IBM Powers Up New Chip

IBM(IBM Quote) unveiled a new microprocessor Monday, claiming advances in performance and power consumption for the high-end servers used by many corporations.

The new Power6 chip is the latest update to IBM's line of Power microprocessors, following the three-year-old Power5 generation of chips. The Power6 boasts a clock-speed of 4.7 gigahertz, which is twice as fast as its predecessor, according to IBM.

IBM says the chip offers this performance increase while consuming "nearly" the same amount of energy as the Power5 chip -- a factor that has become increasingly important as the data centers that many corporations rely on to run their business have driven up electricity bills. ...