resulting in faster execution of complex tasks.

The E8501 processor is equipped with a maximum clock speed of 1.6 GHz and supports 4MB of L3 cache, significantly improving data retrieval speeds and overall throughput. The chipset accommodates up to 64GB of RAM across four DIMM slots, thus providing ample memory for demanding applications, such as databases and high-performance computing.

Additionally, the E8501 incorporates Intel's Advanced Smart Cache technology, which allows multiple cores to share the cache dynamically. This enhances performance by reducing latency and improving bandwidth for multi-threaded workloads. The processor also employs a dual-core design, which means it can execute multiple threads concurrently, thus maximizing processing efficiency.

Furthermore, the E8501 processor provides support for advanced virtualization technologies, enabling multiple operating systems to run on a single server instance. This capability is essential for data centers managing diverse workloads and consolidating IT resources.

Power efficiency is another significant characteristic of the Intel E8501, featuring enhancements that reduce power consumption while maintaining performance. This is critically important in enterprise environments where energy costs are a substantial concern.

The processor is also equipped with built-in security features, including data encryption capabilities and mechanisms to protect against certain types of cyber threats. These features ensure that sensitive enterprise data remains secure.

In summary, the Intel E8501 stands out as a robust server processor designed to meet the rigorous demands of enterprise-level applications. Its combination of 64-bit architecture, advanced caching mechanisms, virtualization support, and exceptional performance makes it a compelling choice for organizations seeking to enhance their computational capabilities and maintain high levels of reliability. As businesses continue to evolve and require more from their computing environments, the E8501's technologies and features position it as a reliable foundation for mission-critical applications.