Intel has unveiled a dual-processor version of its server-blade architecture, essentially self-contained servers that rest on a single backplane.

The dual-processor system relies on Intel's new low-voltage Pentium III processor at 800 MHz and can support up to 4 Gbytes of PC 133 memory. Previous versions used slower PC 100 memory. The systems also contain 512 Kbytes of on-chip Level 2 cache, which speeds data throughput to the processor.

Blades help IT staffs build a front-end server infrastructure for applications such as Web serving, caching, and firewall protection that can be changed as business conditions dictate. Adding or removing industry-standard components from a chassis can increase or decrease capacity. The dual-processor systems will give users a performance boost of up to 63% compared with single-blade systems, Intel officials say.

Conventional rack servers are housed in individual chassis that require a slew of components that limit expandability. Intel's low-voltage chips also consume less energy and produce less heat than conventional processors, meaning that they can be packed together more tightly and reduce energy costs.

The dual-processor blades should further spur growth in the server-blade market, which market-research firm International Data Corp. pegs at $2.9 billion by 2005. "It's an incremental step up," says Brooks Gray, a Technology Business Research analyst.

Dell Computer and Fujitsu Ltd. plan to offer systems based on Intel's latest blade offering. Both Hewlett-Packard and Compaq launched blade products this year based on Intel's single-processor blade architecture. IBM officials say their company also is readying a twin-blade product for later this year.