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Built using an entirely new transistor technology that significantly reduces the wasteful electrical leakages threatening the pace of future computer innovation, Intel Corporation has unveiled 16 server and high-end PC processors. In addition to increasing computer performance and saving energy use, these processors also eliminate eco-unfriendly lead — and by 2008, halogen materials, as well.

The processors are the first to use Intel's hafnium-based, high-k metal gate (Hi-k) formula for the hundreds of millions of transistors inside these processors. These Intel Core 2 Extreme and Xeon processors are also the first to be manufactured with the company's 45-nanometer manufacturing process, further boosting performance and lowering power consumption. The new 45 nm processors raise the transistor density of previous chips by a factor of almost two, compared with earlier devices built with the company's 65 nm technology. That is up to 820 million transistors for quad-core processors, each using Intel's new formula.

New to the Intel line-up of server processors are the 15 server dual-core and quad-core 45 nm Hi-k Intel Xeon processors. The 12 new quad-core chips boost clock speeds ranging from 2 GHz up to 3.2 GHz, with front side bus speeds up to 1600 MHz, and cache sizes of 12 MB. The three new dual-core chips feature clock speeds of up to 3.4 GHz, an FSB of up to 1600 MHz and cache sizes of 6 MB.

Intel's 45 nm Hi-k Xeon processors also extend performance-per-watt by delivering an improvement of 38% over previous-generation Quad-Core Xeon 5300 series processors.

Pricing of the 45 nm Hi-k Intel Xeon processors depends on the model, speeds, features and quantities ordered, and ranges from $177 to $1,279 in quantities of 1000. The 45 nm Hi-k Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad core processor is priced at $999 in quantities of 1000. Depending on the model, these processors are available now or within 45 days.