Apple updates the Xserve

Yesterday morning, the Apple store was once again down, sparking some new rumors about what could appear. The store soon returned to normal, but with a new Xserve available, this time sporting the Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor, the same that the latest Mac Pro uses.

Apple claims the new Xserve has twice the performance levels as the previous version, while using less energy to do so. There’s no escaping from the environmentally friendly, as this is the greenest Xserve to date. No surprises there.

Nothing says new gadgets like a specifications list, so the details lie below:

2.26 GHz Quad-Core Xeon 5500 processor (8MB of shared L3 cache)
3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
160GB 7200 rpm SATA Apple Drive Module
Dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board
Two PCI Express 2.0 x16 expansion slots
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256 MB (Mini DisplayPort output)
Two FireWire 800 and three USB 2.0 ports

As usual, you have the option to expand the system before you buy online. You can max the Xserve out to have two Quad-Core processors, which could both be running at 2.93GHz. Add 24GB of RAM and a few more terabyte hard drives, and you’ve got yourself a power-hungry monster that would cost you around $6,999. The standard Quad-Core option is available for $2,999 but can still be upgraded to your liking.

Xserve’s are not your everyday product; it’s unlikely you’d find a need for one in your home. But for offices, schools and other places requiring fast networking, the Apple Xserve won’t let you down. Running the latest server version of OS X, it’s stable and built to last. Having Apple at the core of your network is a smart move, and the latest Xserve looks to be a solid machine capable of whatever you can throw at it.

Via [TUAW]